79-557: (Redirected from Bahía Honda ) Bahia Honda or Bahía Honda (meaning "Deep Bay" in Spanish) may refer to: Bahia Honda Key in the U.S. state of Florida Bahía Honda, Cuba , in the province of Artemisa Bahía Honda (Colombia) , a bay in La Guajira, Colombia Honda Bay, Philippines , a bay in Palawan, Philippines Bahía Honda, Los Santos ,
158-654: A barometer reading of 26.35 inches for many hours on that fateful holiday; most local buildings and the Florida East Coast Railway were destroyed by what remains the most savage hurricane on record. Hundreds of World War I veterans who had been camped in the Matecumbe area while working on the construction of U.S. Highway One for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) were killed. In 1937 the cremated remains of approximately 300 people were placed within
237-696: A copy of the report to you for your information and consideration." Standing just east of U.S. 1 at mile marker 82 in Islamorada, near where Islamorada's post office stood, is a monument designed by the Florida Division of the Federal Art Project and constructed using Keys limestone (" keystone ") by the Works Progress Administration . It was unveiled on November 14, 1937, with several hundred people attending. President Roosevelt sent
316-640: A corregimiento in Panama Bahía Honda, Veraguas , a corregimiento in Panama Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Bahia Honda . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bahia_Honda&oldid=1067710812 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
395-498: A footnote. One proved to be a misidentification of a previously listed veteran; two were state employees working at the camps; and two were unaffiliated veterans caught in the storm. This gives a total for all veterans of 260. Adding this to the Florida Emergency Relief Administration number for civilians gives a total of 488 for all deaths, 12 of the dead were listed as "colored". Ernest Hemingway visited
474-554: A great majority of them would have preferred to have been placed under military discipline in the camps. But these observations are of no real value except to show that some people are trying to "cover up" the real guilt of responsible parties. Williams prepared a response for the President stating: "A final report, based upon the facts obtained in this investigation [by the VA and FERA], will be submitted to me shortly. At that time I shall transmit
553-694: A hurricane near Galveston, Texas . The Labor Day hurricane was the most intense tropical cyclone known to make landfall in the Western Hemisphere, having the lowest sea level pressure ever officially recorded on land—a central pressure of 892 millibars (26.3 inHg)—suggesting an intensity of between 162 and 164 knots (186 and 189 mph). The somewhat compensating effects of a slow (7 knots, 8.1 mph) translational velocity along with an extremely tiny radius of maximum wind (5 nmi, 5.8 miles) led to an analyzed intensity at landfall of 160 knots (184 mph; 296 km/h). The 1935 Labor Day hurricane
632-453: A path of near-total destruction in the Upper Keys, centered on what is today the village of Islamorada . The eye of the storm passed a few miles to the southwest creating a calm of about 40 minutes duration over Lower Matecumbe and 55 minutes (9:20–10:15 PM) over Long Key. At Camp #3 on Lower Matecumbe the surge arrived near the end of the calm with the wind close behind. Nearly every structure
711-418: A phone call from Hyde Park, New York . It was Stephen Early , the President's press secretary. He had orders from the President who was very distressed by the news from Florida. The VA was to: 1. Cooperate with FERA in seeing that everything possible be done for those injured in the hurricane; 2. See that the bodies were properly cared for shipment home to relatives, and that those bodies for which shipment home
790-760: A project to complete the Overseas Highway connecting the mainland with Key West. The camps, including seven in Florida and four in South Carolina, were established by Harry L. Hopkins , director of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). In the autumn of 1934 the problem of transient veterans in Washington, D.C. "threatened ... to become acute and did become acute in January." Facilities in
869-620: A public quarrel with Hopkins, who had enjoyed Roosevelt's patronage since his term as New York Governor. Hines was a holdover from the Hoover administration. Such an internal dispute would embarrass the Roosevelt administration at the time a vote on the Adjusted Compensation Payment Act ("Bonus Bill") was upcoming (it passed on Jan. 27, 1936, over the President's veto). Also, 1936 was a presidential election year. Kennamer did appear at
