Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-12

1 ulStdHct VI ~ niles SOutl Oh the APP
proach OF q storm and danger to life
and property. AT 3 o'clock advices
| from Marathon, station on
the Florida East Coast Railroad, stated
| that a G0-mle gale was blowing there
Warming has been given the people
along the shore below Marathon.
Savannah, Ga, oct. n.-At this hour
| (6.lJ p. M the entire sky here is OBJ
scurei by threatening clouds; the
! barometer is at 29.3S The wireless sta
| ton here for hours has been warning
vessels at sea.
Havana, Oct. 1.-THE most serious
hurricane since the big blow of
1906, struck Cuba early this
morning. caused an extensive devasta-
ton through the whole western por-
ton of the island. In the city of Ha-
vana many minor buildings We're
blown down or unroofed; almost all the
tees were uprooted: five persons We're
killed, one by an electric wire and the
Others by falling buildings, About %
persons were injured The damage here
is estimated at $1,00O,OOO
Communication with the interior has
been interrupted except with parts OF
Havana and Pnar Del Rio provinces,
i'll which the orange and other fruit
crops suffered severely. There were
heavy floods at Cuelta Abajo, the to-
bacco region, but the tobacco crop has
not been seriously affected. beyond
the washing out of the seed beds,
which. at this season of the year are
capable of renewal
Following the heavy rains of the
past few days a gale began at =
o'clock this morning which rapidly in
creased in intensity and reached hur-
ricane proportions at $40 A. M. The
gale came from the south, southwest
and the vortex of the hurricane was a
short distance west of Havana. The
storm continued with undated fury
until s o'clock, after which the rain
was intermittent, with occasional
heavy squalls throughout the day. The
wind subsidized tonight and the indica-
tons are for clearing weather.
During the morning hours all bust
ness was suspended and trolley traffic
ceased. The only steamer overdue is
the Chalmette from New Orleans,
which was scheduled to arrive here
this morning.
Washington, oct. 11.-Great )destruc-
ton to property and loss of life on the
south Atlantic coast and even in the
interior, according to Prof. Willis l..
Moore, is certain to result from a great
hurricane which has already touched
southern Florida and is making its way
up the coast. Since reports issued this
morning the weather bureau has re-
ceived additional information that has
led Prof. Moore to take every measure
possible to protect the inhabitants of
the sea islands off the Florida coast
from the approaching storm. At noon
he sent the following instructions by
wire to the signal Office observers at
Jupiter Inlet, Tampa, Jacksonville and
Thomasville, Ga.
Hurricane now central near Kew
West, promises to be destructive to
life and property over a large portion
of the Florida peninsula. You are au-
thorized to incur any necessary ex-
penses and to adopt every reasonable
measure to disseminate warnings to the
islands, coast cities and even the IN
terrier of the state
just DSloIe llOOE Ine barometer at
Key West recorded the remarkably
low reading of 2SS4 and already at
that point the wind had reached hurri-
cane force. In the opinion of the fore
casters the storm will certainly cover
the entire Florida peninsula, but viii
be felt in less degree west of the APP
palachicola river. 1t is due in full
force tonight ana the weather bureau
appeals to all newspapers and COM
morcidl organizations in the threaten
ed district to spread the news Of its
approach. The hurricane is fast an
preaching Key West, according to a
dispatch received at noon by the
weather bureau from its observer at
that point. He reported the barometer
had further dropped to 2S.7O and the
wind as blowing at the ate of 68 mile,
an hour.
In order to safeguard the life of the
weather bureau observer at Sand Key,
small island TO the southwest of Kew
West, Chief Moore ordered the man to
abandon his post. This he reluctantly
ala and has reported to Washington
That he has taken refuge from the
storm in the lighthouse on the island
There is some anxiety for the safety
of government property along the path
of the storm. The revenue cutter For
ward is at Key West, while two more
revenue cutters are west of the i'm
mediate storm zone, the Winona at
Mobile and the Window at Galveston.
The life saving service had many of
its boats washed away during the pre-
vious hurricane off the Gulf coast and
is watching the progress Of the pres
ent storm with much concern. There