Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-10-12
FORM DESTROYS
CITY KEY WEST
Five Hundred Lose Life, Prop
Erty Loss Will Reach Millions

OF Wreckage Is now the result of the
terrible hurricane and cyclone which
swept the southern coast of Florida
and Key West yesterday. and it is
now known that not less than 12O0I
persons lost their lives according to
the wireless received here this morn
ing from tampa.
The property loss will exceed So
100000 The city OF Key west isl
reported as almost totally destroyed,
with substantial buildings wrecked
and twisted, and reduced to kindling.
All wires are down and communica-
'tions are cut on.
The loss Of life will be considera-
bly, greater than was at first believed
possible. Four hundred men engag-
ed in building railroad on Florida
Keys are reported among the dead,
while hundreds are injured from
which many deaths are expected.
Grave fears are entertained for
fully 1000 railroad men who were
working on the Keys in various parts,
and also for the ships which were
anchored in the harbor. Many ships
were driven into the sea and have
not been heard from yet.
Worst Experienced.
While the hurricane is the worst
1 that Key West has ever experienced.
the local weather observer says that
the indications are that the entire
east coast OF Florida would suffer.
OF 100 vessels in the harbor but
five remained at anchor. the Others
having either gone to sea or been
washed upon the beaches.
Streets along the water front are
a mass of wreekage. Brick as we'll
as frame buildings throughout the
city suffered from the hurricane and
many close escapes from death have
been reported.
Several factories were partly de-
stroyed. including the Havana-Amer-
lean, Martinez. Nichols, Ruy Lopez,
Manuel Lopez Fleitas Torres, Cor
tez and Wolf cigar factories. The
top of the First National bank was
blown OF and the postof1ice was dam
aged. 1t is known that many have
suffered serious injury and uncon-
hrmed reports say that several lives
have been lost
The storm reached its height at /
O'Clock today when The wind had an
estimated velocity of 100 miles an
hour. There was hard. steady
blow from a, m. to 3 p. M, when
the wind began TO die down and By
O'Clock the center of the hurri
| cane had passed this point.
Communication Cut on.
II MIAMI, Fla, Oct. I2.-AlI efforts
of the officials of the Florida Easi
{ Coast railroad here to get into com,
+ munication with the men at work OF
the roads extension on the keys oil
: the extreme southern peninsula have
! been in vain
Between 2509 and 5000 workmeI
t are employed on the construction
E work on the lower keys. where there
( is slight opportunity for protection
: from the fury OF the storm. GRAY,
/ fears are held for the safety OF thes'
j men the apprehension being in
a creased by recollections of the hurri
I cane of 1906 when 140 men lost thell
lives and great damage to property
: was done in that section.
I 1t is said that the construction
? camps are better fortified now ant
e 1t is known that the engineers OF
e the work have been preparing for /
D big blow.
n Five Suffer Death in Havana.
MI HAVANA, Oct. I2-The most ser
e ious tornado since the big blow o
s October II, 1906. struck Cuba yes
c terday, devastating the western por
a ton OF the island In Havana man
p minor buildings were blown dow
n or unroofed, 1--WE persons were killet
Is and about 25 were injured.
The greatest damage done was il
> the harbor. where 80 or so light
n ers. launches and small tugs wer
h either sunk or sent ashore.
h At Casa Blanca great anxiety va
IS felt throughout the day for the safe
s. ty OF the Ward liner MORO castl
II from New York. and of the Plan
4 line steamer Miami from Key Wesi
Both of these steamships. howevel