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#1732844853915948-584: A report of 485 victims of the hurricane {257 veterans and 259 civilians} the Record also breaks down 694 World War I veterans by name and their status as: Survived: Died: The Florida Emergency Relief Administration reported that as of November 19, 1935, the total of dead stood at 423: 259 veterans and 164 civilians. These numbers are reflected on the Veterans Storm Relief Map (which see). By March 1, 1936, 62 additional bodies had been recovered bringing
1027-550: A storm surge of approximately 18 to 20 feet (5.5 to 6.1 m) swept over the low-lying islands. The hurricane's strong winds and the surge destroyed nearly all the structures between Tavernier and Marathon . The town of Islamorada was obliterated. Portions of the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway were severely damaged or destroyed. In addition, many veterans died in work camps created for
1106-404: A telegram to the dedication in which he expressed "heartfelt sympathy" and said, "the disaster which made desolate the hearts of so many of our people brought a personal sorrow to me because some years ago I knew many residents of the keys." The welcoming committee included Key West Mayor Willard M. Albury, and other local officials. Hines had been invited to speak but he declined. His attitude to
1185-570: Is accessible from the park, and offers a panoramic view of the islands. In 1908, the Florida East Coast Railway Company built two large two-story dormitories there to house workers building the Bahia Honda Bridge. In 1890 Bahia Honda Key was the southern terminus for Miami-Dade county, then known as Dade county, which stretched as far north as present day St. Lucie River. The 2.5-mile (4.0 km) natural, white sand beach
1264-628: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Bahia Honda Key Bahia Honda (meaning deep bay , in Spanish, locally pronounced: BAY-ah HON-da [ˈbeɪə ˈhɒndə] , also pronounced (in Spanish) : Bah-EE-ah OWN-dah [baˈia ˈonda] ) is an island in the lower Florida Keys . U.S. 1 (the Overseas Highway ) crosses the key at approximately mile markers 36-38.5, between Ohio Key and Spanish Harbor Key 12 miles (19 km) west of Marathon , close to
1343-546: Is tied with 2019's Hurricane Dorian for the highest intensity for a landfalling Atlantic hurricane in HURDAT2, as 1969's Hurricane Camille has been reanalyzed in 2014 to have the third highest landfalling intensity with 150 kn (173 mph; 278 km/h) winds. Northeast storm warnings were ordered displayed from Fort Pierce to Fort Myers in the September 1, 9:30 AM Weather Bureau advisory. Upon receipt of this advisory
1422-415: The 1935 Atlantic hurricane season , it is one of four Category 5 hurricanes on record to strike the contiguous United States , along with Hurricane Camille (1969), Hurricane Andrew (1992), and Hurricane Michael (2018). The hurricane intensified rapidly during its time, passing near Long Key on Labor Day evening, September 2. The region was swept by a massive storm surge as the eye passed over
1501-568: The Florida panhandle and into Georgia , and significant damage to the Tampa Bay Area . After the third day of the storm corpses swelled and split open in the subtropical heat, according to rescue workers. Public health officials ordered plain wood coffins holding the dead to be stacked and burned in several locations. The National Weather Service estimated 408 deaths from the hurricane. Bodies were recovered as far away as Flamingo and Cape Sable on
1580-492: The Key West district which extended north to Key Largo . At around 2:00 PM, Fred Ghent, Assistant Administrator, Florida Emergency Relief Administration, requested a special train to evacuate the veterans work camps located in the upper keys. It departed Miami at 4:25 PM; delayed by a draw bridge opening, obstructions across the track, poor visibility and the necessity to back the locomotive below Homestead (so it could head out on
1659-553: The southeastern United States in early September 1935. For several decades, it was the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of barometric pressure until being surpassed by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 ; the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of 1-minute sustained winds (surpassed by Hurricane Allen in 1980 ); and the strongest at landfall by 1-minute sustained winds (tied with Hurricane Dorian in 2019 ). The fourth tropical cyclone , third tropical storm, second hurricane, and second major hurricane of
