1909 — Oct 11, Florida Keys and south FL Hurricane, (tug Sybil/11) and Key West, FL– 19

–34 Rappaport and Partagas. The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1994. 1995.
–19 Key West Citizen. “Eleven Lost on Tug Sybil and One Dead at Marathon.” 10-13-1909, p. 1
–15 Barnes, Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History. UNC Press, 1998, p. 91.
–15 Burt and Stroud. Extreme Weather: A Guide & Record Book. 2004, p. 205.
–15 Dunn and Miller. Atlantic Hurricanes (Revised Edition). 1964, p. 316.
Breakout of fatalities by locality where noted:
— 1 Key West. Photographer (name is unreadable).
— 1 Key West? Watchman Zed Alvarez (name is unclear).
–13 Monroe [Keys and SW Everglades] and Dade counties. Monthly Weather Review, 709.
— 1 Marathon. Timekeeper Brown.
–11 Marathon area. Tug Sybil; statement of Chief Engineer W. J. Krome, made at Key West.
–11 Miami coast. Tug Sybil crew. Sioux County Herald, IA. “Life Preservers Kill Eleven,” 10-20-1909, p7.
— 1 Locale not noted; Andrew Cooper, second mate of schooner Medford.
— 4 Locale not noted; four crewmen from schooner Triton.
–11 Locale not noted; eleven crewmen from tug Sybil.

Narrative Information

Herrmann, Monthly Weather Review: “….A very severe West Indian hurricane passed near the southern extremity of Florida on October 11, causing dangerous gales, heavy rains, and a phenomenally low atmospheric pressure from Key West to Miami, Fla. The damage to property in Monroe and Dade counties, Florida, is said to have approximated several million dollars; hundreds of houses were destroyed and about thirteen lives were lost. The barograph at Sand Key, where the Weather Bureau office was destroyed, showed a pressure of 28.36 inches at 10:40 a.m., on October 11. On the same day the lowest atmospheric pressure was observed at all stations in the district, though the pressure outside of Florida did not fall below 29.66 inches at Charlotte, N.C.” (Herrmann, Charles F. “Climatological Data for October, 1909. District No. 2, South Atlantic and East Gulf States,” Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 37, Issue 10, October 1909, p. 709.)

Rappaport and Partagas: “Cuba, Florida Keys 10-11 Oct 1909 >34.”

Newspapers

Oct 11: “Key West, Oct. 11.–As a result of the hurricane which struck the southern coast of Florida this morning, Key West tonight is a mass of wreckage and the damage to property is estimated at ?2,000,000. Martial law was proclaimed by the Mayor at 6 o’clock, and the Key West Guards are patrolling the city. The United States Government has been asked to dispatch troops here without delay to assist in patrolling the storm-swept area. Chaos reigns on every hand and few people remain in their homes, hundreds of which either have been totally wrecked or damaged…

“The hurricane to-day was the worst that Key West has ever experienced, and the local weather observer announces that the indications are that the entire east coast of Florida will suffer terribly tonight. Of 100 local vessels in the harbor this morning, but five remain at anchor, the others having either gone to sea or been washed upon the beaches. The streets along the water front are a mass of wreckage.

“Brick as well as frame buildings throughout the city suffered from the fury of the wind and many narrow escapes from death or serious injury have been reported. Besides the several score of residences, either totally wrecked or blown from their pillars, nine factories were partially destroyed… Two engine houses of the city Fire Department were destroyed, the firemen barely escaping and several of the horses being killed. The top of the First National Bank was blown off, the Post office was damaged, and two running gears of the Government coaling station were wrecked. Every telephone and electric light pole on Duvall Street, the principal thoroughfare of the city, was blown down. It is known that many have received serious injury, and unconfirmed reports are current that several lives have been lost.

“The storm reached its height at o’clock this afternoon, when the wind had an estimated velocity of 100 miles an hour There was a hard, steady blow from 8 A. M. to 3 P. M.. when the wind began to die down, and by 4 o’clock the centre o£ the hurricane had passed this point.

“As soon as the wind had subsided plundering began. The city police force was unable to cope with the situation and the Mayor decided to take stringent measures to suppress the looting, a proclamation of martial law resulting….” (New York Times. “Havoc By Storm in Key West,” October 12, 1909, p. 1.)

Oct 20: “A deck hand, the sole survivor of the officers and crew of the tug Sybil, off Miami, which was wrecked by the hurricane, has been found unconscious under a wheelbarrow. When recovered he said that when an eighty-five mile an hour wind wrecked the Sybil, Captain Parker, Engineer Fox, Pilot Whitmer, Assistant Engineer Peterson and seven deck hands grabbed life preservers and leaped overboard, feet first, the life preservers being around their feet and holding their heads under water until they drowned.” (Sioux County Herald, IA. “Life Preservers Kill Eleven,” Oct 20, 1909, p. 7.)

Sources

Burt, Christopher C. and Mark Stroud. Extreme Weather: A Guide & Record Book. W. W. Norton & Co., 2004, 304 pages. Google preview accessed 1-1-2014 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=NuP7ATq9nWgC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Herrmann, Charles F. “Climatological Data for October, 1909. District No. 2, South Atlantic and East Gulf States,” Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 37, Issue 10, October 1909, p. 709. Accessed 9-6-2022 at: file:///C:/Users/Wayne/Downloads/[15200493%20-%20Monthly%20Weather%20Review]%20DISTRICT%20No.%202,%20SOUTH%20ATLANTIC%20AND%20EAST%20GULF%20STATES.pdf

Key West Citizen. “Eleven Lost on Tug Sybil and One Dead at Marathon.” 10-13-1909, p. 1. Accessed 9-6-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/key-west-citizen-oct-13-1909-p-1/

New York Times. “Havoc By Storm in Key West,” 10-12-1909, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=56124203&currentResult=1&src=search

Rappaport, Edward N. and Jose Fernandez-Partagas. The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1994 (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS NHC-47). Coral Gables, FL: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, January 1995, 42 pages. Accessed 8-20-2017 at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NWS-NHC-1995-47.pdf

Sioux County Herald, Orange City, IA. “Life Preservers Kill Eleven,” 10-20-1909, p. 7. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=108091685