The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-08-17
The Terrible Hurricane Which
Ragged Over the Island Of
Porto Rico Tuesday.
MEAGER DETAILS ARE NOW COMING IN.
The City Of Ponce Was Almost De-
strOyed. Nearly All the Frame
Buildings Being Down.
Da nj &c to the Fort Estimated s25O,OO0
There Was Awful Dr-trurtion of
Property on the Eiste-n Coast
Large Number OF Lives Lost


WAsHGNGTOS. Aug. 1.-THE weather
bureau issues the follow ng hurricane
bulletin: "IIurricane ccnters apparent
ly approaching Nassau. bahama. Storm
will increase in intensity II on reach
ing the Gulf stream. and will probably
reach the Sout Atlantic coast towns
OF the United States Friday night.
SAN JUAN DE PoEro RICO. Aug. l2.-
A hurricane bro.c over the south
coast at O'Clock Tuesday morning and
swept northwcs'. There was no abatc-
ment for nine hours, the greatest dam
/ age being done between and 10 a. m.
The wires were down and communica-
ton with the in,erior was impossible.
1t is now chiefly carried on by couriors.
1t is now said that 800 persons lost
their lives at Ponce during the hurri-
cane. Terrible distress prevails there.
Arrcyo, on the south coast has been
destroyed. sixteen lives were lost there
and the town is still submerged in wat
er.
At Guayamo the houses are still stand
ing. Seven persons were killed there.
A nurabcr Of houses were pillaged,
squads of soldiers were unable to
maintain order and starvation threat
ems the population.
At Abon.ta very little remains stand
ing except the cathedral and barracks
Four nat YES perished and three Unit
ed States soldier were badly injured
AS the town is without food, go ern-
ment relief has been dispatched
thither.
Ell Cayey was lcvclcd 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 Co. was ruined. The loss
on the property is $500, 600.
At Bayamo majority Of the houses
were destroyed and the res, were
flooded Two hundred cattle were
killed and the railway was seriously
damaged.
The village OF Carolina was literally
razed. At Caguas four persons were
killed.
Amessage by courier from Ilumacao,
Porto Rico, n town Of :. 600 inhabitants,
reports the complete destruction Of
that place by the storm. SiXiy-four
persons lost their lives and the injured
number over 200 The loss TO properly
is estimated at $1,000, OoO Yabucao,
another Porto Eican town, shared
like fate. Twenty persons were killed.
Three persons were killed at Las
Pedras and five at Juuio.
Couriers from the other districts are
anxiously expected at the palace. The
steamer S.ocum Capt. Thomas. en-
route from Mayaguez 10 san Juan
was caught in the storm, but her pas
sengers and crew were saved through
the heroism of Mr. Single, the first
officer. The coffee crop IS ruined, and
the loss will reach millions. Very
great injury has been done also
to the orange crop. No definite re-
turns have yet been received
from the southern section Of the island
apart from Ponce 1t is certain, how
ever that the food supplies in the
stricken districts have been destroyed,
and in these quarters the quantity Of
government stores is small. Relief
wagons will be sent out Friday in var
ious directions
WAsmlNG1oY, Aug. l4.--The West
Indian hurricane appears to be gradu-
ally decreasing in strength and the
chances are that it will spend itself
before making much further progress.
This was the welcome news given out
by the officials of the weather bureau
Sunday night. 1t is based on the fact
that there has not been any decided
fall in the barometer in the localities
that should feel its effects, and by the
presence OF an area Of high pressure
in the northern part of the United
States, which tends TO keep the storm
from continuing its onward march.
1t is now south of Jacksonville, in
dicating 4 slow northward movement
since Saturday night. The bureau has
no wire reports south Of Titusville'
Fla. some distance below Jackson
vile, since Saturday night, and moth
ing from Nassau, bahama islands,
since Friday afternoon. The follow
ing mes sage has been sent to the fhli-
adelphia aud New York maritime ex-
changes and to other shipping points;
.Storm still central in Florida, but
with decreased strength. Conditions
safe for vessels sailing north at all
points from Wilmingto ton, \. C., north
ward"
Gold Certificates
NEW YORK. Aug. lL-A third lot OF
gold certificates amounting 10 ABOUT