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#17328448539151738-579: The 81 identified veterans marked at Woodlawn. The VA again chose not to obey the President's order, this time to rebury the unclaimed bodies at Arlington. Four bodies were, however, exhumed from Woodlawn cemetery by the families: Brady C. Lewis (November 12, 1936), Benjamin B. Jakeman (December 12, 1936), Thomas K. Moore (January 20, 1937), and Frank De Albar (September 26, 2016). Families marked 5 more graves at Woodlawn. The cemetery director, Gabriel E. Romanach Jr., marked 71 graves with VA markers, leaving 1 unmarked grave as of 2024. One other veteran killed in
1817-686: The Cuban Army (Cuerpo de Aviación del Ejército de Cuba) volunteered to investigate the threat to the capital. Flying a Curtis Hawk II , Captain Povey, an American expatriate, who was the Aviation Corps' chief training officer, observed the storm north of its reported position. Because he was flying an open-cockpit biplane, he opted not to fly into the storm. He later proposed an aerial hurricane patrol. Nothing further came of this idea until June 1943, when Colonel Joe Duckworth and Lieutenant Ralph O'Hair flew into
1896-413: The Florida Emergency Relief Administration as negligent (Administrator Conrad Van Hyning, Asst. Administrator Fred Ghent and Camp Superintendent Ray Sheldon). In a response to Abt's draft report to the President, Ijams sided with Kennamer. Hines and Hopkins never agreed on a final report, and Kennamer's findings were suppressed. They remained so for decades. One might speculate that Hines wished to avoid
1975-573: The House hearings in April 1936, along with Hines, Ijams, Williams and the 3 officials he pilloried in his report. He was not questioned about his controversial findings nor did he volunteer his opinions. On November 1, 1935, the American Legion completed its own report on the hurricane. The Legion's National Commander, Ray Murphy, mailed a copy to President Roosevelt. It concluded that: ... the blame for
2054-731: The Keys, the storm weakened as it skirted the Florida gulf coast, making a second landfall at Cedar Key. The storm sped up and rapidly weakened over the Mid-Atlantic states , causing heavy rainfall, with the highest total being 16.7 inches (420 mm) in Easton, Maryland. The storm finally emerged over the open Atlantic near Cape Henry . The storm continued into the North Atlantic Ocean, where it merged with an extratropical cyclone on September 10. The first recorded instance of an aircraft flown for
2133-486: The Miami press in a radio broadcast immediately following the memorial ceremony. Ijams considered the timing unfortunate after receiving several critical telephone messages. The report exonerated everyone involved and concluded: "To our mind the catastrophe must be characterized as an act of God and was by its very nature beyond the power of man or instruments at his disposal to foresee sufficiently far enough in advance to permit
2212-700: The Mid-Atlantic states, the storm brought excessive rainfall that caused substantial damage to the region's crops. The storm became the wettest tropical cyclone on record for ten counties in Maryland and two counties in Delaware, with rainfall totals peaking between 15–16 in (380–410 mm); the highest measured rainfall total was 16.63 in (422 mm) in Easton, Maryland . Corn suffered heavy losses in Virginia, contributing
2291-487: The President and Eleanor Roosevelt urging that the camps not be closed. Keith was editor of the weekly camp paper, the Key Veteran News . He was emphatic that the veterans were being defamed and that their work program was a success story, rehabilitating many veterans for return to civilian life. The News published occasional reports from Camp #2, Mullet Key, St. Petersburg, Florida , at the entrance to Tampa Bay. This
2370-556: The Press until final report has been submitted to the President." Hopkins gave similar instructions to his investigator. McIntyre also was involved in damage control. On Sept. 10, 1935, the Greater Miami Ministerial Association wrote the President an angry letter labeling the report a " whitewash ". McIntyre forwarded it to FERA for a response. Williams returned a draft for the President's signature on Sept. 25th insisting
