The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-04

menDerS or d camp OL war VeteT. ans had been killed.
 Ten were known dead on Plan tation Key and 1t was believed that 10 to 20 others had been killed at scattered points.
 Reports persisted that the death toll would exceed 500, but these were entirely without confirmation. The Miami Beach Daily Tribune quoted two war veterans from the Metacombe camp that 505 men had been killed and 47 were missing.
 Mrs. Carson Bradford, Jr., was one of the first outsiders to reach the devastated area. Flying over the Keys in an airplane. she said that nowhere in all that land was there a sign that 8 man or woman or child lived"
 Not One Sign of Life
 Between Metacombe and Grassy Keys, where hundreds, not includ- ing 660 war veterans employed by the EZRA on a road building proj- cet live, she found not one sign of life. Hotels, homes, docks all had disappeared, she said.
 One of the first Red Cross in- spectors to reach the scene report ed by short wave wireless to Leon- ard K. Thompson, Red Cross exe- cutive here. that the hurricane had been as devastating as the Belle Glade hurricane of 1926 that wrecked Miami and killed 2,000 persons in Florida.
 At dawn today, score or more of small boats laden with doctors. nurses, medical supplies, food and water put out from Miami, Key West, and small mainland points for the Keys. They joined other boats that departed last night. Air planes, with additional doctors standing by, waited to take-off Two companies of the Florida na- tional uard, In trucks laden with army tents and kitchens, pounded across ruined highways through the night, bound for the scenes of devastation.
 Members of the American Le- zion joined the rescue parties. Twenty doctors and 15 nurses had been dispatched to the scene by dawn and more were being mob- ilized.
 The Keys are all of coral for nation and have no permanent water supply except that caught in cisterns. First reports told of an acute water shortage which, coupled with a shortage of food and medical supplies, made the suffering of survivors the more narrowing. Many of the boats that left Miami and Key West were laden with water and food.
 The hurricane that wrought this havoc had isolated all west coast Florida communities south of Tampa, Including the cities of Sara sota and Fort Myers. No esti- mate of its destruction in that area can be obtained until communica- tions are restored. The storm passed west of Clearwater and Tampa at 2 a. m. (EST) to-day and was raging up the coast tow ard Cedar Keys at dawn.
 Ambulanccs, Trucks O7i Way
 The bridge over Snake Creek which separates Metacombe Key from Key Largo. which connects with the Mainland, was restored early to-day and ambulances and trucks immediately began trans- porting injured persons to hastily esta blished emergency hospitals at Homestead, 26 miles below Miami The one hospital there was im- mediately oyercrowded and the high school and church were made into emergency wards and temper ary shelters for the homeless.
 Five seriously injured were brought to Miami.
 Every report Altering in from the devastated area over scant communication facilities told the same story of horror. On Planta. tion Key rescuers found three war veterans with their wives and four children dead. On Key Largo they found bodies of men and women and children entangled in the roots of up-turned trees where they had been hurled by the wind.
 On Metacombe Key, at CamT No. 1 of the war veterans em. ployed by EZRA. 1t was said that not one plank remained attached to another. Houses on Key Large had been lifted high in the air according to survivors, ant dropped to earth as much as 10( yards away. Young boys and girl were found huddled beneath blan kets. Negroes were hudled to gether against overturned trees still shaking from fear.
 Separate Rescue Crews Separate rescue parties were as signed to all the major keys iron which no reports have been re ceived since the hurricane roaret northward out of Florida 6trai ! Monday night. They number abou