Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-16
HEADS FOR FLORIDA

Toy Inc Associated iIcSSls
The tropical hurricane that has
spread desolati0n across Porto Rico,
the eastern shore of Santo Domingo
and the Virgin Islands, leaving the
threat Of famine and disease i'm its
wake. was raking THE Bahamas today
and was due. unless IL should change
its course or blow itself out. TO strike
the Florida coast tomorrow.
The weather bureau expected that
such "A change OF course, in either
direction, might occur today when the
storm was due tu reach Nassau. Al
swing t0 the west would send the
hurricane hurtling between Cuba and
the southern tip Of Florida with pos
sible damage tn the Gulf states, and
curve eastward would point it up-
ward toward the Virginia capes or
completely out into the Atlantic
where IN would menace crowded mari
time traffic 10 the Panama canal.
This was the fourth day Of the hur-
ricane and it was proceeding with
undiminished fury along itE north
II passed over Turks Island in the
British West Indies, destroying ship
ping and causing wholesale damage
havoc throughout the southern fringe
Of the Bahamas.
Islands Laid Waste
Tens of thousands or inhabitants
Of the stricken islands were home
less. Countless houses and business
building hospitals and mission schools
and camp, were laid waste before the
onslaught Of the storm, described in
dispatches from the zone 0f disaster
a. one Of the most rcrOci0us and de-
structive hurricanes in the history OF
the Caribbean.
Appeals for assistance from the
islands WI the southern sea said that
relief must be sent al once If famine
and disease were 10 he averted The
stricken population, IN waE said. could
subsist for u few days on available
fruit. but when that was gone they
would be faced with imminent star
walton.
The American Red Cross yesterday
appropriated an initial 50,000 for
relief fund and dispatched IA trained
disaster crew t0 Porto Rico on
naval ship from Charleston. =. C.. on
the reports Of those relief experts
after they reach the Caribbean and
survey the scene ot disaster will ~
based plans for systematic relief 70
the homeless, the hungry and the
sick.
Communications MeaEcr
Communication with the ravaged
areas was still scant and it was I'M
possible I'D tell what terrific totals
property damage and loss of life
eventually might rise. But it was
known that the deaths would run
\ high. Ten persons we're killed in
Ponce. Porto Rico. alone, and damage
to property ashore and to shipping
will aggregate many millions of doll
lars.
with their rich harvests W. coffee
and tobacco largely ruined. their
banana and citrus plantations lev
elled. their homes and hospitals
shattered. the islands were afflicted
further by complete disruption q
Il light and power and cessation nf
their water supply. One effect of the
power failure was that newspapers
could not be published and without
this source cf authentic news terrify-
ing rumcrs ram unchecked among the
frightened populace.
The damage to shipping was I'M
\ possible t0 estimate but there were
many reports uf ships swept ashore
bv the tempcst and \ dispatch from
Turks Island told ~ one schooner
reported lost with all hands.
And while the total of destruction
| 10 life and property continuously
grew no ore would venture "A prcaic-
ton as to Just where the storm would
/ strike next w when it would with
draw its fury to the skies from which
4 it came.