2449-607: The U.S. Coast Guard Station, Miami, FL, sent a plane along the coast to advise boaters and campers of the impending danger by dropping message blocks. A second flight was made on Sunday afternoon. After, planes were placed in the hangar and its door closed at 10:00 AM Monday. The 3:30 AM advisory, September 2 ( Labor Day ), predicted the disturbance "will probably pass through the Florida Straits Monday" and cautioned "against high tides and gales Florida Keys and ships in path." The 1:30 PM advisory ordered hurricane warnings for
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2528-473: The area. The Sand and Sea Nature Center features displays about local sea and shore life, including corals, shells, crabs, sea urchins , drift seeds, sea sponges and sea turtles . Kayaks and snorkeling gear can be rented at the park, and boat trips for snorkeling on the reef are available. The park has a marina with boat slips available for overnight rental. Campsites (primitive and full hook-up) and vacation cabins are available, although reservations for
2607-414: The area. The waters quickly receded after carving new channels connecting the bay with the ocean; however, gale-force winds and rough seas persisted into Tuesday, disrupting rescue efforts. The storm continued northwestward along the Florida west coast, weakening before making its second landfall near Cedar Key, Florida , on September 4. The hurricane caused catastrophic damage in the upper Florida Keys, as
2686-633: The bulk of the state's $ 1.65 million crop damage toll. Impacts from the storm in Maryland and Delaware were primarily concentrated in the southern portions of the two states; the cost of the damage amounted to around $ 2 million, including losses of $ 1 million in Caroline County, Maryland . Three veterans' work camps existed in the Florida Keys before the hurricane: #1 on Windley Key , #3 and #5 on Lower Matecumbe Key . The camp payrolls for August 30 listed 695 veterans. They were employed in
2765-546: The capital were inadequate to handle the large numbers of veterans seeking jobs. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with Mr. Hopkins and Robert Fechner , director of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to discuss solutions. He "suggested the Southern camp plan and approved the program worked out by Mr. Hopkins for their establishment and maintenance." The VA identified eligible veterans. FERA offered grants to
2844-580: The ceremony with full military honors on September 8. 109 bodies were buried in the FERA plot: 81 veterans, 9 civilians and 19 unidentified bodies. Some records claim 259 veterans were victims of the Hurricane: Total: 108 civilians and 162 veterans {cremated} Of the rest: Total: 55 civilians and 97 veterans buried Total: 163 civilians and 259 veterans =422 Although the Congressional Record gives
2923-416: The coastal regions of South Carolina amounted to $ 15,000, with the damage primarily occurring in the vicinity of Beaufort , Georgetown , and Walterboro . Damage to crops in South Carolina was also considerable, with high winds blowing down cotton, corn, sugar cane, and other unharvested crops. Windthrown trees also injured several people. Although winds had decreased over land by the time the storm reached
3002-543: The construction of the Overseas Highway , in part due to poor working conditions. The hurricane also caused more damage in northwest Florida, Georgia , and the Carolinas . An area of disturbed weather developed northeast of the Turks Islands toward the end of August. By August 31, a definite tropical depression appeared near Long Island in the southeastern Bahamas and quickly intensified. It reached hurricane intensity near
3081-463: The deaths. Williams and Hines' assistant, Colonel George E. Ijams, both arrived in Miami on September 6. Ijams concentrated on the dead, their collection, identification and proper disposition. This was to prove exceptionally difficult. Bodies were scattered throughout the Keys and their rapid decomposition created ghastly conditions. State and local health officials demanded a ban on all movement of bodies and their immediate burial or cremation in place;
3160-463: The embargo. These were processed at a temporary morgue staffed by fingerprint experts and 8 volunteer undertakers under tents at Woodlawn Park Cemetery (3260 SW 8th St, Miami). The intention was to identify the remains and prepare them for burial or further shipment. With the embargo in force, immediate burial of all the bodies at Woodlawn was mandatory. FERA purchased a plot in Section 2A. The VA coordinated
