Tensas gazette., 1909-10-15
HURRICANE SPREADS ruin
Key West Becomes a Mass of
Wreckage.
MARTIAL Law HAS been Declared
OF Over a Hundred Vessels at the
HarbOr Only Five Remain at An
chor, All Others Having Gone
to Sea.

Key West, Fla.-As a result of
the hurricane which struck the
southern coast of Florida Monday
morning Key West is a mass of
wreckage and the damage to proper
ty is estimated at $2,OOO,000.
Martial law was proclaimed by the
mayor at six o'clock. The United
States government has been asked
to despatch troops here without de-
lay to assist in patrolling the storm
swept area.
Chaos reigns on every hand and
few people remain in their homes,
totally wrecked or damaged. 1t is
feared that many lives have been
claimed along the coast. The storm
reached its height at 1 o'clock Mon
day afternoon when the wind reach
ed on estimated felocity of 100 miles
an hour. This was hard, steady
blow from a. m. to p. m, when
the wind began to die down and by
4 o'clock the center of the hurricane
had passed this point. r
While the hurricane is the worst
that Key West has ever experienced,
the local weather observer announ-
ced that the indications are that the
entire east coast of Florida had suf-
fered.
OF one hundred local vessels in
the harbor, but five remain at anchor
the others having either gone to sea
or been washed upon the beach. The
streets along the water front are a
mass of wreckage. Brick as well az
frame buildings throughout the city
suffered alike from the fury of the
heavy wind and many miraculous
escaped from death or serious injury
have been reported.
Besides the several scores of resi-
dences either total wrecked or blown
from their pillars, nine factories
were partially destroyed.
Number 1 and Number 8 engine
houses of the city fire department
were destroyed, but several of the
horses were killed. The top of the
First National Bank was blown of
the post office damaged and two run
ming gears of the government coal
ing station were wrecked.
Every telephone and electric ligh
pole on the principal throughfare o
the city, were blown down.
AS soon as the wind had subsidet
plundering began. The city polic'
| force were unable to cope with th'
situation and the mayor decided t.
| take stringent measures to suppress
the looting, his proclamation of mar
tial law resulting. Almost every ma
tionality is represented among tn
city's population of more than 20,
600 about one-half of whom are em
ployed in the cigar manufactures
spongeries and salvage companies.
In the city of Havana many mino
buildings were blown down or un
rooted; almost all the trees were up
rooted and five persons were killed
one by an electric wire and tn
others by falling buildings. Abou
25 persons were injured.
The greatest damage done was Il
the harbor, where forty or fifty light
ers, launches and small tugs wer
either sunk or blown ashore.
The greatest individual loss ha
been caused by the destruction Q
half the coal elevator conveyors @
the Havana Coal Company at Cas-
Blancha, estimated at 100000.
There is some anxiety for tn
safety of government property alon
the path of the storm. The revenu
cutter Forward is at Key West, Will
two more are west of the immediat
storm zone, the Winona at Mobil
and the Window at Galveston.