The San Francisco call., 1906-09-28
HURRICANE CAUSES
Loss Of MANY
MILLIONS.
Storm Extends Northeast
erly From Gulf, Doing
Damage Over Large Area
RUMORS OF LOSS OF
LIFE AT PENSACOLA
Havoc Wrought Along the
Lines Of Southern Rail
WAYS and Cities Flooded

LOUISVILLE. Ky, Sept. 27.-The
tropical hurricane which for the past
tvventy-four hours has been churning
the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and
doing much damage ON the coast and
far inland. is tonight whipping through
Northern Alabama in a northeasterly
direction at a velocity hut slightly less
than that recorded I'm New Orleans dur
ing the day. Reports received do not
indicate any loss of life, but the dam
age TO property over the territory
touched by the storm is something
enormous. All wire communication is
seriously disarranged. and In some in
stances has resulted in cutting on cities
completely. Mobile not having been
heard from in nearly twenty-fOur
hours. Numerous washouts have oe-
Cured, the interruption from this cause
in one case extending for thirty miles.
Pensacola, where the maximum velocity
of wind was probably felt early this
morning. reports property loss OF
So 100000 IN the city alone, and sends
q
possible to confirm tonight, as the un-
certain wire which held long enough to
rIeau this information late this after
noon failed with the coming of night
New Orleans furnished the subject
OF numerous wild rumors during The
day. but authentic reports from there
tonight indicate that while there was
considerable damage to property. there
has been no loss of life in the city.
Wires between New Orleans and the
gulf are prostrated. and il viii be
several days before anything can be
heard from the vast territory between
the Crescent city and the gulf, and
from the shipping which is riding out
tbe storm in the open. gulf Biloxi,
Miss. and A1oss P.,int. AGirs-. have not
been heard from for twenty-four hours
Moss Point reporting tee water i've
feet doep in the streets Of the little
town at 10 O'Clock Wednesday night
There was a heavy rain and higp
wind at Montgomery. Ala during the
day. but no serious damage was done
A gale is blowing at Birmingham to-
nsght after a day of. steady rain, which
has been continuous for thirty-six
hours.
GREAT DAMAGE TO RAILROADS.
Atlanta began to feel the storm at
noon today, but up TO s o'clock tonight
its force had not been increased TO an
extent portending serious results. The
damage to railroads is very heavs- Re
ports 10 the officials Of the Lou.sville
and Nashville road from the superin-
tendent Of the Mobile and Montgomery
divisions Indicate thai The loss approzi-
mates sl.oee. 600 The tracks between
Floatnan, Ala, and Pensacola. Fla,
are ohstructed ir many places. and in
some localities badly torn up by falling
trees. while the section between Geor-
gian and Graceville. Fla, has suffered
similarly
At Pensacola the Louisville and
Nashville grain elevator has been de-
stroyed and the entire trackage to
Esca1nbia Bay is ruined The railroad
wharf at Pensacola is reported to be a
tota: loss and thirty-nine cars of coal
Of the company was washed into the
bay. Further reports indicate that the
roadbed between Bay Minette Fla, and
Mobile a distance of thirty miles, has
been washed away. rendering traffic
Impossible. Five hundred section work
men are being rushed tonight from
Montgomery and Birmingham to the
scene OF the damage
The Louisville and Nashville also
suffered several washouts near New Or
leans and trains from the latter city
are being run tonight over certain sec
tions Of this trackage. The New Or
leans ana Northeastern road reports its
tracks under water at several places in
the vicinity of New Orleans.
No word has come from any of the
other railroads having their terminals
at Mobile
The waters Of Lake Pontchartrain.
which for the past twenty-four hours
have been five feet above normal caus-
ing a serious overflow in parts of New
Orleans. receded appreciably. The
waters in the submerged districts be-
gan to drain of. and the wind. which
veered to the northwest began to drive
the waters of the lake toward the gulf