Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-08-17
STORM WAS AWFUL
GREAT DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE
IN PORTO RICO.

IN PORTO RICO.
, for Nine Hours the Hurricane Swept
the South Coast, Leaving Death
and Desolntion in It's Wake
Damage at San Juan Alone Is
Estimated at Half Million-Hur-
macao, Capital Of the Province
of That Name, Was Totally De-
stroyed With Great Loss of Life.
San Juan, Porto Rico. Aug. IL. A
hurricane broke over the south coast
at 1 o'clock Tuesday morning and
swept northwest. There was no abate-
ment for nine hours. the greatest dam
age being done between and 10
O'Clock Il. IN. The wires are down and
communication with the interior for
time was impossible. 1t is now chief
~ carried on by coriers. AT San Juan
four natives were drowned in the har-
Dor, eighty houses We're demolished
and hundreds were unroofed. The
damage to property is estimated at
100000. Commissary stores to the
value of $4,000 were destroyed.
A cable from Ponce sent at 10 O'clock
yesterday morning says the town was
almost destroyed. Almost all the frame
buildings are down, the bridge is
swept away and there is no commune
cation between the port and the city
proper. The damage to the port is
estimated at $25O,MO. Two natives
are known to have been drowned The
records and property of the customs
house are ruined and all the vessels
are ashore.
At Aibonito little remains standing
except the cathedral and the barracks.
-Four natives persisted and three United
States soldiers were badly injured. AS
the town is without food. government
supplies have been dispatched thither.
El Caycy was leveled to the ground,
200 houses being demolished. Two
United States soldiers were injured
there and many cavalry horses killed.
AT Catano, the entire plant of the
Standard Oil company was ruined. The
loss on the property is 100000.
At Bayamon, a majority of the
houses were destroyed and the rest
We're flooded. Two hundred cattle
We're killed and the railway was seri-
OuSly damaged, the village of Caro-
lima was
Literally Raced.
At Caguas four persons were killed.
A courier, who has just arrived from
Humacao, capital Of the province of
that name, on the eastern coast OF the
island, reports awful destruction there.
The loss to property is estimated at
100000, but this is the least of the
damage. The courier brought an Off
cial report from Capt. Ebcn Swift, of
the Fifth cavalry. who says:
Humacao was totally destroyed by
the hurricane. Forty-siX bodies have
been recovered, but there are many
more in the debris Eight privates of
Troop G were injured. two fatally.
Sergeant King, of the Eleventh infan-
try. was injured. North, discharged
private, is missing. At the port of HUI
macao eighteen bodies have been re-
covered. Eight hundred people are
starving here.
Three persons We're killed at Las pc
dress and five ut juancro.
Couriers from the other districts are
anxiously expected at the palace. The
steamer Slocum, Capt. Thomas, en-
route from Nayguez for San Juan,
was caught in the storm. but her pas
sengers and crew are safe. through the
herosm of Mr.. Single, the first officer.
The coffee crop is ruined and the loss
will reach millions. Great injury has
been done also to the orange crop.
No definite returns have yet been re-
ceived from the southern section of the
island. apart from Ponce. 1t is GER
tain that the food supplies in the
stricken districts have been destroyed
and in these quarters the quantity of
government supplies on hand is small.
Relief wagons will be sent out this
morning in various directions. Gov.
Gen. Davis. military governor, has ca
bled the war department an appeal for
assistance.
Kings on. Jamaica. Aug. 12.-Hurri-
cans bulletins report that the eastern
and northern districts Of Dominica are
flooded. that Jamaica has suffered and
other West Indian islands have suf-
fered severely. Many inhabitants are
homeless. plantations are wrecked and
cultivation hampered. La Toita and
st. CroiX were the worst sufferers.
They report many fatalities and dis
tress among the survivors, besides