Evening star., 1926-09-20
Desolation Spread Over Large Area,
Turning playground" Into Wilderness

| BY the Associated Press.
WEST PALM BEACH. Fla. Sep
| tember 20-Southeast Florida, lash
| ed by violent hurricane for hours
| Friday night and Saturday. early to-
day had an estimated death list of
more than 1000 and property dam
age in excess of SIPS, 100000 with
| indications that the toll would mount
| still higher when daylight made a
more complete check possible.
The playground of America" was
metamorphosed into a scene of desc
lation over wide area. Pleasure
resorts were turned into temporary
morgues and hospitals. and trains
bearing physicians and nurses were
arriving in the storm-torn section
from many directions. Houses and
office buildings were crowded with
refugees.
Tales of severe suffering and hard
ships were recounted by messages ar
riving here. Many persons search
ed the ruins Of their homes for lost
members of their families, while
others anXiously sought relatives and
friends in hospitals and morgues.
Drinking Water Rationed.
Water was knee deep in the streets
Of Miami and Miami Beach: all pub
lie utilities were disabled. and restau-
rants were closed. Drinking water
was served in half portions. Urgent
appeals for food, water and clothing
were answered by special relief trains
that were dispatched to the storm
area.
The death toll in the Miami Nicln
jty was placed at 500 by Jerry il.
Owen, general superintendent OF tne
Florida East Coast Railway, Of Whlch
500 were in the city of Miami, 2oo III
HOLLYWOOD and 1S4 in Hlalean. Chel
estimates listed 100 dead at Fort La
derdale and a similar nunpel az
Moore Haven. IS miles NORTHWEST Va
Miami. where the waters OF Lake
Okeechobee were whipped over the
dikes, flooding the city to Il depth VI
l3 to Is feet In some places. Forty Oh
those reported drowned were women
and children, and uncontidmed re-
ports said the road leading to CleWlS-
town was strewn with bodies.
Clevistown was believed washeo
away.
Yachts Tossed Ashore.
The force of the winds and waves
at Miami tossed yachts and larger
vessels ashore in Royal ram ik'
where they remained high and dry
when the water receded, I. r fl"iieS'
Ridgeway, Colo. said
Most Of the wooden structures III
the city, he said. have oeeh DIV II
down or unroofed. Large colcle'e
and steel buildings have been twisted
,t tbair base. Practically every piece
of Mate glass in the city was broken
Many Of the killed and injured al
Miami were hit by flying roohnS
from the damaged buildings. sam
Smith. East Coast pullman con-
ductor. said.
Heavy galvanized iron sheeting OF
roofings were flying about the city
like scraps of paper. and Were
wrapped around trees. Smllh Are-
ported.
Several sections Of the county
causeway. across Biscayne Bay, one
If the two principal links with Miami:
arc completely swept away, and
much Of the remainder undermined.
Houseboat Swept to Sea.
A small houseboat. anchored short
distance south of Cocoanut Grove,
with q man and his small son apoaru,
was seen to break it's moorlngs anu
sweer helplessly toward cape fl0rl-
da and the open sea. NO trace la9
been found of either.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Neylan, together
with Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Cotter OF
Cambridge. Mass occupying tnc
sa,na house at Miami Beach. were
swept out Of their nome py lisiis
waters at the height of the storm.
The Neylans survived by clinglng 10
floating wreckage while the Cotters
disanneared in the high water.
A large dredge, anchored alongside
tho channel to the sea, was wrecked
with IA men aboard. Seven swan 10
the causeway, while the others were
lost. 1t was reported. 49,,
A small schooner was wrecked
short distance north of Fort LAUDER
dale. One man of the crew gained
shore. while a companion per1sileu
iust before reaching safety. The sur
yivoy said he had left another aboard
With both arms and his back broken,
but was too exhausted to give details.
Bread Only Food Available.
At HOLLYWOOD, reports say, only
bread and water are available Tor 1ooo'
while bread lines are reported at sew
eral places in Miami.
CITY officials in Miami have posted
orders outlining relief measures and
warning would-be profiteers.
Committees have been named TO
handle the situation in food. buiidlng
material. city relief, sanitation, the Ice
supply and other necessities.
Hoarding of supplies by merchants
or individuals was banned after a
survey revealed a 30-day supply or
food and water.
Miami Beach was placed under the
same regulations:
Barracks to Be Built.
In Fort Lauderdale city officials
MANNED immediate erection of bar
racks TO house hundreds of refugees
who have arrived. Blankets and cots
we're placed in remaining protected
office buildings. Auxiliary hospitals
we're maintained in various downtown
structures, with all available physi-
clans and nurses TO care lor lHe III
coming patients.
South of Miami, in the little commu-
mites Of Homestead, Naranja, Peters.
(;oulds. Kendall, Perrine and BLACK
Point. hardly home or store escaped
The large citrus crop. a chief source
of revenue. was drowned out. with
loss of more than half the trees, in
addition to the years output.
Seven Looting Suspects Held.
I,ooting broke out in the negro sec
tions of Miami last night. Seven sus-
nects were arrested. Three hundred
special policemen were sworn in for
voluntary duty and martial law was
ordered. At Hollywood 200 special
officers were added to the patrol force.
Cutting a path from Miami north to
Fort Lauderdale. the hurricane at
tanned a velocity of 120 miles an hour.
leaving wreckage in it's wake. 1t
roared across the Everglades and
nassed into the Gulf of Mexico. with
only slightly diminished intensity.
The west coast was not damaged