The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-07-30
$50 PERSONS
ARE MISSING
SINCE STORM
Nassau. Capital OF Island
Group. Presents Picture
Of Desolation
BUSINESS IS SUSPENDED
Is Vessels Believed Destroyed
Property Damage Will
Total Millions
BUSINESS Is SUSPENDED

Bananas, July 3O.-CP)--RavaGed by
wind and wave, with more than lsO
persons missing. the Bahama Is
lands remained virtually isolated
from communication with the outside
world today while anxious residents
took further count Of the toll Of de-
struction from the worst hurricane
in the history of the islands.
The majority Of those missing are
believed to have been drowned with
the sponge fishing fleet which has
not been seen since it set sail three
days before the West Indian hurri-
cane struck sthe islands Monday
night. Several weeks must elapsc
before the official toll Of death and
shipping and property damage is
known. While conservative estimates
place the damage ut $4,000, 900, re-
ports have not been received from
several islands Of the group, and
be established for days.
Houses Wrecked
Nassau. the beautiful capital of
the Bahamas group, with popula-
tiOn Of more than $4,000 presented
picture Of desolation. Debris from
upr0oted trees, wrecked houses. and
splintered boats washed up by waves,
cluttered the stately driveways of
the ancient city where virtually all
business has been suspended.
Abandoning efforts to repair her
ruin, Nassau turned first to search
for the missinr sponge fleet, and to
ascertain the conditions on other
islands under her administration.
The outer islands Of the group are
known to have suffered greatly, hut
inside the far flung line of islands
and banks, and toward the coast Of
Florida, the chief damage was at
Nassau and the Isle of Gun Key, 40
miles from Miami.
Vessels Destroyed
Only three fishing smacks were
left in Nassau harbor from 90 craft
which were moored there Sunday.
Between 16O and 200 sloops are MISS
ing with the sponge fleet. Harbor
officials estimated that at least 75
vessels were destroyed ut Nassau and
other islands, not counting the
sponge boats, some of which possi-
bly, found shelter on isolated banks
or near uninhabited islands.
The government record showed tle
WIuO IS0CucO JtS VclVCiCy pC0h dS Low
miles an hour at 6 o'clock Monday
morning.
Churning the harbor into a seeth-
ing mass Of waves, the hurrican piled
waters high over the wharves in
to Bay street, block into the city.
Soon q gale swept down from the
northwest. meeting the onrush from
the Caribbean, and ships were lifted
high from their moorings and sent
onto the wharves. Several were
blown to sea.
At the Island Of Gun Key. eight
large rum running boats, heavily
laden with liquor, were dashed to
pieces by the waves. The crews es-
capped, rowing ashore in small boats
at the first approach Of the hurri-
cane.
Adventurous Trip
Hall Leyshon, Of the Miami Daily
News, and R. p. Mitchell, Miami
correspondent Of the Associated
Press, were the newspapermen who
pierced the wall Of silence between
Nassau and the outer world. Their
flight by airplane was not without
adventure. Forced down on desert
ed island when fuel gave out, they
were rescued by chance seaplane
in search Of missing yacht which
supplied sufficient fuel to resume the
flight to Nassau.
Arriving at Nassau, the newspaper
men found the wireless down and
were unable to communicate with
radio stations in Miami.
The correspondents plane subse-
quently flew through the outer ia
lands Of the group, several Of which
revealed evidences Of the severe
storm.
Lighthouse Damaged
Great Isaac Light. Britain's north
ernmost isle Of the group, was hit
full force. The roofs Of the only two
wooden houses were stripped of.
while the lighthouse showed large
cracks in its sides. The promentory
was stripped Of all foliage and Was
hardly more than 4 denuded rock.
North and south Bimini, directly
east Of Miami, suffered likewise, the
wreckaee on the small islands offer
ing ample proof Of the storm while
TO the south lay the famous Gun
Key. termed the rendezvous Of the
bootleggers, now hardly more than
q waste. The. northern edge Of An
dros was deserted except at Nor
gan's Bluff, II appeared.
The hurricane played many strange
pranks as It twisted its path tortne
ously Through New Providence, leav-
ine in its wake tale Of woe. The
sloop Mystery J., which plies between
Miami an6 Nassau, was lifted high
up on the shore and far into = rum
warehouse, where cases were piled