The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-09-14

BnhaFIAAs estimated the Wind Vel- ocity ln the center at i40 miles per hour,
 Resldents along hundreds of miles 0f the coast from Charleston to the Virginia Capes battered down their homes and boarded up windows for the blow, and scores of Army ana Navy planes had been flown inland Co safer alrfelds.
 Resort beaches and hotels along much of the threatened coast were evacuated and other precautions taken which were expected to pre- cluda heavy casualties.
 Postpone Launching
 Outer fringers of the blow lashed at the great shipbuilding center ot Wilmington, where launching Of the U. s. g. Suffolk was postponed un tll tomorrow,
 Indicating the rapid northward movement of the storm, the baro- meter At Wilmington began to rise As full force of the hurricane swept toward Beaufort.
 The weather bureau in Washing ton, In Q Q Q, m. (EWr) advisory reported the storm was passing northward over the outer North %. rolina Coast" and may be heAded toward New England.
 "The storm is passing northward at 2S miles an hour the advisory said, and warned its forward speed might increase, :.
 Steadily increasing winds of full hurricane force are expected during the day from Cape HatteraB, N. O., to the Virginia capes, the bureau said.
 Absence of reports make the ex- act location of the center difficult to determine the bureau reported, Charting storm
 If the present indicated move. ment continues, the center should cross the islanaS of Southeastern Coastal New England Thursday night.
 Hurricane warnings are display ed from Myrtle Beach, s. O., to the Virginia CapeS and hurricane Warn- ings were ordered at 0 q. m. from the north of the Virginia Cape to Portland, Me, but all warnings will be lowered south of Capt Hatteras shortly.
 Southeast storm warnings are displayed north of Portland to East- port, Me. Frequent radio hroad- casts are urged by all stations on the Atlantic coaS from Norfolk northward."
 Emergency crews of army and navy, marine and coast guard per- Aonnel, Red Gross disaster workers and civilians were mobilized here and at other potential danger points along the coast for rescue and first aid work
 Winds caused power failure al New Bern, N. C., where radio station WHIT was forced to cease broad- casting.
 Beaufort and Moorehead City, te the south, were ismated from the outside world aS tho storm slashed communication lines. The eommuni. ties have populations of about 2,O0C each, but by dawn they were prae. tically ghost towns.
 S8Shb bNoeo VI WAhN ohAuPpeU OAl and uprooted trees.
 Emergency Basis
 The Marine station at Cherry Point was operating on an emer. geney basis. Its first duty last night was to turn back ct New Bern two truckloadS of dynamite consignee Go the station.
 WaathAN Rupaau ad,laautaa tadI cated it was the worst hurricane since the great storm Of Septem- ber 6, le3B, that killed 300 persona in the Florida Keys. The wind vel- ocity in It's center was placed at l40 miles an hour and the con. volutionS were so extensive that storm warnings were posetd aS for north aS Atlantic City, N. J.
 On the possibility of e sudden change in direction, the federal hur- ricane Varring service placed oil the east coast florthward from Florida to Eastport, Me-, on Q hurricane alert.
 Rapidly falling barometers and bowling winds mounting in fury Wld bVuHQ HtEhlded ltb NIlNbu ulVlB lhe low.lying Carolina coast from Wilmington northward. Heavy seas were running and residents of beaches and coastal lowlands had lled or were fleeing inland.
 Tremendous and destructive tides were expected to accompany the center of the storm.
 The Weather Bureau located the storm center at 6 c. m. ct 100 miles Iouth Of Beaufort, advancing ct ap- proximately iS miles an hour,
 strong winds and gales will ex- tend over northeastern South Caro- Ilna end the interior of eastern North Carolina northward today hnd early today" the advisory said, Precautions against destructive winds and extremely high tides should be taken on the North Caro- nna coast northward. Residents Of