HURRICANE DESTRUCTION

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1931, Page 5

HURRICANE DESTRUCTION

DEATH ROLL MOUNTS.

[United Press Association.—By Electrie Telegraph.—Copyrignt.J

NEW YORK, September 13

Advices from Maimi, in Florida, state that radio' messages which have been received by the Pan-American Airways estimated the number of dead in Belize at four hundred. .‘iliac OTHER PLACES MENACEDi'P'I ’ NEW YORK, September 13. The hurricanes from the Caribbean Sea. reported yesterday have wrecked the city of Belize, in British, Hondoras^ ' South America, causing loss of lives in excess of 1000 and incalculable damage. The hurricanes now menace other places to the north in the West Indies and towards the United States. SHIPS SWEPT ASHORE. , ■ WASHINGTON, .September 12. Five hundred are feared to be dead at Belize. These include a number of Ameri- , can priests, who were killed, with the •students, in the destruction of St, Jo■soph's College in Belize. NEW YORK, September 12, The Pan-American Airways has received a report to-day from its Radio Station at Belize that unofficial estimates place the dead at seven hundred-: BELIZE PARTLY WIPED OUT. ' BELIZE, September 12. The : hurricane has wrought untold havoc here. Houses were piled up like toys, and an area in the heart of the city, comprising six blocks square, has entirely been wiped out. Ships and barges have been sweptup high on dry laud. Houses have been washed out to sea. v LATEST REPORT. MORE THAN 1000 DEAD. BURNING OF BODIES AND WRECKAGE. i ; . , . BELIZE, September 12. More than a thousand were reported dead here,on Saturday .night as the iresiult of Thursday’>s hurricane, and , there are many bodies still to be re- . covered. ' ■■"/***»*■ ■ The Government is unable to keep up with the rising death 3 roll. . * It has been decided to burn those areas where the destruction and deaths are the worst, in order to prevent an outbreak of disease. The danger of this is said to be great, because of the scorching Bun> Several small food riots occurred oh Saturday,'-' but- they were immediately squelched by the authorities. Relief kitchens have been set up. 1 The'city-presents a pitiful sight. Ships of hundreds of tons burden have been washed up on to the dry land by a tidal wave.. ■, A two hundred ton dredge rests on what wa.s the roof of the Customs landing shed. St. . George’s Island, a holiday resort, nine miles east of Belize, has been ruined completely. .At least twentyfour were killed. ’ • n FEARS OF THE STORMS. ■ : V NEW YORK, September 13. The entire Oarribbean area, is uneasily watching further developments. There have been three distinct hurricanes, two of which struck Belize and Porto Rico. These may be ended, but it is possible that they may regain , their strength, so that Haiti and San Domingo Islands are preparing to face to-morrow. , . Moreover a third hurricane is believed to be heading towards Western Mexico. !

’ SPIDERS GIVE WARNING. , HAMILTON (Bermuda), Sept. 12. Local natural weather forecasters, who assert this to be a “hurricane year,” base forecasts on. the actions df huge native spiders, which, it is claimed, when the weather will be good built great webs in the tree tops and on the telegraph poles; but, in the face .of the approaching hurricanes, they'resort to low shrubbery bushes. This season these spiders are staying near the ground. hurricane continues. GREAT DAMAGE DONE. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) MEXICO CITY, September 13. Despatches to the newspaper “Excelsior” on Saturday said the hurricane was lashing the whole southern part of lower California. Trees were uprooted, cemeteries destroyed; and numerous buildings damaged 'in Lapnz, the capital. In the southern district of the Peninsula, the- storm in intensity, when the despatches were filed. 1 PREPARATIONS BY BYRD. BOSTON,. September 13. Detailed preparations have been made, Byrd said, adding that he did not want to give out the plans yet beoau.se there were still plenty of scientific work to he done on the data collected by the last expedition. As is my‘ custom there will be no public , campaign for raising funds for the expedition. In the past friends of mine who are interested, contributed the bulk of the

money. In this case they will contribute probably all of it. When T get further along with the work resulting from the last trip I will be willing to start again. POSITION OF BELIZE. - BELIZE, September 13. Belize authorities are seriously considering abandoning the town in which almost every house is damaged, and moving to high plains along the pine 1 ridge.