Evening star., 1949-08-27
Hurricane
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Hurricane
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around Lake Okeechobee. But
the lake itself-big killer OF the
1928 hurricane-behaved like a
lamb as the hurricane swept past.
United States engineers said water
was we'll below the danger level.
That took the pressure off at the
start.
Stuart reported six casualties
and Fort Pierce two.
120-Mile Section Hit.
The Palm Beaches were hard
hit and so was Belle Glade. on
the eastern shore Of Lake Okee-
chobee, where damage was esti-
mated at more than 100000
by town officials.
Up and down the Gold Coast"
from Hollywood to Vero Beach
q stretch of 120 miles-the storm
left houses unroofed, trees up
rooted. shrubbery torn to ribbons.
Gales of go to IS miles per hour
lashed the north and central por-
tions of the peninsula and strong
winds in squalls extended south
to the Keys.
The storm may turn to a more
northerly course in the next IL
hours, the Weather Bureau said.
The great disturbance was tagged
as still a very dangerous storm.
Winds Up to $50 M.P.H.
The storm pounded the heart OF
the peninsula with winds UP to
$50 miles per hour.
Hurricane warnings flew from
Fort Lauderdale to st. Augustine
and around Lake Okeechooee.
Northeast Florida was warned to
get ready for the blow.
The great doughnIt-shaped dis
turbance passed the cattle and
farming town of Lake Okeechobee,
on the northeastern corner OF the
big lake by the same name, then
whirled over Lake Placid in High
lands County. ...,. '.,....
AS the storm roared on, Red
Cross workers moved in to survey
damage and render aid. Forty
five of them left Miami for West
Palm Beach, which bore the brunt
of the storm as it slammed into
the mainland.
The hurricane left great path
strewn with unroofed houses,
toppled towers, broken trees, dis
rupted communications. Streets
were Uttered with debris.
Wind Gauge Blown Away.
The one death attributed to the
storm wind was that of Andrew
Jonkman, 20. drowned at Miami
as he tried to swim ashore after
purposely sinking his sailboat to
protect it from the storm.
The storm blew away the wind
gauge at Belle Glade when 1t reg
istered 140 miles an hour. 1t
smashed the tower of radio station
WSWN. Two houses were fiat
tened. roofs and porches blown
off, signs blown down and windows
smashed. y.
Damage in West Palm Beach
was expected to reach several
million. It was extensive" in
Palm Beach, where many lush
estates were lashed by winds of
125 miles an hour sustained veloc-
ity and $50 miles in gusts.
The 196-foot tower of radio
station VINO at West Palm
Beach toppled into Lake Worth.
Parking meter heads were blown
off standards and the $4,000
stained glass dome of the George
Washington Hotel Dashed in.
The RCA communications sta
ton at Lake Worth reported winds
of 125 miles an hour sustained and
$50 miles in gusts. Property
damage was extensive in that area.
Miami on Southern Fringe.
Miami was on the southern
fringe of the hurricane and winds
there reached a maximum of 81
miles an hour. Rainfall at Miami
totaled 1853 inches during the day.
Hollywood, 18 miles north Of
Miami, had only minor damage
but it worsened northward along
the coast. Fort Lauderdale was
without power for a time but
most telephones remained in op-
Grafton. Signs and store fronts
were smashed.
Delray Beach, still farther north,
suffered heavy damage from 125-
mile-an-hour winds. One, un-
occupied house in the Negro Sec
ton of Pompano Beach collapsed.
Some houses there were damaged.
The city garage at Riviera Beach
collapsed.
Area Well Prepared.
North of West Palm Beach the
wind reached 125 mile an hour
in sustained velocity and caused
considerable damage to trees and
shrubbery at Stuart and Fort
Pierce. Vero Beach, with 97-mile
winds, feared heavy citrus dam
age. Gusts there reached 110
miles an hour.
AS the storm. continued on its
path of destruction. storm warn
ings were ordered displayed from
st. Augustine to Charleston and
on the Florida west coast from
Fort Myers to Panama City.
The storm hit an area best pre-
pared to withstand the battering.
!