Evening Star Newspaper, October 16, 1926, Page 33

THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €., SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1926. 33 ______ o = B A B A e A B A e A e B B B B B A D B B B B B D B D B T T B D D T B B e B D e B A G BB D e e s s e e e e e e e e e e s RS IN FLORIDA To the Public: The Management of the Seaboard Air Line Railway believes it to be a railroad’s duty to give those who use its service information respecting the territory traversed by its lines. Controversies that have unfortunately arisen in connection with the recent storm damage in Florida render it especially desirable that the facts be stated. No agency is better qualified to gather the facts and ascertain conditions within its territory than the organization of a railroad. The Seaboard Railway is extending its lines from West Palm Beach to Miami (67 miles) and below on the East Coast; to Fort Myers and Naples (100 miles) on the West Coast. Its existing lines traverse seven South- ern States from Richmond, Va., to the Gulf, with 1,713 miles in the State of Florida. It is not necessary here to discuss West Coast storm conditions; the damage to buildings in that territory was comparatively slight, except at Pensacola, which thli: Seaboard reaches through connections, not by direct es. PUBLIC OFFICIALS UNDULY CRITICIZED? It is regrettable that the good faith of certain public officials in Florida has been questioned by a high official of the American Red Cross because of their statements limiting the storm damage to actual con- ditions. There is no purpose here to detract from the ad- mirable service performed by the American Red Cross, nor to impede its collection of funds for the storm sufferers. It is unfortunate that calls for money for helping those in distress were not confined to the direc- tions in which relief was required and not leave deduc- tions to be drawn of wholesale ruin or devastation of a city or of a community. The President of this railroad has had the opportu- nity to judge of the public spirit of the Governor of Florida; of the Mayor and City Commissioners of Miami, and of public officials of the affected localities; they have earned the confidence of the people of Florida. Mayor Romfh of Miami and other public officials were required by the very nature of their offices to inform the public of the facts concerning the business, general conditions and the future of their respective communities. This was unfairly characterized as lacing “tourist business” above the proper care of those in distress. First reports coming from the storm area were “greatly exa; %erated.” This was the expression used by Florida public officials and it was properly used. THE RAILWAY OFFERS FACILITIES Upon ascertaining the necessities, the Seaboard Railway offered its entire facilities to the Red Cross, the Governor of Florida, and to all Relief Committees, free of cost, Seaboard wires being kept open to the storm area for their use. The first special Seaboard trains from West Palm Beach to Jacksonville carried 1,400 women and children, other trains carrying doctors, nurses, medical supplies, food and workers, all with- out charge, to and from the affected area. Mr. Henry M. Baker, in full charge of Red Cross activities in Florida, stated: : “The American Red Cross has been most appreci- ative of the generosity and efficiency of the Seaboard Air Line Railway Company in handling without cost upon our recommendation and recommendations of local committees free transportation for refugees from the disaster area.” Mr. Neal F. Tyler and Mr. Elliott W. Butts, in charge of transportation for the relief committee at Jack%onville, in a letter to the President of the railway, stated: “Frankly, it would have been impossible for Jack- sonville (transfer point for all lines) to handle these refugees with such quick dispatch to their points of destination had it not been for the fact that the Sea- board officials were the first on the ground in South and Central Florida, where the needs for transportation facilities were most urgent.” The President of this railroad has visited the hurri- cane area personally, except remote points from which responsible reports are in hand. THE FACTS At Miami, Miami Beach and Coral Gables there are approximately: 137 hotels; 1,200 apartment houses; 10,000 places of -business, inciuding ank, office and business buildings and stores, and 35,000 to 40,000 dwellings. Of the hotels damaged, wsl,})proximntely 85% sus- tained slight damage and all will be in full operation by December 1st; year-round hotels are now in operation. Of the apartment houses, approximately 75%, mostly now in operation, sustained slight damage and will be repaired by December 1st. Of places of business, approximately 85%, with substantially all at present in operation, sustained some da;nage and all repaired by December 15th, excepting a few. Dwellings of modern permanent construction with- stood the storm, sustaining slight or no damage, while buildings of flimsy construction were damaged to the extent of 70%. Property owned by the City of Miami to the value of $24,818,236 is reported by the authorities as sustain- ing a damage of only $328,200, or 1.33%. Of all permanent school buildings in Miami and vicinity, one only was destroyed, classes continuing in the others. ; At Hollywood, the three large hotels of modern permanent construction withstood the storm, with more or less dams;fie local to each, two being now in oFeration and the third—the Beach Hotel—will be in full opera- tion by December 15th. The remaining hotels in the Hollywood district sustained damage and will be in operation about the same period. Apartment houses, places of business and dwellings of modern permanent construction withstood the storm; the damage local to ..