The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-10-20
STORM RACES
Does Great Damage, Extent Upknewn,
Down in Souh Florida.

| U0HA III SOu1 EAeI3ud.
THE WORST EVER KNOWN
The Lower Part of Florida, From
Tampa in the West to st. Ausis.
tine on the Coast, Cat off from the
World, and the Worst Is Feared
for the Island.
At 4.2O Tuesday morning The As
sociated Press wire from Jackson
Vile to. Tampa. the last single thread
OF communication with any point in
the storm swept territory south of
| the former place. was severed.
with the entire Florida peninsula
south OF a line from Tampa on the
Gulf Coast to St. Augustine on the
Atlantic without communication OF
any kind to the outside world since
six o'clock Monday night when wind
velocity varying from 70 to 80 miles
an hour was reported. accompanied
by iil-boding barometric changes. the
effect of the West Indian hurricane
in this vast trucking and fruit grow
ing belt is matter Of conjecture.
That the property damage has been
heavy. however, is indicated by the
few brief bulletins that came from
the east coast and the extreme south
ern keys before communication was
finally cut OFF last might. Conserva-
tive estimates place the loss to the
orange growers alone at one million
dollars. Trucking has suffered heav-
lily, the Florida East Coast railroad
| is believed to have sustained many
thousands Of dollars damage and the
property damage along the 800 miles
of the Atlantic Coast south Of ST.
lAugustine probably will surpass that
of any hurricane Of recent years.
The last message from Key West
reported a wind velocity Of 80 miles
an hour. a barometer reading $3.50,
high seas and water rising to alarm
ing depths in the streets. ;. Shortly
after that message was sent the wire
less apparatus, the last remaining
means Of communication failed. Last
year similar disturbance. wrought
$2,000.0 900 in this. extreme Southern
| city and resulted in a small loss OF
life. -
The last message from ST. Angus
tine reported the waves rushing over
|>the seawall, endangering property Oh
the water front while the marshes
for miles around were already mum
dated. The wind was increasing and
the barometer falling. Similar re-
ports came from Fort Pierce and
Tittusville before communication
failed
Many miles of the Florida East
Coast railroad we're under water on
MONDAY night. serious washouts had
occurred, several barges employed OH
the roads extension had been sunk
and traffic over most of the line has
been abandoned. For miles this
Of the ocean with massive concrete
arches and although forewarned,
fears are entered for the working
crews employed on the lower exten-
sion.
Railroad traffic on all lines south
OF Jacksonville practically has been
abandoned. The telegraph conlpan-
les report practically all wires down
south OF Tampa and it may be seT
eral days before communication is
reestablished with the storm swept
territory.
The last dispatch frcsn Tampa. re-
ceved shortly before daylight read:
| South Florida faces disaster un-
known in extent. but which it is
feared will be as bad as the menlor-
able freeze of 1895. As yet Tampa
has not felt rhe full force Of this ed
dying destroyer.
In that territory which stretches
between Tampa and Punta Gorda lie
many small hamlets. where thous-
anhs OF fertile acres on which lux
uriant trees bear their golden offer
ings. and some of Florida's richest
orange groves are exposed TO the hur-
ricanc 1t is here that the greatest
damage will be done to property.
1T is further on. across on the
other side OF this five hundred miles
Of devastating atmospheric disturb
ance. that it is feared the human toll
will be collected.
Reaching a velocity of between
| fifty and sixty miles an hour at az
early hour this morning the storm
continued without abatement. Com
! ing first in great gusts it finally set
tied into a steady blow which un-
rooted buildings. played ping-pons