Evening star., 1926-09-23
SUCCOR IN MIAMI
ECARR|ED ON FAST
Commandeered Autos Rush
About With SuppIies--First
/ Story Tells HeroiSm.
Bv Abe Associated Press


MIAMI. Fla, September 23.-After
five days of practical isolation, Miami
got into intermittent communication
wtAh the world yesterday through an
Associated Press leased wire. over
that wire went the appeal for funds
and over il, too. was told for the
FIRST time some of the stirring scenes
in those long hours when the storm
dashed the southeastern Florida coast
Ambulances are still dashing about,
their sirens blowing full blast. They
go almost unnoticed, for they are no
longer a curiosity They signify.
though, that another mangled body
has been removed from a wrecked
building.
Automobiles are left after
the storm destroyed thousands--are
commandeered. loaded with food.
water and medicinal supplies and
rushed away from headquarters at
fun speed To carry succor TO another
isolated colony.
In the city and it's suburbs ham.
mers pound night and day. Tempo
rary roofs 20 up every few minutes.
Carpenters jump from one job TO an
other that shelter may be furnished
for the thousands of homeless.
Wild Rumors Flying.
The last Ave days of death. de-
struction and terror have been days
Of rumors. too. Wild reports fly with
almost incredible swiftness; another
tidal wave is due, Pestilence has
broken out here or there! People
become hysterical and newspapers are
ba h ,,.f4 &oI.
drastic measures 10 stamp out the
reports.
One report had il that the Daily
News tower was leaning at an angle
of 20 degrees. That now celebrated
ediflce, however, suffered only slight
damage and stands sentinel over
Miamis devastated harbor 1t bore
the brunt of the storm well. All night
Saturday small group of newspaper
men in the tower worked feverishly
at telephones warming Miamians of
the approaching hurricane The build
Ing was plunged into darkness before
the telephones failed
Then the storm ragged in fun fury.
The dredge Savannah. anchored in the
harbor, played a searchlight on the
hundreds of boats which fioundered
in the seas and finally were driven on
the beach. Silently the newspaper
men kept their vigil in the tower and
watched the disaster. Before them un-
folded one of the greatest stories iiS
Florida s history, and they were pow
erless TO give the news to the world
With the lull in the storm the
streets quickly filled with people. They
thought the storm was over and
merely laughed at the newspaper men
who undertook TO warn them. There
were men, women and children, clad
in bathing suits, skirting the beach to
get view of the damage to docks and
craft
Then Storm Returned.
Suddenly out of the southeast the
storm veered back with increasing
fury. It came with a deafening roar
and with 1t a big wave rushed upon
Miami. Many of the sight -seers sought
shelter too late.sS
For two hours the storm ragged.
Waves pounded against the tower.
Now and then a craft scurrying be-
fore the waves hit its walls, veered
on and went back into the sea. never
10 rise again.
There was the Nancy Lee and the
Black Gold, the Jacksonville and the
Rosy Ann. Suddenly the Nancy Lee
was spinning like top and then she
was gone with the captain and crew.
The former Kaiser's yacht, Nohab.
its crew refusing to get off during
the luli, broke in two and disappeared
Again there came a lull in the storm.
Again the sirens of ambulances
screamed along the streets. One
rushed down Biscayne boulevard at
fuu speed only to hit a hole. There
was q crash, a shattering of glass and
the dead and injured We're thrown
into the sea water that covered the
street
Dawn came at last to find a nros-
tY-a1e and isolated city r. z. Mitchell
or the Associated Press and Reese
Anlis of the Miami News volunteered
to so for help
60, boys, God knows we need II
was the message pounding in their
ears as they left the tower. Then
hours of waiting. Mitchell and Amis
got through
A truck with a West Palm, Reach
sign on 1t came laundering into
Miami. 1t brought food. Then came
tne soldiers and the sailors-and the
ambuIances with the injured from the
outlying districts and trucks with the
first of the dead. 'i''