Florida's Great Hurricane

by Joseph Hugh Reese

1926:

GENERAL PRINTING CO.

ΜΙΑΜΙ, FLORIDA

CALM AFTER THE STORM—MIAMI SKYLINE AS IT APPEARED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE HURRICANE.

In Memory
of these who perished in the
Great Hurricane,
September 18, 1926

Florida's

Great Hurricane

By

JOE HUGH REESE

Author of "Florida Flashlights," "The Everglades, " Etc.

Price $1

Library Edition, in Cloth, $2.50

Postage prepaid

---

MIAMI, FLORIDA:

Published by LYSLE E. FESLER

P. O. Box 6406

Copyright 1926 by Joe Hugh Reese

Burdine's Book Department Wants It

October 15, 1926.

Mr. Joe Hugh Reese
Miami, Florida.

My dear Mr. Reese:—

I understand that you have written and are about to publish a book in connection with the Miami Storm under the title of "Florida's Great Hurricane".

When this book is published we would like very much to have the first consignment to be offered for sale in our Book Department, and you may rest assured that we will cooperate with you to the fullest extent in its circulation.

I am glad to add that we have known you personally for the last twenty years, and the writer has read some of your literature. We certainly wish you the success that we know you deserve in the publication of this book.

Yours very truly

R. B. Burdine

Bears the Stamp of Official Approval

Address correspondence to
Official in Charge
Local Office, Weather Bureau

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

LOCAL OFFICE OF THE WEATHER BUREAU

Miami, Florida. October 30, 1926.

To whom it may concern:

This is to certify that the author of the volume to be known as "Florida’s Great Hurricane," Joe Hugh Reese, spent many hours in my office, collating data concerning the hurricane or September 18, 1926, and other hurricanes of importance; that personally I assisted him in drafting the drawings and other matter to he presented in his book, and revised that part of his manuscript relating to the official record of the storm. It gives me pleasure to state that this information is accurate and correct, and, so far as 1 am informed:

Mr. Reese is the only writer who has spent so much time in diligent and painstaking endeavor to write a story of the great disaster which may be accepted as truly and officially accurate.

Acknowledgments

I WISH to make formal avowal of my appreciation in the preparation of this volume to the courteous aid and encouragement given me by Richard W. Gray, meteorologist in charge of the United States Weather Bureau at Miami; to Lysle W. Fesler, the publisher; to M. M. Magner, superintendent, M. Somes, foreman of the General Printing Company, and others in that establishment who have rendered instant and gracious assistance; to the Sell Art Shop, and Mr. Searles, the artist, who prepared the prints for the engraver, and to the Commercial Photo Engraving Company, for efficient service. Due acknowledgment is made also for photographs reproduced herein. Those which depict the horrors of the Moore Haven disaster were obtained from J. C. Brossier, editor of the Orlando Reporter-Star, which paper had a representative on the scene soon after the flood. To these, and all others who have helped me, I cheerfully acknowledge the most profound and grateful obligations.

JOE HUGH REESE

Contents

PAGE

The Great Hurricane		11
Record of the Storm		15
Humanizing Effects of the Hurricane		24
A View of the Storm Swept District		30
The Causeway Tragedy		39
Freaks of the Storm		41
A Thrilling Experience		43
Like Rats in a Trap		49
Exaggerated Reports and Red Cross Relief		59
Citizen's Relief Committee		65
The Military		66
Losses and Insurance		67
How the News Was Given to the World		72
Rehabilitation		75
Official Bulletins		78
Historic Hurricanes		83
Other Notable Disasters		92

THE HURRICANE WAS TRAVELING SEVEN DAYS SEPTEMBER 14-20. THE CHART SHOWS PATH OF THE STORM. 60 MILES WIDE. ITS PROGRESS EVERY TWELVE HOURS IS MARKED BY CIRCLES. THIS SKETCH WAS DRAWN UNDER DIRECTION OF RICHARD W. GRAY. METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE OF THE MIAMI OFFICE OF THE U. S. WEATHER BUREAU.