Evening star., 1926-07-30
Nassau Picture of DesoIa-
tion-Huge Sponge Fleet of
$50 to 200 Boats Lost.
MOST OF THOSE MISSING
ARE BELIEVED DROWNED
Vessels Hurled Into City Streets.
Rum Runners Haven Laid Waste
and Liquor Destroyed.
By the Associated Press.

/
and wave, with more than $50 persons
missing, the Bahamas Islands re-
mained virtually isolated from COM
munication with the outside world
today while anxious residents took
further count of the toll of destruc-
ton from the worst hurricane in the
recorded 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 1t set sail three
days before the West Indian hurri-
cane struck the islands Monday night.
Several weeks must elapse before
the official toll of death and shipping
and property damage is known.
While conservative estimates place
the damage at SS 600 900, reports have
not been received from several islands
and communication with them may
not be established for days.
Nassau Is Desolated.
Nassau, the beautiful capital of the
Bahamas group, with a population or
more than 10000. presented a picture
of desolation. Debris from uprooted
trees, wrecked houses and splintered
boats washed up by the waves clut-
tered the stately driveways of the
ancient city, where virtually all busi-
ness has been suspended. Abandoning
efforts to repair her ruin, Nassau
turned first to search for the missing
sponge fleet and to ascertain the con-
ditions on other islands under her
administration. The outer islands of
the group are known to have suffered
greatly, but inside the far-hung 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.
Only three fishing smacks were left
in Nassau Harbor from so craft which
were moored there Sunday. Between
$50 and 200 sloops are missing with
the sponge fleet. Harbor officials esti-
| mated that at least IS vessels were de-
stroyed at Nassau and other islands,
not counting the sponge boats. some
/ of which possibly found shelter on
| isolated banks or near uninhabited
| islands.
City Had Meager Warning.
Nassau had meager warning Of the
advance of the hurricane. The Tropi-
cal Radio Station near Miami radiOed
weather reports Sunday, when brisk
winds and a rapidly falling barometer
indicated the approach of the storm.
The wind steadily increased in velocity
throughout the day and at midnight a
gale lashed the island, tearing houses
from their foundations and uprooting
trees. Wires were blown down and
the public utility plants damaged to
such an extent that the city was
i,,yr he
ment record shows the wind reached
| its velocity of 130 miles an hour at 6
o'clock Monday morning.
Churning the harbor into a Seething
mass of waters, the hurricane piled
waves high over the wharveS into Bay
street. a block into the city. Soon a
gale swept down from the northwest.
meeting the onrush from the Carib-
bean, and ships were lifted high from
| their moorings and sent on to the
wharves. Several were blown to sea.
Among the vessels known to have
sunk in the harbor here was the S0-ton
yacht Isosceles, formerly the Sham
rock ", Sir Thomas Lipton's famous
America Cup challenger. 1t lies un-
der 40 feet of water beside numerous
small craft, varying from sailboats
to small yachts.
At the island of Gun Key eight
large rum.running boats. heavily laden
with liquor, were dashed to pieces by
the waves. The crews escaped. rowing
ashore in small boats at the first ap-
proach Of the hurricane.
Mail Boat Is Missing.
Nothing was known of the fate of
the Government mail boat Brontes.
which proceeded for San Salvador
he -
The AlDertine Adou, with 40 persons
aboard, sailed for the Island Of Inau-
qua few hours before the hurricane
struck. 1t was also classed among the
missing craft. The mail boat carried
| 20 persons.
Crews of the Munson steamship
Munamar, from New York, and the
| Canadian fisher, from Kingston, ia
| maica, which arrived at Nassau
shortly after the storm abated, told
| Of battling terrific winds and waves.
Isolated from the world for three
days with a crippled Government
| wireless station, Nassau received her
! first word of outside damage from
newspaper men arriving in an air.
| plane from Miami late Wednesday,
| and in turn supplied first informa-
| ton of her own pitiful condition.
| The liquor trade, one of the chief
| sources Of income of the islands, has
| been dealt crushing blow, and the
| probable loss of the sponge fleet will
! curtail for some time the island
| groups Oldest. and chief industry OF
| sponge fishing for some time. At
tempts were being continued today
| to communicate with Miami radio
| stations, some repairs having been
made to the Government wireless
| towers, whose thick steel ribs were
snapped by the hurricane.
Strewn into bits like shattered play
| things by the temperamental hurri-
| cane, q mass of broken wreckage
| cutters the water front from the
Eastern parade, one of the several
! Government promenades, far to the
western edge of the island.
Ship Tossed Onto Street.
The Lizard was tossed broadside
| across the road on East Bay street,
proving an obstruction to traffic The
| old Ward liner Bulgaria, the coastinS
| schooner Infiexible and the schooner
| Magic all were lifted on the rocks, as
were other ships and small fishing
/ boats.
| The sponging schooner Home Com
| fort, the two-master Mathoke, the
/! schooner Eula NJ. and the schooner
| Vim were smashed to kindling WOOD.
/ Gov, Sir Harry Cordeaux, in a puD.