The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-04
Storm Smashes on Toward
Southeastern Florida;
Visitors Worried.
WIDE AREA MENACED
Inland Area, Keys Ordered
Cleared; Flood Gates
Are Closed.

Are Closed.
By United Press
MIAMI, Fla, Nov. 4 - A
hurricane smashed toward
southeastern Florida this
afternoon, causing great APP
prehension and frenzy.
BY noon most of the lower east
coast-the nations winter play
ground-was feeling gusty winds
and rain squalls, forerunners of the
impending, freakish storm. Heavy
seas rolled along the coast, dark
clouds gathered, and boarding up"
took on an increased pace.
The storm was placed only IS
miles off the southeast Florida
coast at 11:2O a. m. by the Federal
hurricane warning system. This in
dictated rapid advance toward the
peninsula, Speedier than had been
anticipated, and led residents and
visitors to hastily defend themselves
against the hurricane.
Due This Afternoon
G. E. Dunn, U. S. weather FORE
caster at Jacksonville, estimated the
storm center will hit the Florida
southeast coast early this afternoon.
The Miami area will have winds of
100 miles an hour, Mr.. Dunn pre-
dicted as a northwest wind there
already had reached a velocity of
70 miles an hour with a barometer
reading of 1884.
The Fl. Lauderdale Coast Guard
base reported winds above 90 miles
an hour with barometer reading
of 1896 at 1890 p. m.
The Weather Bureau ordered the
black and red hurricane flags hoist
ed on the south Florida coast from
Miami to Key West, through the
Florida keys and up the west coast
as far as Naples. The coast guard
station at Fl. Lauderdale reported a
56-mile wind at II a. m.
The Lake Okeechobee region. in
land from West Palm Beach and
Fit. Lauderdale was ordered evacuat-
ed at 1870 a. m. The Red Cross
committee ordered a Florida east
coast special train with enough
freight cars to carry out 1000 per-
sons.
Flood Gates Closed
Flood gates, built by the govern
ment to protect against recurrence
of the devastating 1923 hurricane in
the low-lying Okeechobee region,
were being closed.
The Florida keys were ordered
evacuated by the Works Progress
Administration.
The keys, located south of Miami,
we're struck by hurricane in Sep
TENDER and more than 400 were
killed.
Miami, with hundreds of winter
visitors in the city, was on the alert.
Visitors who had never before ex-
perienced the hurricane threat, few
erishly asked advice. Traffic Jams
clogged the streets as people at
tempted to get to points of safety
or tried to put their cars in storage.
Boats, large and small, were being
moved from Biscayne Bay to more
secure moorings in the Miami River,
Yachts damned in River
More than half a dozen large
yachts were damned together in the
Miami River as power lines to
drawbridge were disrupted. The
bridge, partly open, could not be
passed under nor could automobiles
cross it.
The yachts were grating together
as the tide rose with the wind.
A safety gate, waving with the
wind in front of the draw, was
smashed as gusts grew stronger.
Palm fronds whipped down streets
before the gusts.
High tides pushed up along the
entire south Florida coast.
Danger the high waves bring was
more feared in coastal communities
in the Okeechobee region than the
winds.
Fear High Waves
Power lines went out in many
sections. In Miami Beach, lights
failed at noon, some firms using
lamps to continue their work.
The Dade County disaster relief
committee, quartered in a downtown
building. went into action to unity
relief efforts if the hurricane should
strike.
Every relief station throughout
the threatened area was organized
with medical squads.
The hurricane, when most Florida
residents went to bed last night.
was sweeping southwark through
the British-owned Bahama Islands.
situated to the east of the Florida
peninsula.
They awoke this morning TO find
the storm suddenly bearing down
directly on the coast.