Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-11
Hundreds Killed Towns leveIIed
and Loss Will Reach Millions.
Hundreds Starving and Assistance
Asked Of United States.

san Juan De Porto Rico, Aug. 10
\ hurricane broke over the south coast.
At | o'clock, Tuesday morning. ana
swept northwest. There was no
abatement for nine hours, the 9reatest
damage being done between : and 10
O'Clock a. NJ. The wires are down and
communication with the interior was
for a time impossible 1t is now chief
~ carried on by couricrs.
Here nj San Juan four natives were
drowned III the harhor. So houses were
demolished and hundreds We're unroJf-
"a. The damage to property Is esti-
mated at 100000 Commissary stores
10 the value IF 100000 We're destroyed
y dispatch by cable from Ponce sent
at ~ o'clock. this morning. says the
town was almost destroyed. Almost
all the frame buildings are down. the
bridges swept away ana there ~ M
communication between the port and
city proper. The damage 70 The port
Is estimated at $250.0o0. TWO natives
are known to have been drowned. The
records and property Of the custom
house are ruined ana all the vessels
are ashore.
At Aibonitog very little remains
standing except the cathedral and the
barracks. Four natives persisted ana
three United States soldiers We're bad
~ injured As the town is without
food. government relief has been dis
patched thither.
FL Cayey was levelled to the ground.
200 houses being demolished. Two
United States soldiers We're injured
and many cavalry horses killed.
AT Catano. the entire plant of the
Standard Oil Co. was ruined. The loss
on the property il 100000.
At Bayamono. n majority Of the
houses We're destroyed and the rest
We're flooded. Two hunured cattle
were killed and the railway seriously
damaged.
The village Of Carolina was literally
RACED.
At Caguas four persons were killed.
\ courier has just arrived from
Humacao, capital of the province Of
that name. on the eastern coast Of the
island. reports awful destruction there.
Ht lN.>S " pIbI'ti " - tSAlliltA't q
$500. 000. but this is the least item in
the disaster. The courier brought an
official report from Capt. Even Swift.
of the 5th United States Cavalry, who
says:
"Humacao was totally destroyed by
the hurricane. Forty-siX bodies have
been recovered ana there are more in
the debris. Eight privates of Troop c
were injured. two fatally: Sergeant
King Of the 18th Infantry, was injured;
North discharged private, is miss
ing. At the port of Humacao. IS
bodies have been recovered. Eight |
hundred persons are starving here"
Three persons We're killed at Las
Piedras and five at Junco.
Couriers from the other districts are ,
anxiously expected at the palace.
The steamer Slocum. Capt. Thomas. |
en- route from MayagueZ to San Juan, |
was caught in the storm. but her pas
and crew We're saved through |
the heroism of Mr.. Single, the first |
mate.
The coffee crop is ruined and the loss
will reach millions. Very great injury |
has also been done to the orange crop.
No definite returns have vet been re-
,eived from the southern section of the
ISLAND apart from Ponce. 1t is certain,
however. that the food supplies in the
stricken districts have been destroyed
and in those quarters the quantity of
government stores on hand is small.
Relief wagons will be sent out tomor-
,ow, in various directions.
Gen. George w. Davis, the governor
general, has cabled to the war de-
lartment for assistance.