Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-22
FLOOD AND DISEASE
INCREASE HORROR
OF FLORIDA STORM
Waters of Lake 0keeChobee
Cover West Palm Beach
I Hills, so Miles Away.
DEATH TOLL TO EXCEED
1900, GOVERNOR SAYS
Influenza Epidemic Breaks Out In
Clewiston; Profteering Hit
by Court.

BY the Associated Press.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla, Septem-
her 22.-Disease and rising of food
waters nlcnaced relief operations IN the
Florida everglades today as official esti-
mates OF loss OF life IN last Sundays
hurricane passed the 1900 mark.
The first outbreak of disease occurred
at Clewiston on the southwestern Shore
of Lake Okeechobee. where many rel
ugees had gathered. Fort Myers sent
a doctor, two nurses and three trucks
filled with supplies when Chief c. G.
Enos of that city reported 40 cases OF
Influenza.
Gov. John w. Martin, who, with other
high officials, completed survey OF the
Paholee disaster area on the eastern
shore of Lake Okeechobee, was authority
for the statement that the whole OF
the everglades was flooded.
Governor Finds Floods.
The governors party was forced to
negotiate part of its trip along the
corpse -strewn highway to PahoKee py
motor boat and truck, due to flood con-
ditions. In an official statement re-
newinp his appeal to all Florida to
contribute and speedily to the evergiaoe
refugees, the governor described HOOD
conditions as follows:
For a radius of 25 to 80 miles just
back of the high ridge of land that
separates Lake Okeechobee from the
everglades, the land is completely COW
cred with water These people are un-
able to get out or off this ridge OF
land adjacent to the lake house because
of miles of water which surrounds on
both sides and sufficient boats are not
available to handle the situation. Con-
nors Highway, the only road to this
territory. Is under water for nine miles.
The entire everglades are flooded"
The governor was moved to tears
during his inspection trip yesterday, and
he could hardly speak when he turned
TO Attorney General Davis and said:
Fred did you ever see anything like |
this condition? 1t is the worst sight !
have ever seen in my life"
Sees Corpses in Water.
In statement on his return to Palm /
Beach the governor described the con-
dition of which he spoke:
To-day in travelling 6 miles on the |
road between Pahokee and Belle Glade |
(where the hurricane was believed to |
have exacted its heaviest toll in lives), |
I counted 81 corpses, which had not |
been taken from the water. The total |
number of dead lying on the roadside |
and not vet buried, but in plank cofflns |
numbered 1876. This Should be added |
to the 537 already inferred. Fifty /
seven additional bodies were hauled out
today in trucks. and tonight, four
truckloads of bodies were brought from
adjacent areas by boat, loaded, and
sent to Palm Beach for burial
When the water recedes and the
dead are taken from under the debris
cast up by the storm, the total number
who perished in this disaster, carefully
estimated by the most reliable people
living in this section, will number at
least 1900, and bodies are being diScov-
cred under the debris and in the water
hourly. !" The area visited by me
today does not begin to cover the
stricken territory, and I mention these
conditions in an appeal to the people
of the State of Florida, urging them
to respond quickly and generously
Appeal Finds Response.
That the governors appeal, together
with his first one made earlier in the
week. was receiving attention was borne
out in the reports of various Florida
cities and prOHerS OF alQ from Ine OUT
side. Arkansas has offered any facility
she had, while the Salvation Army at
Atlanta made appeal for clothing to be
sent into the disaster area.
Practically all the cities of Florida
had contributed hundreds of dollars
in council even before public appeals
were issued. TampaS public relief
fund had passed the $4,000 mark last
night. Trucks and supplies were NOV
ing on the disaster area from all sides.
They were filled with clothing and
food, which was to be turned over to
Red Cross chapters and relief camps
for systematic distribution.
Meanwhile State, county and local
authorities and the Red Cross continued
to map out their co-ordinated relief
program. while the State Health De-
partment continued its effort to haul
out the bodies Of the dead with the aid
of military forces which are patroling
the entire Everglades district.
Vaccinations Under Way.
Vaccinations proceeded apace through
out the area. particularly against ty-
phoid, feared mostly because of the con-
diti3n of water supplies. The Clewiston
influenza outbreak was isolated, it was
believed.
Train service was invoked today in the
hasty efforts to remove bodies as they
rise to the surface of flood waters Serv-
Continued on Page 2, Column g.
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