The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-07
CREMATION OF
GALE VICTIMS
BODIES STARTS
Florida Acts End All Danger
of PeStilenCe After
Hurricane.
BIZ United Press

~ ChltCu FTfSS
MIAMI, Fla. Sept. IA smudge
of black, drifting lazily across the
tropical sky, arose today from the
funeral pyres of the hurricane dead.
Florida was ending all danger of
pestilence.
Health authorities insisted both
on the cremation of bodies still re-
naming on the Florida keys to the
south and on the burial Of bodies
which had been brought earlier to
Miami.
While those grim tasks we're be-
ing carried out Miami arranged for
tribute to the war veterans who
lost their lives in Mondays dis
aSter.
Palm-studded Bay Front Park,
skirting MiamiS waterfront, will be
given over Sunday afternoon to
national memorial service at which
the Federal government will be rep
resented by several officials and de-
tachments from every branch of its
armed service.
Red Cross Raises Estimate
Gov. Dave Sholtz, stocky and ag-
gressive, was in active command of
the situation. He flew over the
Keys, reported with dismay that the
carnage was indescribable and en-
gagged in conferences which brought
the cremation and burial decisions.
The American Red Cross, still
busily checking the casualty fig
ures, estimated the dead at 446, an
increase of nearly 200 from earlier
announcements. The United Press
survey of last Thursday placed the
dead at 442.
While the cremation order was in
conflict with the expressed wishes
of President Roosevelt. it was un-
derstood that Federal officials here,
won over to the need for health pro-
lection, had advised Washington to
acquiesce to the arrangements.
Probes Are Under Way
The funeral pyres were not the
ornate ceremonies of ancient times.
The cleansing heat of fire was ap-
piled only because-as Gov. Sholtz
put it-of Imminent danger of
pestilence spreading along the
southeastern coast of Florida"
The flames were fed by oil shipped
into the area in response to the Gre
nation order. The bodies were
burned individually for the most
part, although in some instances
several were burned together.
Officials intended to have the 1872
bodies in Miami buried during the
night, but it was found to be ply
sically impossible to prepare that
many graves. Arrangements were
made to begin the burials today.
Meanwhile the controversy over
both the subject of weather reports
and the sending of an evacuation
train for the veterans along the
keys before the hurricane struck
was carried on here, in Key West
and in Washington.
Hints Negligence Scandal
G. S. Kennedy, meterologist if
charge of the Key West weather
bureau, said emphatically that
hurricane warning was broadcast by
the Key West Naval radio station
to all ships along the Florida
straits.
States Attorney George A. Worley
of Dade County, assigned by Gov.
Sholtz to conduct Florida's own in
quiry, was questioning witnesses
about weather reports and the
movements of the rescue train. Mr..
Worley said at the beginning Of mis-
investigation that he expected to
discover criminal negligence some
where" but later indicated his re-
port would go to the Governor in
stead of to a grand jury.
Mondays blow appeared to have
spent itself over the Atlantic last
night, passing out to sea near Nor
folk, Va, after leaving Florida and
pushing a zig-zag course through
Georgia, South and North Caro-
lima. Two persons we're reported
killed near New Bern, N. c., and
extensive crop damage was done.