Evening star., 1948-09-22
Florida Storm
.kenacing Rich
Citrus Country
Hurricane Still Beers
100-MiIe Winds as 1t
Rips Across State
BY the Associated Press

MIAMI, Fla, Sept. GA hur-
rican, still bearing its 100-mile-
an-hour winds, moved over Lake
Okeechobee in South Central
Florida today and aimed for the
States rich citrus belt.
Two persons have died and many
have suffered minor injuries in the
big storm which blasted the Florida
Keys with 160-mile gusts early yes
terday and struck Miami last night.
Heavy gales and rain still bat
tered the Keys and Miami today.
The center of the storm is expect
ed to pass into the Atlantic about 7
O'Clock tonight in the vicinity Of
Melbourne, 160 miles north of Mi
ami, and over Merritts Island, just
northeast of Melbourne, about 9
or 10 pm, the Weather Bureau said.
The hurricane eye passed close
to the sugar-cane growing region at
CleWiston on the Lake Shore about
8 am.
8O-Mile Winds at ClewiSton.
Winds of 80 miles and hour and
more hit CleWiston, bringing a del
uge OF rain.
Water stood foot or more deep in
the streets as the storm approached.
From IL am. yesterday until 4:30
am. today, 5l2 inches of rain fell.
There were no casualties reported.
Telephone circuits went out while
Army engineers were describing the
approach of the storm to the Asso-
ciated Press in Miami. There was
a popping like tirecracker, and the
wire failed.
The Coast Guard at Mani dis
patched a mobile radio unit to the
Lake Okeechobee region this morn
ing.
Lake Believed Safe.
Engineers reported they believed
the big fresh water body safe"
Lake Okeechobee is the second
largest fresh water lake entirely
within the United States. A great
hurricane in 1928 caused 1t to over
flow its banks and drown about
$500 laborers engaged in planting
vegetables in the winter salad
bowl" of the Nation.
Communications still were out to-
day with Key West, where President
Truman has his Little White
House" and Everglades City, 10
miles west of Miami.
A Red Cross survey showed $500
persons stayed last night in Miami's
shelters. The shelters were stocked
with enough food to feed $4,000
persons for two days.
Between 700 and 1000 refugees
from Highlands County in the CEN
trail part of the State found haven
in the little citrus town Of Sebring.
Expected to Keep Force.
The hurricane is expected to keep
its force as 1t crosses the coast line
to sea. Winds will continue to in
crease in Central and Northeastern
Florida until the storm passes.
Hurricane warnings are displayed
from the Daytona Beach Fort
Myers line southwark and storm
warnings north of Daytona Beach
to Charleston, S. c., and north Of
Fort Myers to Tarpon Springs, Fla.
Power in many Miami homes was
off-either caused by failure or de-
liberate cutting to keep people from
being injured or killed by live wires.
Winds in gusts as high as $50 miles
an hour were recorded by the Navy
yesterday at Key West. On the
Florida mainland, the little fishing
village of Everglades City was hit
by 125-mile- hour winds.
The "eye" of the hurricane passed
so miles to the west Of Miami last
night.
Farming Area Threatened.
The storm offered a grave threat
to the vegetable farming area on
the southern and eastern shores OF
Lake Okeechobee. Evacuation trains
went in to take out refugees, but
reports indicated most residents
preferred to stay and take their
chances, confident that the great
levee around the lake would hold.
However, officials evacuated pris-
oners in a camp near Belle Glade in
the Lake Okeechobee region.
William John Evans, As, engineer
at the Tatem Surf Club on Miami
Beach, was killed when blown from
the roof of the five-story building.
Mrs. Ben j. Kincaid, 56, was elec-
trocuted when she touched a live
wire in the yard of her home, in
Coconut Grove, a Miami suburb.
), Damage to Miami was limited TO
uprooted palm trees, broken power
lines, smashed windows and BILL
boards. Streets were flooded by tor
rental rains. Transportation was
disrupted, schools remained closed
and business suspended.
Many Trees Uprooted.
!. Miami Beach reported some show
windows blown in, trees uprooted or
lSee HURRICANE, Page A-3D