The Washington times., 1932-11-11
ISLAND TOWNS
| FILE RAVAGED .
IN WAKE
Storm Strikes Coast, Then
IStreaks Across Cuba, Deal
inq Destruction
(continusG from Pass -

NAIIyIilk uCdJkl hA1u WANOORASo
destruction, the hurricane struck
In the vicinity Of santa Cruz
Del Sur. a fishing town on the
southern coast, sweeping UP the
seas and deluging the town be-
meath q 2S-foot wall Of water.
From there, the storm Streaked
across the island, devastating
town and countryside. with its
full force felt as far as NuevitaS
on the northern coast.
Death Figures Heavy
From the frenzied, panicky
tales of survivors and the lacoIlic
reports of local officials, the min.
istry Of communications at.
tempted to piece together fun
story Of the disaster and an au-
tlaentic tally Of the casualties.
AT o a. M, the death figures
still varied widely. The ministry
nf communications placed the
known dead at 800, and 400 miss
ing In the town Of Santa Cruz
lei Sur alone. . =.
This figure, however, was small
IN comparison with other esti-
mates. Lieut.. Col. Dilato, who
visited the town on an official
tour Of inspection, returned to
Camaguay with an estimate OF
between 900 and ], 900 dead. The
Havana newspaper Heraldo de
Cuba placed the fatalities at 1,5OO.
The actual extent Of the dis
aster, in cold vital statistics, may
never be known.
Santa Cruz Del Sur had float
ing population, believed to be IN
the neighborhood of 5000 persons.
Wave wipes Out Town
In the space of q few minutes
the town had ceased to exist. A
tidal wave, levelling all before it,
mounted the beach, swept into
the town and spread with boiling
fury five miles inland.
Only four structures out Of
the cluster Of huts, homes, and
Buildings that comprised the
town remained standing. Built
on higher ground, they somehow
resisted the force Of the water
that sWelled in under the
AreSsure of q 1S0-mile-an-hour
hind and transformed the coglIl-
stryside into . Swirling lake rs
eet deep. !"
( Hundreds of persons were
drowned in that first terrific on
rush of sea water. Hundreds of
others, who had managed to sur
svfve the first sweep by ClinginE
10 trees or floating wreckage,
.Were Snatched from life ana
hurled to watery graves when the
Giant wave receded.
$50 far as human life was con-
6erned, the storm apparently
Ifeaked its full havoc on Santa
Cruz del Sur alone.
villages Add to Toll
other towns and villages and
even cities as large as Camaguey
Suffered loss Of life, but it seem
ahgly was small. Camaguey re-
6rted between Al and so dead.
Numerous villages added to the
rllastly list with tolls ranging
9Eom one or two to q score or
more.
But the rich, fertile plantations
xifs Central Cuba were left ravaged
and prone. The cyclonic wind,
hipping across the island with
Mnabated fury. left havoc and de-
Btrtiction in its path.
Tobacco fields were upro0ted
hs If by giant plowS. Banana
plantations were left level. with
thousands Of green.fruited trees
laid as low as If some mammoth
&team-roller had trundled over
Them.
Military aviatorS, flying over
The ravaged countryside, re-
turned to their bases with stories
INF destruction and appeals for
immediate aid. They told of
2evelled farms, 'ot houses crum-
bled like cardboard, Of fishing
macks tossed miles inland by
wind and wave, left nigh and
iry In splinters on the hillside.
Ia the wake Of the storm
Aragedy and heroism. Scarcely
bne family in the town Of Santa
Cruz escaped bereavement. Faith
fS saw their wives and families
torn from them and then turned
10 risk their own lives to save
&trangers from the fury Of the
storm.
SANTIAGO, Cuba, Nov. IL
NI.N.S0 Reports Of casualties in
The hurricane which ravaRed the
outh central portion Of Cuba
may have been greatly exag-
Rerated by panic-stricken Survi-
yors, according to reliable infor-
NATION here today.
Latest authentic est mates
blace the known dead in the
santa Cruz Del Sur district at
pnly so. with between 200 and
100 injured.
The Weather Bureau said to-
day the tropical disturbance was
Hentral about midway between
Nassau and Bermuda and was
showing northeastward. It Is at.
ended by shifting gales and
probably. winds, of hurricane
Force near the. center.
The Cuban Red Cross today
Eabled the headquarters of the
american Red Cross here that. it
did not aS yet require outside
essistance. to aid in relief work
a. the hurTican stricken reEion.