The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-09-21
KEY WEST DASHED BY
 HURRICANE
TorrentiaI Rain Falls Over Wide Area a-Disaster
 Units Busy

OHiIS OuSy f BULLETIN: MAMA. Fla, Sept. 2l-R-Winds of l25 miles slls- tained velocity and 140 miles in gusts smashed across Key West as a hurricane passed over the island city IFS miles south of Miami to- day
 l The report of the storms in- tensity was made by radio by the Navy, to the Weather Bureau here. Communications to Key West were out.
 Hurricane very tense" the Navy stated. Instruments blown away. Estimated winds l4o miles per hour"
 Tides were inundating some of the Florida keys, reported weather ob- server Ed. Lowe at Tavernier, an island about 100 miles north of Key West
 The overseas highway was closed. A road block was set up at Mate- lcumbe to halt traffic southward into the storm. Key West was isolated except for radio communications. Winds of hurricane force were felt along the entire chain ! of islands which form the Florida Keys
 MIAMI, Fla. Sept. 21.--tR- Winds of no miles an hour dashed Key West today as a big and grow ing tropical hurricane brushed near or over the island city ITS miles south of Miami :, All weather stations along the marrow stretch of Florida Keys famous fishing grounds for thou sands reported hurr icane force winds of 75 miles an hour or better. Torrential rains accompanied the winds.
 The hurricane was short dis tance south of Key. West at lO:3 am. tEST) and moving north. northeastward at about 10 miles an hour.
 no Miles An Hour
 Key West reported no mile-an- hour winds at l0:20 am Red Cross officials at the island city where President Truman has his Little White House. said no causaIties had been reported Shelters were crowded.
 In Miami, sustained wind reached 60 miles an hour and visibility was almost wiped out by the blowing rain.
 The storm has enlarged and hur- ricane winds and strong gales now cover an area about 300 miles in diameter. the weather bureau re- ported.
 The slow movement of the storm will keep the center over South Florida for longer period and delay the arrival of the hurricane winds somewhat. forecasters said.
 St0rIr Grows Tn Size
 The. storm grew rapidly in size after crossing Cuba. said chief. forecaster~ Grady Norton.
 Winds of hurricane force-75 miles an hour and higher-will te- gin to sweep Miami between 4 pm. Iand nightfall, it was predicted. The Red Cross reported $40 per- sons spent last night in Miami's 59 shelters which were thrown open yesterday.
 Hurricane warning fluttered along the East Coast as far north as Melbourne, and storm warnings extended to Daytona Beach. On the West Coast of the peninsula, hurricane flags flew to Fort Myers and storm warnings to Tarpon Springs.
 Disaster Units Busy Disaster units were on the job in the lower part of the peninsula. Schools were closed in Dade tMi- ami and Broward tFort Lauder Idale) counties.
 The hurricane, born in the Carib- bean almost due south of Grand Cayman Island, headed east and then slightly north before it swerv- led toward land. It crossed the Isle of Pines. causing heavy damage to orange groves but apparently no loss of life.
 Then it swirled across Western Cuba, the center apparently passing some 30 wiles to the east of Ibana. The fishing port of Batabana was isolated. Communications with the port town of 1000 were down and lit was difficult to get reports of damage there.
 Havana Is Struck In Havana, about 10000 persons noro royprfad to hova laff fhoir