Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-21
PLAGUE SPECTER
STALKS IN FLORIDA;
BURIAL. EXPEDITED
Presence of Bodle, of Dead
Nav Force Evacuation OF
Refugee Camps.
RED CROSS HEAD PUTS
DEATH TOLL ABOVE 700
Relief Work rs Minds Affected by
Caring for Corpses, Howard
W, Selby Says.
Bv the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH. Fla. Septem-
her 2l.-The plague spccter today aH-
peared over the Florida Everglades
scarcely five days behind the hurricane
that took between 500 and 800 lives.
The immediate problem was recovery
and burial of bodies. Living CONDITION:
in several refugee camps have been
made so nearly impossible because OF
their presence that complete evacuation
within '48 hours was considered unless
some disposition was made of the deao
In that time.
Alreadv evacuation of women and
children from Pahokee, Belle Glade ano
refucee camps along the eastern shore
Of Lake Okeechobee was nearly com
n,eted They left their men oenino'
cor.cripts in the battle against disease
So; Bodies Buried.
All efforts to check the death list had
heen abandoned today as officials came
ont of the Glades with confirmation OF
orders to bury as fast as possible.
Gov. John w Martin came from an
,reuecticn tour with National Guard
figures showing the soldiers had put o31
bodies in rough graves. Howard W.
s,lbv chairman Of the Palm Beach
County Red Cross committee, estimated
.he 1ead at between 700 and 800 after
his trim Yesterday, while A. l.. Shaier,
state disaster relief director Ior !ns
American Red Cross, who accompaniee0o eo
him. said his original estimate oi 4oo
dead was certain to be raised
The call for outside help, Went Uoi
flom Selby first. I'VE neeo H1iarlSn0 an 400 =,
helm badly to the extent OF SSOOOOu
he said Gov. Martin conferred Win
ofSciais here. then inediatelv lssueo
csll upon every mayor OF FLORIDA ioi
eli the help possible.
$4,000 are Homeless.
In one paragrapil he Told them Why;
aThere are 5000 homeless. S.Ovu
v.itlotlt a change of clothing. properey
dam9ge of more than $5O,OO0,ouo any
Adit, Gen. Vivien Collins OF tne SIas5 az
troops has already accounted lor 90,
bodies dead and buried. SeVeney-one.
h0flHE
pahokee awaiting burial and conserva-
five estimates are that the death lsl
will mount to more than 800. Ninety
ave ner cent of the homes and business
nroperty is either DESTROYED or oamdgen
THE situation in the storm area pegsals
description" ,oe no.
orGinated Yesterday with the various
counties. Palm Beach, Dade, OkeeChott
hoe and st, Lucie taking their quota OF
responsibility, although Fort PIERCE: IA
st Iucie. accepted the refugee siCua1.ol,
In Okeechobee. Fifteen natlonal heo
Cross workers were directing %iele
necessary and cooperating eVery"hefe'
workers Minds Affected.
oescrintion of conditions in the nur-
ricane zone brought back by Inspection
narties and relief workers hardiy Wele
readable They we're reflected, now
aver in statements by Mr.. Selby ana
others on their return. Selby salo:
workers out there have been Work-
ing with bodies so long tner minus
have become affected. and unless oooles
remaining are recovered ana purleo
or otherwise disposed OF in 48 nours'
o,acuation win be necessary, including
relief workers.
we NAV also have to spray the en-
fire section with lime from airplanes.
workers are burying bodies In quick
lime" -. ro,;o,
Fred C. Stuck. in charge OF rellel
At pahokee told the Red Cross chair
man that cremation was the only Sc
luton. Shipping of bodies to west
Palm Beach will not be feasible after
TODAY" he concluded. He also aoVlseo
immediate evacuation OF the scnooi-
house refugee quarters at raIloAee.
state health officials, who assumed
resnonsibilitv for the sanitary situation
IN The area, under orders from Gov.
Martin, said they believed crematlon
would not be necessary.
No national Red Cross appeal has
been made, but the national organlza-
tion has asked State organizations 10
accept donations of every kind for the
Florida chapter.
Nav Quarantine Area.
Declaring that health conditions are
growing worse every minute, Selby said
# nioht he necessary to place the whole
sres of 100 square miles under quaran-
tine.
Selby denied reports that any rioting
h2. occurred in the stricken area.
Plenty of armed guards are on duty, he
said
An airplane has been scouting over
the area, spotting bodies, he declared,
adding that many corpses had drlfteo
away to almost impenetrable places.
approximately IS bodies have been
stacked up near Pahokee for two days,
he said And we have been unable to
bring them here for burial. Communica-
tions 70 towns in the area are entirely
cut of except by boat
Fred C. Stuck. in charge of work at
Pahokee, reported to the Red Cross to-
day that cremation was the only solution
of handling the bodies. Since there is
little wood available for fuel in the
Everglades, he suggested the use of oil
and refuse for the cremation. There
could be no delay to ship the bodies to
cities for burial he added.
Fish in the canals are dying by tho
thousands, said Stuck, because of the
dead bodies and dead animals. such a.