——eaeh-has been or will be repaired by December 15th. Buildings of flimsy construction sustained severe injury. At Fort Lauderdale, which in some sections suffered considerabli' from the storm, it is represented that the damage will be repaired by December 15th and that the damage to structures will average approximately 20% of their total value. " In the intervening territory to Deerfield (25 miles south of West Palm Beach), where buildings were of modern construction, they suffered to the extent of approximately 5%. Repairs will be completed by De- cember 1st. From Deerfield to West Palm Beach damage to . buildings was slight, in many cases none. This applies to West Palm Beach-Palm Beach, to the City of Lake Worth and other places in this area. - At Moorehaven (approximately 800 inhabitants), south of Lake Okeechobee, the damage and loss of life was considerable from the breaking of the levee which was built to protect the town from the rising waters of Lake Okeechobee. A permanent levee should be built by the State, if Eracticable. Every serious rise of water in Lake Okeechobee has damaged Moorehaven. The overflow inundates a large section of the Everglades south of Moorehaven. The death loss at Moorehaven was approximately 150, nearly one-half of the total deaths of 370 reported by the American Red Cross in the entire storm area. The State of Florida contains 55,000 square miles. The area affected by the storm covered approximately 495 square miles confined to Southern Florida. A large part of this area was not seriously affected. - Florida’s citrus fruit crop, while considerably dam- aged within the storm area, will equal that of last year, this year’s original crop having been much larger. The storm fell hardest on the poorer classes of the communities. Within the area mentioned there were approximately 125 automobile camps of flimsy con- struction, without foundations and covered with canvas, in any hard storm subg'ect to damage.. The occupants numbered approximately 18,000, mostly non-permanent. The President of the State Board of Health has announced that there has been no case of communicable disease developed in the storm area attributable to the storm. This effectively answers rumors to the contrary. REHABILITATION The progress of the work of rehabilitation has been remar*able. Those who have visited these particular sections of Florida in the past will find before the season opens ilities equal to, if not surpassing, those of 1925; reasonanle hotel rates are promised. The principal streets of Miami and Coral Gables now give little outward evidence of the storm. Polo, golf, tennis and other amusement grounds will be ready for the coming season, including the Hialeah and other race tracks. In view of these conditions there was no founda- tion for such statements as “Miami Wiped Out,” “Miami Prostrate,” “Miami Destroyed,” and like terms applied to other points affected.. Galveston, Texas, suffered a tidal wave and storm damage in 1900 of $30,000,000, with 7,000 lives lost. San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Jose and other parts of California were visited by earthquakes with %reat monetary loss. Mexico was recently visited by oods with reputed damage of millions of dollars; Illi- nois, Oklahoma and parts of the West from Illinois to Nevada have recently suffered severe flood damage. Baltimore, Maryland, suffered from the great fire of 1904 a loss of $135,000,000, wiping out most of the business area. Chicago had its great conflagration. In every instance a better and more prosperous com- munity has resulted. So will it be with Miami, Holly- wood, Fort Lauderdale and other parts affected. SLIGHT DAMAGE TO RAILWAY The Seaboard’s Miami extension from West Palm Beach (67 miles) was nearly all graded at time of storm, mostly laid with ties and rail, largely surfaced from both termini. Twelve canals are crossed, with bridge piers and abutments at canal crossings nearly completed. Where new earth has been thrown up for construc- tion of grade, many instances three to four feet, on a line traversing the affected territory so great a dis- tance, if there was the “devastation” reported, this grade and line would have been very seriously damaged. On-the contrary, and as a fact, the damage to this construction, including bridge piers and abutments, will not exceed $30,000. _Contractors’ houses for labor and in many cases equipment implements were blown down, causing de- lay, but monetary damage comparatively slight. A contributing factor in the rehabilitation of the affected territory will be the completion of the Sea- board’s Miami extension; every agency is at work for speedy operation of freight trains as construction progresses. On November 10th, twenty miles of the new line from West Palm Beach will be put in freight train service, with through freight service to Miami by December 15th. . Passenger train service to Miami will be inaugu- rated during the first week in January. SEABOARL RAILWAY SERVICE The Seaboard high-grade seasonal train service will meet the increasing travel to Florida and to all " Southern points. In answer to the many inquiries as to Seaboard service the coming season,, it shouid be stated; 1. The Orange Blossom Special—the Seaboard’s crack one night out train— will make its initial trip the coming season on December 6th in two sections, one to West Palm Beach-Palm Beach (connecting with comfortable bus service to Miami), present East Coast terminus (to be later extended to Miami); its companion train (West Coast section) to Tampa and St. Petersburg, both trains leaving New York at the same time. 2. The Seaboard Florida Limited will make its initial trip on January 3rd in two sections—one tc the East Coast, and its companion train (West Coast section) to Tampa and St. Petersburg. Both trains leave New York at the same time. 3. The Seaboard All-Florida Special will make its initial trip on November 2nd. All these trains are in addition to the all-year- round and other service. Florida—the world’s winter pla — wi its unmatched climate, its fertile slt’)il {%fgxul?;g nows,ltxl: perior, the length of the seasons, its freedom from the rigors of winters, will continue to prosper and grow, and the area affected by this storm will take on a new aspect, profiting by the experience gained. S. DAVIES WARFIELD, President, Seaboard Air Line Railway. The Truth About Storm Damage At Miami, Florida, October 12, 1926. B T ey ) X