The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-10-26
STORM DOES GREAT DAMAGE.
COMMUNICATION WITH TAMPA
SECTION PARTIALLY RE
STORED.
Damage is Heaviest I'm Key West,
Where IL Has Been Severe. De-
spite Optimistic Reports-Orangc
Crop Hurt.

Tampa. Oct. 2o.--w!th teiegraphic
communication between this section
Of Florida and the outside world es-
tablished today recapitulation
shows a devastation OF hundreds OF
thousands of dollars In the wake Of
the West Indian storm which swept
across the peninsula Tuesday. The
toll Of life. so far reported. ls linn
tied to six seamen who are sup
posed to have perished when vessels
on which they were quartered broke
from their moorings at Marauesas
and were driven out to sea.
Wire communication with points
south OF Tampa has not yet been
established. but information brought
by mail indicates that the storm
passed south OF Tampa. devastating
orange groves. leveling frame houses
and doing much damage to small
shipping In the many passages along
the inland waterways.
So far reported Key West was the
worst sufferer. Despite the optimistic
dispatches sent out by wireless In
which the damage there was mini
mized. passengers coming In on the
steamship olivette this morning re-
ported the general damage to the
Island city greater than that Of a
year ago. The electric light plant was
wrecked. the wireless station blown
down. half dozen OF the largest
cigar factories which withstood the
blow year ago. are In ruins with
half a hundred other buildings bad
" damaged.
Reports of the severe damage at
Key West were confirmed here by
the exhibition Of photographs show
ing that houses had been moved
from their foundations and carried
Q distance OF several blocks. Some
Of these were deposited without ma
tsrial damage to the buildings them
solves.
Six OF the lives reported lost were
soanien on the s,oop Nabob which
slipped Its moorings Tuesday morn
Ing and was washed out to sea. One
of these was a white man, the other
nve he'n~ negroer Two othc- ,,Ycs
are reported lost on the Fest Coast
railway extension.
The American schooner Herman
Franche which has been source II
auch concern. Is ashore in three
fathoms OF water at Crockers reef.
There are no tugs available with
which to send relief to tAe vessels.
The Florida. about which there
has been anxiety is reported safe.
she has a barge in tow which is
leaking badly.
Many other sailing vessels, SEEM
ingly I'm distress have been reported.
but II will be several days before a
list of the missing Is obtainable.
News Is brought from Key West
that Knights Key. the present
Southern terminus OF the Florida
East Coast railway. is entirely cut
of by washout and breaks In the
cement road bed and that IL will be
two weeks before trains will be run
ming between Miami and that point.
News was brought to the city to-
day that the forty-seven members
of the Plant City artillery company,
now encamped on Edgmont's Key,
escaped further damage than trying
experiences during the storm on
Tuesday night. Their te.ts were
blown down and many of ne men
were forced to sleep in the open.
Washouts between Tampa and
Jacksouviie on the Atlantic Coast
Lime make II necessary 10 transfer
passengers and baggage by boat The
seaboard service Is uninterrupted
between these two cities.
The train leaving Fort Myers for
Tampa last Monday and the train
which left Tampa for Fort Myers on
the same line have not been heard
from vet IL Is presumed that they
are safe. but there is no telegraphlc
communication with any OF these
points and washouts prevent rescue
trains from reaching them from this
end.