3239-424: The endangered small-flowered lily-thorn ( Catesbaea parviflora ) are found in the park Henry Flagler 's Florida East Coast Railway once ran through the present parkland to Key West . Built between 1905 and 1912, it was destroyed by the severe Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 . Later, the railroad bridge foundations were used to build the Overseas Highway , which became U.S. 1 . Part of the old Bahia Honda Bridge
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3318-437: The estimated 228 civilian dead, 55 of whom were buried where found or in various cemeteries. A memorial with identifying information is a statutory entitlement for the veterans. 170 were cremated or never identified. The VA has chosen not to memorialize them, despite current Federal law and President Roosevelt's order that Hines provides a burial with full military honors for every veteran not claimed by his family. The memorial
3397-408: The investigation. He finished on Sunday, September 8, the day an elaborate memorial service and mass burial of hurricane victims (both coordinated by Ijams) were held in Miami. Ijams, who had been too busy to participate in the investigation and had not questioned any of the 12 witnesses interrogated by Williams, nonetheless signed the 15-page report to the President. That night Williams released it to
3476-403: The loss of life can be placed on "Inefficiency, Indifference, and Ignorance." Inefficiency in the setup of the camps. Indifference of someone in charge as to the safety of the men. Ignorance of the real danger from a tropical hurricane. And these "I's" can be added together and they spell "Murder at Matacombe" [ sic ]. [The] committee early in its investigation noticed a tendency on
3555-421: The mainland was completed. The new highway incorporated the roadbed and surviving bridges of the railway. The storm brought over 5 in (130 mm) of rain to parts of Georgia when it passed over the state between September 4–5. The heavy rainfall in southern Georgian counties led to the spoilage of cotton. Attendant winds also ruined crops and inflicted minor damage to property. Property damage along
3634-422: The more necessary that every precaution be taken to protect them. If they fell into this category they were subnormal men and should have been treated as such. If they were incapable of caring for themselves then the government should have placed them in hospitals and not have sent them to a wilderness in the high-seas on a so called "rehabilitation program." Others testified that the men were well-behaved and that
3713-774: The next day Governor Sholtz so ordered. This was reluctantly agreed to by Hines with the understanding that those buried would be later disinterred and shipped home or to Arlington when permitted by the State health authorities. The cremations began on Saturday, September 7; 38 bodies were burned together at the collection point beside Snake Creek. Over the next week 136 bodies were cremated on Upper Matecumbe Key at 12 different locations. On Lower Matecumbe Key 82 were burned at 20 sites. On numerous small keys in Florida Bay bodies were either burned or buried where found. This effort continued into November. 123 bodies had been transported to Miami before
3792-449: The occasional small nurse shark . The only known natural colony of the now rare Miami blue butterfly was discovered in the park in 1999. The butterfly had been thought to have become extinct as a result of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Several rare plants, including yellow satinwood ( Zanthoxylum flavum ), Florida silver palm ( Coccothrinax argentata ), Coconut palm ( Cocos nucifera ), Key thatch palm ( Leucothrinax morrisii ), and
3871-426: The operation was the near shore of Snake Creek on Plantation Key. With the bridge over the creek washed out, this was the farthest point south on the highway. On September 5 at a meeting of all public and private agencies involved Governor David Sholtz placed the sheriffs of Monroe and Dade Counties in overall control. On the evening of September 4, 1935, Brigadier General Frank T. Hines , VA Administrator, received
3950-399: The part of some to reflect on the character of the men who were veterans in the camps. Several parties referred to them as "bums," "drunkards," "crazy men," "riff-raff" and the like. They seem to think that "they got what was coming to them." How anyone could arrive at such a conclusion is impossible for us to determine. If these men were "bums," "drunkards," "crazy men" etc. then it was all
