The Montgomery Advertiser
- Mrs. R. D. Crawley dies in the storm
- More than thirty-eight thousand people made homeless
- Maxwell Field plane to rush to the aid of Alabamians in storm area
The hurricane reaches Montgomery through family telegrams, reports of interrupted essential services in Miami, and a proposed military flight to assess the needs of Alabamians in Florida. The local death report explicitly leaves a husband’s fate unverified, while the aircraft notice depends on suitable weather. Together the selected passages show how personal uncertainty, damaged urban services and conditional relief plans shaped the paper’s account of the disaster.
Translation
Mrs. R. D. Crawley dies in the storm
Mrs. R. D. Crawley, sister of Mrs. W. A. Steadman, 821 South Court Street, was killed in the great storm at Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Information of the death of Mrs. Crawley was received in Montgomery by relatives Sunday. No details concerning her death were obtainable.
The telegram announcing the death was received by Mr. Steadman and was signed by R. D. Crawley, husband of Mrs. Crawley. Mr. Crawley was later reported in news dispatches as being killed, but it was not possible to verify the report. Mrs. Crawley is survived by her mother, Mrs. Sarah Morgan, of Ruthersfordton, N. C., one brother, W. H. Morgan, Jacksonville, Fla., and two sisters, Miss Marvis Morgan and Mrs. W. A. Steadman, Montgomery.
More than thirty-eight thousand people made homeless
Reports from the storm-stricken area indicate that more than thirty-eight thousand persons were made homeless and many of these were in urgent need of food and medical supplies.
Miami and vicinity and Fort Lauderdale appear to have suffered heavily in the storm. Water was flowing in the streets of Miami, practically every place of business was said to have been damaged, no drinking water was immediately available and phones and electric lights were out of commission.
Reports from Miami said that the stores were closed and restaurants were not serving food on account of lack of water, electricity and gas. In response to urgent appeals, doctors, nurses, supplies and water were hurried into Miami from sister cities of Florida.
Maxwell Field plane to rush to the aid of Alabamians in storm area
Weather conditions permitting, an airplane will leave Maxwell Field Monday morning to determine what aid can be provided for Alabamians in the storm-swept district, according to a communication received from Governor W. W. Brandon Sunday night.
Governor Brandon is said to have communicated Sunday with Major H. H. C. Richards, commanding officer of Maxwell Field, as to the advisability of sending an airplane to the stricken district. Major Richards is said to have consented to dispatch an airplane from the local field Monday morning, provided weather conditions permit.
According to the governor, it is known that many Alabamians are in distress in Florida, due to the storm, and all aid possible will be rendered to relieve suffering.
Lieutenant Aubrey Hornsby, accompanied by a mechanic, will probably be assigned to this duty, according to Major Richards. The route to be followed will probably be through Tallahassee and central Florida to the east coast.
Context
A distant disaster reaches local families
The newspaper connects a Florida death to a precise Montgomery address and names relatives in three states. For its readers, the hurricane was therefore also a local story about people they might know. The telegram carried a husband’s message into that family network before later dispatches raised fears for him too. Naming survivors helped readers place the loss within their own community, at a time when news from the damaged coast remained fragmentary.
Why damaged utilities made the food emergency worse
The loss of housing created an immediate need for shelter, but Miami’s water, electricity and gas failures also disabled ordinary ways of obtaining food. Restaurants could not serve meals and shops were closed. Relief therefore required more than bringing food into the city: drinking water, medical care and the basic services supporting daily life had to be supplied together. The list of doctors, nurses, water and goods arriving from other cities reflects that combination of needs.
An aircraft to find out what help was needed
The Maxwell Field proposal was an assessment mission: an officer and mechanic would fly toward Florida’s east coast to establish how Alabama residents could be helped. Such information mattered when storm damage disrupted normal contact. The weather qualification was also consequential. After striking Miami on September 18, the hurricane made another Florida landfall near Pensacola on September 20, so the relief flight was being planned while the wider regional emergency was still unfolding.
Original
MRS. R. D. CRAWLEY MEETS HER DEATH IN DISTURBANCE
Mrs. R.sD. Crawley, sister of
a Mrs. W. A. Steadman, 821 South
Court street, was killed in the
great storm at Fort Lauderdale,
Florida.
Information of the death of
Mrs. Crawley was received in
Montgomery hy relatives Sunday.
No details concerning her death
were obtainable.
f
H
The telegram announcing the death
was received by Mr. Steadman and was
signed by R. D. Crawley, husband
ot Mrs. Crawley. Mr. Crawley was
later reported in news distpatches as
being killed but It was not possible
to verify the report. Mrs. Crawley is
survived by her mother, Mrs. Sarah
Morgan, of Ruthersfordton, N. C., one
brother, W. H. Morgan, Jacksonville,
Fla., and two sisters. Miss Marvis
Morgan and Mrs. W. A. Steadman,
Montgomery, ,v
OVER THIRTY-EIGHT THOUSAND PERSONS ARE MADE HOMELESS
Reports from the storm-stricken area indicate that more than
thirty-eight thousand persons were made homeless and many of
these were m urgent need of .food and medical supplies
Miami and vicinity and Fort Lauderdale appear to have borne
°f the St0,rm- Water was flowing in the streets of Miami,
practically every place of business was said to have been damaged,
no drinking water was immediately available and phones and elec
tric lights were out of commission.
Reports from Miami said that the stores were closed and res
taurants were not serving food on account of lack of water, elec
*n^X and 5as- .,n response to urgent appeals, -doctors, nurses,
supplies and water were hurried into Miami from sister cities of
Florida.
Maxwell Field Plane Will Rush To Aid of Alabamians in Storm Area
Weather conditions permitti ng, an airlane will leave Max
well Field Monday morning to determine what aid can be pro
vided for Alabamians in tne sto rm-swept district, according to a
communication received from G overnor W. W. Brandon Sunday
night.
Governor Brandon is said t o have communicated Sunday
with Major H. H. C. Richards, c ommanding officer of Maxwell
Field, as to the advisability of sending an airplane to the strick
en district. Major Richards is sa id to have consented to dispatch
an airplane from tne local field Monday morning, provided
weather conditions permit.
According to the governor, it is known that many Alabam
ians are in distress in Florida, due to the storm, and all aid pos
sible will be rendered to relieve suffering.
Lieutenant Aubrey Hornsby, accompanied by a mechanic,
will probably be assigned to this duty, according to Major Rich
ards. The route to be followed will probably be through Tal
lahassee, and central Florida to the east coast.
Source: Holding institution