The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-09-20
BY Al Reck

More than 100 persons are dead IN
Miami and environs. More than
5000 injured lie in hospitals in and
around Miami. More than $4,000
persons have been left homeless by
the most devastating storm in the
history of Florida.
The loss in property, if it ever can
be estimated. will be more thar
S100,000.000 in Dade County alone
Miami has been practically wiped
out.
At a. m. Saturday, when Miami
was awake and expecting the HURT
cane to strike from the. south, the
130-mile-an-hour wind rushed in upor
the city from the northwest.
Night of Horror
1 have never experienced anythins
akin to that night Of horror and
hope l never will again.
On my way from Miami to West
Palm Beach 1 have had ample op
portunity of looking over the path
Nof the hurricane.
l doubt if there is a single build
ing unchanged in Miami.
Hialeah is demolished. Gone is the
beautiful race track and Kenne
Club. I personally counted seven
teen dead persons lying about Hia
| leah before 1 started north.
The Seminole village is levelled
and many of the Indians killed.
Hollywood is wiped out 1 do moi
know the number of dead there.
In all of the cities 1 have named
hscarcely a house stands.
handspring Defaced
So much for the path of the storm
in this region.
The storm struck Miami anC
shreiked and slashed for four hours
Rain poured in torrents. and as il
in tremendous conspiracy with thu
waters Of the sky the waters Of
Riscayne Bay rushed over the city
from the east, going as far as the
Durant apartments far or the ives
Of the city.
In places the water was more thar
five feet deep. Many persons were
swept offtheir feet as they were try
ing to escape falling buildings anC
wind-carried debris. Rushing water:
undoubtedly caused many drownings
AS an aftermath Of the storm
Miami is today under martial Law
with hastily recruited guards adde,
| to the police forces and the sheriff
deputies patroling the streets will
orders to shoot to kill at any an,
all persons who show themselves OF
Miami or Miami Beach streets with
out authority.
Martial law was necessitated b,
| the looting Of ghoul-like individuals
who, even in the hour of Miami
greatest tragedy, attempted to en-
rich themselves from the demolishe
and crumbling buildings.
Needs Soldiers
Miami needs 600 soldiers, an,
needs them badly to maintain order
She needs nurses and doctors ant
medicine. But most of all, she need.
food. Most OF the stores Of food il
the city have been ruined by tn,
wind and water. There is no light
no gas, no power and there is NJ
food to serve.
The Miami Daily News tower, one
Of the most beautiful newspaper
buildings in the United States. which
/ has lent its majesty to the Biscayn,
water front since 1924. now lean!
crafty out at an angle of approx
mately 20 degrees.
The beautiful ten-story Meyer
Kiser Bank Bldg. has been practi
cally demolished. House boats anC
yachts on the Miami River warped
in when the storm warnings were
broadcast, have been smashed anC
sunk.
In TT. Lauderdale
In FIT. Lauderdale more than TWEEN
ty persons have been killed anc
more than seventy injured. Great
waves from the Atlantic swept
inland.
A relief train Of five cars, loaded
with physicians, nurses and medi
cine, left Palm Beach for Miami.
The train carried two cars Of
drinking water-for there is M
drinking water in the Magic City
AS l think Of that name, Magic
City," now I can only think of thos,
four hours of destruction in which
the city which rose like magic
| fl Cfo~ fhnV1 ~ ~ -, L.
history of tho world-was in like
manner destroyed as if by magic.
No one in Miami expected thai
the storm would have the fury II
possessed. When the shrieking
binging wind descended upon tn,
city it threw every citizen of tn,
! metropolis into CONSERVATION. NJ
one knew where to go for safety
Particularly terrifying was tn,
plight of the residents of MAN
Beach, with the sea rushing in or
them from the east and again pour
ing in on them from Biscayne Bay
on the west. accompanied by the
130-mile an hour hurricane. Many
of them were drowned like rats
when they attempted to escape
Others sought safety in the SECOND
stories of their homes, from which
the roofs and sides had been re
moved.
can say without fear of contra
diction that every window in Miami
was shattered by the winds terrific
pressure. The sound of the crash
ing and tinkling glass as it struck
other objects, lending a terrible
! music, was one OF the most melan
choly sound I have ever heard.
Thus far 1 have not heard of any
of Miami or Dade County officials
having been Killed in the storm.