Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-10-18
WEST INDIES SUFFER.

1fdNdnd, OCt. 1l.-IHC Island OF
Cuba has probably sustained the
greatest material disaster in all her
history in the practically continuous
cyclone which began with light rains
on Thursday morning. developing into
torrential floods and devastating hur-
rlcanes and continuing until this eve
ming. The western half of the island
suffered more severely than the east.
The first cyclone, of which there vas
some warning had hardly abated on
Sunday night. when suddenly the
WING. which up to then had been
southeast changed to southwest and
with renewed fury, the cyclonic blasts
swept over Matanzas, Pinar Del Rio,
and Havana provinces, completing
the destruction wrought by the first
storm
Even now there are fears of another
cyclone. or account of the runOrS OF
the approach of a third storm reported
to he forming south of Jamaca. AT
O'Clock tonight the rain was still
falling in frequent heavy gusts. but
The wind haG ahated considerably and
the sea was falling.
1t is impossible to estimate even
roughly the amount of the damage
which doubtless will aggregate many
n:lllionS of dollars.
in addition to the great destruction
to sugar and tobacco plantations.
many thousand of peasants in the
three western provinces have been
rendered homeless and destitute by
the loss of their homes and tile food
AN
It now seems probable that the rerub-
lie may l,e compelled to require in
ternational aid for the relief of these
sufferers, whose conditions is most de-
piora Bile.
While all communities tion with the
interior has been cut off. there is rca-
son to hope that Orient, Camaguey
ard Santa Clara have escaped the
greatest fury of the storm.
IN the city of Havana. the losses
probably will exceed Sl.0o00O0. mainly
due to the destruction of the customs
house sheds, which were filled with
perishable goods. the sinking of scores
of lighters. many of them contain
ing valuable cargoes which had been
unloaded from steamers. and the sub
the residential section of the city
facing the sea. The flooding of this
section. was caused by the tremendous
waves which when the wind suddenly
veered this afternoon were driven
with tremendous violence over the
Malecon sea wall, inundating as we'll
q great portion of the suburb Nedado.
Few fatalities. up to the present. have
been reported. Three men were drowned
IN the harhor hut no deaths from the
storm occurred in the city. 1t is proba-
bic however. that the casualty list in the
interior will be large.
The American consul succeeded ycster.
day i'll reaching Artemisa, southwest OF
Havana. He returned here this morning
and reports the country has been devas.
tated by the floods. Conditions from Ar.
temisa to Cape San Antonio, it is said
are even worse than in the territory ex-
plored by Consul Rodgers. All the tobac.
co seed beds and barns have been de
stroyed. The prospective crop, it is as.
serted, will not exceed 10 per cent. OF
normal The sugar plantations suffered
less seriously. but great damage has
been done to standing cane by the chang
of wind in the second storm.
Within an hour after the seas begar
to rise, the pounding of the waters had
broken breach through the Malecor
sea wall in this city. The waves quickly
increased to mountainous height. food.
ing the Malecon driveway and flooding
the handsome residences facing thereon
for distance of a mile
The waters still rising, invaded all the
SeaWard part of the city, until 8 O'Clock
in the afternoon when the section bound
ed by the Malecon, the Frado and the
Boulevards CalZada De Galiano were sew.
eral feet under water The residents OF
the lower floors were driven to seek ref.
uge on higher levels, while detachmentS
of soldiers. rural guards, police and fire
men. assisted by members of the Rec
Cross and fishermen with boats which
were dragged from the harbor. hastened
to the submerged districts and rescued
hundreds from buildings that threatened
to collapse at any moment
Veadado. a residential suburb, was ex.
posed to the full fury of the storm. Tho
sea advanced some hundred yards in.
land. demolishing many small structures
and probably causing loss of life.
PRESIDENT Gomez in an automob Wis.
tied the inundated sections and other
threatened parts of the sections of the
city. He directed the work of rescue an6
encouraged the soldiers. police and fire.
men. and later he visited the hospitals
to which many injured and destitute per.
sons had been taken.
AT the height of the storm, the great
waves preached clean over the ramparts
of Moro Castle. They rolled with ter
rifle speed up the harbor, tumbling ovel
the sea walls, inundating the streets ir
the lower part of the city, carrying away
many of the small craft along the shore.
and swamping many lighters which es
lCnntinned ON Papa Tualua