The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-08-16
West Indian Cyclone.

WASHINGTON, Aug, 9.-Reports re-
ceived today at the weather bureau
from the West India islands state that
the hurricane which has been raging
there for two days, has shifted 10 the
open sea north of Porto Rico. Cable
communication in the path of the
storm was interrupted. The rain tall
at San Juan last night was five inches.
The navy department received this
afternoon the following message from
Capt. Glassford at Porto Rico: Soy
clone just passing over island prostrat-
ed telegraph and telephone lines; sew
eral killed; my quarters wrecked aud
signal barracks partly demolished;
many other public buildings likewise;
hundreds of native houses DESTROYED
ceutre and south probably Jared worse"
Captain Glen at San Juan also cables:
'Terrible hurricane; cavalry barracks
destroyed; storehouses and other build
ings damaged; iron roofing and lumber
required"
PONCE, Porto Rico, Aug. 10,-Hurri-
cane lasted from A. M. Tuesday, until
P. NJ. The town is flooded 1t is
estimated that 200 were drowned. The
town and port were total wrecks. The
damage is believed to exceed half a
million dollars.
SAN JUAN DE PORTO Rico, Aug. 10.
Reports from the cyclone of Tues
day come in slowly, but the disasters
are appalling. AT San Juan, four ma
tives were drowned in the harbor,
eighty houses were demolished and
hundreds were unroofed. The dam
age to property is estimated at $780,
900. Commissary stores to the value
of $50, 900 were destroyed. AT Aibo-
nito very little remains standing ex-
cept the cathedral and barracks. AS
the town is without food government
relief has been despatched thither. Ell
Cayea was levelled to the ground, 200
houses being demolished. At Catano
the entire plant of the Standard Oil
company was ruined. The loss on the
property is 100000.
Humaceo, capital of the province on
the eastern coast of the island, the de-
struction was awful The loss to
property is estimated at 100000. The
town YVES totally destroyed. Forty six
bodies have been recovered and there
are many more in the debris Many
United States troops are among the in
jured. At the port of Humacao eight
cen bodies have been recovered. Eight
hundred people are starving here"
WASHINGTON, August H. The war
department has received the following
additional information regarding the
damage by the West Indian hurricane
in cable from Gen. Davis at San Juan,
Porto Rico. He believes 100000 souls
have lost everything, and that famine
is impending. He asks for two and
one-half million pounds OF rice and
beans in equal quantities to be shipped
Immediately to Ponce. The purchasing
commissary at New York has been au-
thorized today to purchase six hun
dred thousand pounds each of rice and
beans and the department has ordered
the transport Burnside, now loading at
Philadelphia for Cuba, to take the re-
lief supplies to Porto Rico.
NEW YORK, Aug. IA despatch
to the Evening Journal from Ponce,
Porto Rico says: "It is now plain that
Ponce is the greatest sufferer by Tues
days hurricane. The rivers, Portu-
CUES and Canas, flooded through the
city drowning thousands. Five hun
dred bodies have already been recov-
cred. There is not drop of fresh
water in Ponce to drink. The cisterns
are full of salt water from the ocean.
The stencil arising from the dead bod
les is dreadful.