Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-11
STORM KILLS 200.
Devastation Of Belize, British Honduras,
Reported.

Devastation Of Belize, British Honduras,
Reported.
MIAMI. Fla, September IL ,P,.-R.
l. Dunten. general operations manager
for Pan American Always here. an
nounced today receipt Of unof1cial in
formation from Belize. British Honduras,
that 200 persons were killed when a
tropical storm swept over the city yes
terdsy.
Communication Restored.
Dunten said Pan-American Always
today restored radio communication
with its Belize station after being cut
of since $50 pm. yesterday.
The message, received from the field
manager at Belize. said:
Belize devastated by hurricane. All
Pan-American personnel safe, but 200
dead in town"
Belize Is the capital Of British Hon.
6uras.
The time the disturbance. apparently
of hurricane strength. struck Belize was
not determined in early messages. Trop-
ical radio here was unable to contact
its Belize station this morning. al
though last night the Miami station
reported communicating with Belize up
W OV pIIl, t1lC ICkuldL IlAC Va NiOCAtb.
Dunten put all available communica-
ton facilities to work in an attempt to
get further information.
The last weather report from Belize
was at 3 pm. yesterday, when a Al
mile wind was reported.
The pilot of a Pan-American plane
at San Salvador was ordered to pick up
all available medical and other supplies
and carry them to Belize. The plane
was due at Belize at noon.
The regular Pan-American plane
through Belize outran the storm Dunten
said
Americans information was
brought in on regular radio sets quickly
repaired during the night, after being
blown out of commission as the storm
passed over the city.
The Government radio station was
reported still out Of commission at 10
o'clock today.
Hurricane Nears City.
The hurricane approached the capital
yesterday afternoon, gathering force
quickly as it neared the city, which Is
largely built of frame structures on nat
ground that edges the usually placid
waters Of the Gulf of Honduras.
The storm first was reported south
east OF Jamaica Monday night, Weather
Bureau reports classifying it as of
moderate intensity. AS 1t progressed
almost due westward, however, 1t
gained force until it apparently be-
came a whirlwind of destruction and
death just before striking the coastal
city.
Unofficial reports from steamers some
distance away from the center of the
storm Wednesday afternoon told of 60
mile-an-hour winds. although their
barometers registered $3.50, pressure
velocity. The center of the storm then
was estimated near Swan Island.
Weather reports yesterday morning in
Dictated the storm was increasing in in
tensity and would pass inland south of
Belize during the afternoon.
Second Message Received.
Bunten said a second message re-
ceived from the Belize Airport read:
I'm addition to dead, several hundred
injured. Half of houses in town demol-
ished. All radio towers gone. Need
supplies badly to rebuild our radio
equipment. Worked all night to get it
hooked up to gas power unit
He also said he was advised the gov
eminent of British Honduras was
sending a message to Washington by
Pan-American Radio, which, appar-
emily is the only available method of
communication now
Contents of this message were not
privileged for publication, he said.
Two planes, a 28-passenger Commo-
dore seaplane and Sikorsky amphi-
bian, were filled here and crews were
ordered to stand by for immediate de-
parture rs Pan American Always pre-
pared to tender services of their facil-
tiles to any relief agencies that might
send succor from the United States
to British Honduras.
Observer Declines Comment.
Richard w. Gray, Government me-
here, in repeating the ad-
visory storm warning issued in Wash
ington. said he could not comment at
this time on the disturbance now near
the West Indies.
1T has changed direction twice re-
Gently. and 1t is difficult to predict what
IT. will do" he said. However, If it.