4029-477: The plot. After some initial confusion as to the actual owner, the State of Florida approved the title transfer. A monument was placed on the plot, inscribed: Erected by Harvey W. Seeds Post No. 29, The American Legion, in Memory of Our Comrades Who Lost Their Lives on the Florida Keys during the 1935 Hurricane, Lest We Forget . As with the Islamorada memorial no names are listed, nor were the individual grave sites for
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#17328448539154108-438: The project was unenthusiastic. In a letter to Williams on June 24, 1937, regarding what to do with the many skeletons of veterans recently discovered in the Keys, he wrote: ″It occurs to me that if a large memorial is erected adjacent to this highway at the place of the disaster it will be observed by all persons using the highway and will serve as a constant reminder of the unfortunate catastrophe which occurred.″ Hines recommended
4187-407: The remains be buried at Woodlawn. A frieze depicts palm trees amid curling waves, fronds bent in the wind. In front of the sculpture a ceramic - tile mural of the Keys covers a stone crypt , which holds victims' ashes from the makeshift funeral pyres, commingled with the skeletons. Although this is a gravesite, not a single name appears anywhere on the monument. This is not a requirement for
4266-451: The report was only preliminary and that the "final and detailed report ... will be both thorough and searching". Williams assigned John Abt , assistant general counsel for FERA, to complete the investigation. On Sept. 11, 1935, Hines directed the skeptical and meticulous David W. Kennamer to investigate the disaster. There was immediate friction between them; Kennamer believed Abt did not have an open mind and Abt felt further investigation
4345-463: The return trip ) the train finally arrived at the Islamorada station on Upper Matecumbe Key at about 8:20 PM. This coincided with an abrupt wind shift from the northeast (Florida Bay) to southeast (Atlantic Ocean) and the arrival on the coast of the storm surge . Three ships were reported to have run aground during the storm. The Danish motorship Leise Maersk was carried over and grounded nearly 4 miles away near Upper Matecumbe Key , although there
4424-697: The same issue of The New Masses appeared an editorial charging criminal negligence and a cartoon by Russell T. Limbach, captioned An Act of God , depicting burning corpses. A The Washington Post editorial on Sept. 5, titled Ruin in the Veterans' Camps , stated the widely held opinion that the camps were havens of rest designed to keep Bonus Marchers away from Washington ... Most of these veterans are drifters, psychopathic cases or habitual troublemakers ... Those who are nor physically or mentally handicapped have no claim whatsoever to special rewards in return for bonus agitation. Meanwhile, Williams rushed to complete
4503-472: The south end of Andros Island on September 1. The storm then explosively intensified and turned toward the Florida Keys at a speed of 10 mph. The storm had an eye 9–10 miles (14–16 km) across. The storm made landfall late on September 2 near Long Key, at peak intensity, with an intensity of 892 millibars (26.3 inHg) and 1-minute sustained winds of 185 mph (298 km/h). After leaving
4582-414: The southwest tip of the Florida mainland. The United States Coast Guard and other federal and state agencies organized evacuation and relief efforts. Boats and airplanes carried injured survivors to Miami. The railroad was never rebuilt, but temporary bridges and ferry landings were under construction as soon as materials arrived. On March 29, 1938, the last gap in the Overseas Highway linking Key West to
4661-475: The specific purpose of locating a hurricane occurred on the afternoon of September 2, 1935. The Weather Bureau's 1:30 PM advisory placed the center of the hurricane at north latitude 23° 20', west longitude 80° 15', moving slowly westward. This was about 27 miles (43 km) north of Isabela de Sagua , Villa Clara, Cuba, and 145 miles (233 km) east of Havana . Captain Leonard Povey of the Aviation Corps of
4740-400: The states for their construction projects if they would accept the veterans as laborers. The state Emergency Relief Administrations were responsible for the daily management of the camps. In practice the state ERAs were very much the creatures of FERA, to the extent of handpicking the administrators. That only two states participated was perhaps attributable to the then popular impression that
