• The West Indian hurricane, about which we have written
elsewhere, swept the coast of Florida after its terrible visit to Porto Rico and French and British Wands. - It has been one of- the worst ever known. The first reports from Florida fell far short of the truth. It is believed now that the deaths in Florida alone may amount to several hundreds. The water of Lake Okeechobee was blown into the surrounding country, and three hundred persons are missing there. The Times correspondent says :— _ Eatimates of the loss of property vary from $25,000,000 (25,000,000) to as much as $100,000,000 (£20,000,000), the last being. that of 'Senator Robinson, the Democratic candidate for the Vice-Presidency; who has been assisting in relief —wotk in Palm Beach County for the past two days. Red Cross workers in the towns from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm . Beach are _ besieging the State Board .of Health for serums to oppose an -outbreak of- typhoid and other fevers. They report that the condition in all these towns is exceedingly critical because Of the breaking dOwn of sanitation works. Seven disaster workers have been sent into the devastated area from the Red Cross head- quarters in Washington, and the Army is sending a -thousand cots from Fort McPherson; Georgia. Several • detachments- of the Florida National Guard have been ordered to the east coast to stop looting and to police the roads and ruined towns. It was reported this morning that 660' lives had been lost in the French
West Indies, or more double the number first reported.
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