The San Francisco call., 1899-08-11

X AN JUAN DE PORTO RICO, Aug.
10-A hurricane broke over the
south coast at l o'clock Tuesday
morning and swept northwest.
There was no abatement for nine
hours, the greatest damage being done
between and 10 o'clock a. m. The
wires were down and communication
with the interior was for a time impos-
sible. 1t is now chiefly carried on by
cOuriers.
At San Juan four natives were
drowned in the harbor; eighty houses
We're demolished and hundreds were un-
rooted. The damage to property is es-
timated at $500 O00 Commissary stores
to the value of $50 600 were destroyed.
a dispatch by cable from Ponce, sent
at 10 o'clock this morning, says the
town was almost destroyed. Almost all
the frame buildings are down, the
bridge is swept away and there is no
communication between the port and
the city proper The damage to the
port is estimated at $250,000. Two ma
tives are kncwn to have been drowned.
The records and the property Of the
custom house are ruined and all the
vessels are ashore.
AT Aibonito very little remains stand
racks Four natives perished and three
United States soldiers We're badly in
5ured AS the town is without provi-
sions. Government reuef has been dis
patched thither
FL Canay was Ieveled 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 5000, 600. At
RayamOn. a majority of the houses
were destroyed and the rest were food
ed Two hundred cattle were killed and
the railroad was seriously damaged.
The village OF Carolina was literally
razed At Caguas four persons We're
killed.
A courier who has just arrived from
HumacaO, capital of the province O1
that name, on the eastern coast of the
island. reports awful destruction. The
loss TO property is estimated at $500,
600. but this is the least item In the
disaster. The courier brought an Off
cial report from Captain Eben Swift OF
the Fifth United States Cavalry, who
says: "Humacao was totally destroyed
by the hurricane. Forty-six bodies
have been recovered and there are
many more in the debris. Eight pri-
Yates of Troop c were injured, two ia
tally Sergeant King of the Eleventh
Infantry was injured. North dis
charged private, is missing AT the
port Of Humacao eighty-one bodies
have been recovered. Eight hundred
people 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, Captain Thomas, en- route
from Mayaguez to San Juan, was
caught in the storm, but her passen-
gers and crew We're 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 returns have yet been re-
ceived from the southern section Of the
island, apart from Ponce. 1t Is GER
tain, however, that the food supply in
the stricken districts has been de-
stroyed and in these quarters the
quantity Of Government stores on hand
IS small. Relief wagons will be sent
tomorrow in various directions
General George W. Davis. the Cover
nor General, has cabled to the War De-
partment an appeal for assistance.