4819-481: The taking of adequate precautions capable of preventing the death and desolation which occurred." Early also found the publicity around the report "unfortunate". In a telegram to his colleague, assistant Presidential secretary Marvin H. McIntyre , Early wrote that he had authorized Hines to proceed with a "complete and exhaustive" joint investigation with Hopkins. Significantly Hines was to "instruct his investigator that under no circumstances will any statement be made to
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#17328448539154898-555: The tiled crypt in front of the monument. The monument is composed of native keystone, and its striking frieze depicts coconut palm trees bending before the force of hurricane winds while the waters from an angry sea lap at the bottom of their trunks. Monument construction was funded by the WPA and regional veterans' associations. Over the years the Hurricane Monument has been cared for by local veterans, hurricane survivors, and descendants of
4977-549: The total to 485: 257 veterans and 228 civilians. The discrepancy in veterans' deaths resulted from the difficulty in identifying bodies, particularly those found months after the hurricane, and a question of definition; whether to count just those on the camp payrolls or to include others, not enrolled, who happened to be veterans. The Veterans' Affairs Administration (VA) compiled its own list of veterans' deaths: 121 Dead-positive identification, 90 missing, and 45 dead-identification tentative - totaling 256. Five others are named in
5056-416: The transient veterans were "diseased" bums and hoboes. It was a characterization enthusiastically fed by the media. In August 1935 both Time Magazine and The New York Times published sensational articles. On August 15, 1935, Hopkins announced the termination of the veterans work program and closure of all the camps. On August 26 and 27, 1935, one of the veterans, Albert C. Keith, wrote letters to both
5135-552: The veteran's camp by boat after weathering the hurricane at his home in Key West; he wrote about the devastation in a critical article titled "Who Killed the Vets?" for The New Masses magazine. Hemingway implied that the FERA workers and families, who were unfamiliar with the risks of Florida hurricane season, were unwitting victims of a system that appeared to lack concern for their welfare. In
5214-552: The victims. Local residents hold ceremonies at the monument every year on Labor Day (on the Monday holiday) and on Memorial Day to honor the veterans and the civilians who died in the hurricane. On January 31, 1936, Harvey W. Seeds Post No. 29, American Legion, Miami, Florida, petitioned FERA for the deed to the Woodlawn plot. The Legion would use the empty grave sites for the burial of indigent veterans and accept responsibility for care of
5293-546: The west end of the Seven Mile Bridge . The island is virtually uninhabited, being home to the 524-acre (212-hectare) Bahia Honda State Park . Founded in 1961, the park occupies most of the island. The channel at the island's west end is one of the deepest natural channels in the Florida Keys. Marine life is quite plentiful in the waters surrounding the island. Just off the beach snorkelers can spot many species of small reef fish, as well as rays , barracuda , and even
5372-527: The winter months can be very difficult to get. The park is also a part of the Great Florida Birding Trail . Florida state parks are open between 8 a.m. and sundown every day of the year (including holidays). Bahia Honda Key has a tropical savanna climate ( Aw ), similar to the rest of the Florida Keys. Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 The 1935 Labor Day hurricane was an extremely powerful and devastating Atlantic hurricane that struck
5451-514: Was absorbed within the new WPA, also directed by Hopkins. The second and third orders, however, were almost immediately compromised. At a news conference on September 5, Hopkins asserted that there was no negligence traceable to FERA in the failed evacuation of the camps as the Weather Bureau advisories had given insufficient warning. He also dispatched his assistant, Aubrey Willis Williams , to Florida to coordinate FERA efforts and to investigate
