Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-08
Fort Pierce and Stuart
Homes Reported Nearly
Entirely Destroyed.
EAST COAST ESCAPES
!. WITHOUT SERIOUS LOSS
No Casualties Found So Far-Cit.
rus Belt Leveled, With Western
Sections Threatened.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, August g.
Untold property damage has been left
sn the wake OF the tropical storm now
believed to be howliug across south
central Florida after lsshing coast
cities last night
First direct reports from Fort Pierce,
Aero Beach and Stuart, on the middle
eaSt coast. estimated property damage
lat IS 100000, with scores of houses un-
rooted. crops laid waste and public util-
itieS crippled.
Edward A. Menninger. Associated
Press member for the Stuart News, who
drove rs miles in an automobile to
bring the first news to the outside
world. said that there were no deaths,
SO far as he could ascertain, and few,
& any, injured.
Wide Area Isolated.
Meanwhile, a wide area west of the
ccast cities affected was isolated and
nothing definite was known as TO the
,prcuress of the storm Gale warnings
ware cut at Tampa and along the coast
o. the Gulf of Mexico as far north as
ADalachicola Winds of 40 70 so miles
velocity were predicted for Tampa ana
shipping held to the harbor.
Grave fears were felt for the safety
cI citrus orchards in south central
Florida, which apparently was in the
direct path Of the storm.
REPORTS from Sebastian, which is
midway between Melbourne and Vero
Beach. said that the hurricane there
sattained a velocity of 100 miles an
hour early today. Other towns reported
winds varying from so to 30 miles an
hour
Passengers Terror Stricken.
T. r. Gil. Associated Press CORE
spondent Of Jacksonville. who was
aboard the southbound Havana special
of the Florida East Coast Railway last
night. mesSaged that the train had been
held all night at a point three miles
north of Jupiter, where the wind reach
&c a velocity of 30 to 30 miles an hour.
THE train reached West Palm Beacn al
aayhzeak. aiiey5aSing fears Tor the safety
ct its passengers. which arose Wnen no
word had come from the train. cue al
a1iarni shortly after 2 am.
Gill described the terrorS OF the nlgnt
rs experienced by nervous passengers,
few Of who mslept. The gale caused
khe coaches TO rock and sway while the
kcundsng rain beat in the doors. flood
kng the vestibuies.
The train first entered the storm area
kouth of Fort Pierce and crawled at
knaii's pace for many miles. wafer
was within two feet Of the rails ano
kwirling n1adly when the train passed
over a nalf-naile bridge ac-oss the ~.
Tucie River shortly before stopping for
khe night
Little Damage at Palm Beaches.
The Palm Beaches rapidly were re-
Burning 70 normalcy today after 80
a1ours of gale and rain Aside from
Broken windows uprooted trees ana
s0rn shrubbery, the damage there was
not extensive First reports that Ocean
boulevard had been severely washed
prsysd erroneous despite that heavy
.Teas had pounded al the highway skirt
Arg the shore.
1anninger said that in his belief IS
r5sr cent Of the houses and buildings at
STUART and Fort Pierce. with popula-
4.ons Of approximately 5000 and 5000.
respectively. and so per cent Of those
q Vero, with a population OF about
s coo, had been unrOofed or otherwise
badly damaged by the wind.
a driving rain which accompanied
the hurricane added to the discomfort
e residents and caused additional
essmege by soaking stocks Of merchants
snd interiors and furnishings of homes.
YeTo Is approximately SO miles north
Lf Stuart and Fort Pierce Is about hall
way between the TWO cities. while the
whole coast line extending 25 miles fur
tae- TO Melbourne appeared 10 have
1elE the effect Of the tropical storm,
the destruction appeared 70 have been
greatest ia that sector.
Fruit Crops Ruined.
Menn!r er sale he found picture Of
Eesolall0r on his northgar6 drive. Over
his whole route. fruit trees had been
stripped entirely Of their ripening buds,
trees and telephone poles had either
fallen completely or were held up only
ov few strands Of wire, smashed plate
glass store fronts were On every hand IN
those communities through which he
travelled and awnings and sign boards
matched from their supports &treWed
the streets.
T7ae breaking Of a high-tension eiec-
4rsc power transmission line Of the
Florida Light q Power Co. late yester-
GAY left the wnolI coast line. between
rliusyille and West Palm Beach, ap-
glgoxlmabely l25 miles, without power
and light facilities. causing suspension
II publication oi newspapers and other
operations dependent upon electric cur
aenl IN virtually every city affected.
The tropical StoIm turned IN
land oqer centeral Florida this NOM
ing ano Was reported hoWling across
south Osceola County in the northern
fringe 81 the Everglades.
The disturbance was said 10 be Gtll
of great intensity and there was no
ness from the immediate affected area
Strong gales we're predicted for thf
vest Florida coast from Tampa north t0
fEDaiernIcula although the Weat1el
bureau report did n0t predict luS
hare tbs storm would emerge iron
the mainland into tae Gull u Mexico
Citrus District Threatened.
The storm entered the mainiane
through tne famous Indian River citru
district and grave fears were felt 70
the heavily laden trees in that area and
through south central Florida.
Lack ~ communications pTeYeute'
any estimate Of damage already done
hut growers believed that losses u
oranges and grapefruit would prove on
~ the largest Items Of property damage
The ridge section of south centra
Florida, dotted with orchards, appeared
to be in the direct path 81 the gales.
IL thus recurring ~ cross the penln'
Fllla this storm although less severe
than the hurricane of September 1926
VS. following virtually the same course
sesoss the state except that II range
rooni 2 hundred miles further ~ ih'
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