5530-431: Was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1995. A Heritage Monument Trail plaque mounted on a coral boulder before the memorial reads: The Florida Keys Memorial, known locally as the "Hurricane Monument," was built to honor hundreds of American veterans and local citizens who perished in the "Great Hurricane" on Labor Day, September 2, 1935. Islamorada sustained winds of 200 miles per hour and
5609-483: Was demolished, and some bridges and railway embankments were washed away. The links—rail, road, and ferry boats—that chained the islands together were broken. The main transportation route linking the Keys to mainland Florida had been a single railroad line, the Florida Overseas Railroad portion of the Florida East Coast Railway. The Islamorada area was devastated, although the hurricane's destructive path
5688-412: Was narrower than most tropical cyclones. Its eye was eight miles (13 km.) across and the fiercest winds extended 15 miles (24 km).) off the center, less than 1992's Hurricane Andrew , which was also a relatively small and catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. Craig Key , Long Key , and Upper Matecumbe and Lower Matecumbe Keys suffered the worst. The storm caused wind and flood damage along
5767-467: Was no loss of life. The engine room was flooded and the ship was disabled. The American tanker Pueblo lost control near 24°40′N 80°25′W / 24.667°N 80.417°W / 24.667; -80.417 around 2 pm on September 2 and was pushed around the storm's center, ending up in Molasses Reef nearly eight hours later. The passenger steamship Dixie ran aground on French Reef . She
5846-467: Was not requested be sent to Arlington National Cemetery ; and, 3. Conduct a very careful joint investigation with Mr. Hopkins' organization, to determine whether there was any fault that would lie against anyone in the Administration. Hines's representative in Florida was to take full charge of the situation and all other organizations and agencies were ordered to cooperate. The President's first order
5925-497: Was rated the #1 beach in 1992 in the United States by "Dr. Beach" Stephen Leatherman (the first Florida beach to be so honored), making it popular for swimming. A nature trail near the park's oceanside beach skirts a tidal lagoon before passing through a coastal hardwood hammock . Bicycling and inline skating can be done on the park's 3.5-mile (5.6 km) paved road, and there are several fishing and picnicking spots in
6004-497: Was re-floated and towed to New York on September 19. No fatalities resulted from the incident. On Upper Matecumbe Key, near Islamorada, an eleven-car evacuation train encountered a powerful storm surge topped by cresting waves. Eleven cars were swept from the tracks, leaving only the locomotive and tender upright and still on the rails. Remarkably, everyone on the train survived. The locomotive and tender were both barged back to Miami several months later. The hurricane left
6083-608: Was straightforward and promptly executed. 124 injured veterans were treated in Miami area hospitals; 9 of these died and 56 were later transferred to VA medical facilities. Uninjured veterans were removed to Camp Foster in Jacksonville and evaluated for transfer to the CCC; those declining transfer or deemed unemployable were paid off and given tickets home. All of the FERA transient camps were closed in November 1935. In December 1935 FERA itself
6162-776: Was the "colored" veterans camp; the Keys camps were white only. In early August the colored veterans were transferred to the new Camp #8 in Gainesville, Florida . Improved weather conditions on Wednesday, September 4, permitted the evacuation of survivors to begin. Participation of the rescue included American Red Cross , Florida National Guard , Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), Works Progress Administration (WPA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), United States Coast Guard , American Legion , Veterans of Foreign Wars , Dade County Undertakers Association, Dade County Medical Society, city and county officials, and numerous individuals, including Ernest Hemingway . Headquarters of
6241-402: Was unnecessary. Working with Harry W. Farmer, another VA investigator, Kennamer completed his 2 volume report on October 30, 1935. Farmer added a third volume concerning the identification of the veterans. Kennamer's report included 2,168 pages of exhibits, 118 pages of findings, and a 19-page general comment. His findings differed substantially from those of Williams, citing three officials of
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