The National Register. — London, England, 1818-01-12 00:00:00

HURRICANE IN THE WEST INDIES. EXTRACT IMP A LETTER DATED ET. PIERRR, MARTINIQUE, NOS LMULR 10. On the 21st of October, this colony was visited by the most furious hurricane ever witnessed here. 'flee details of this tied disaster would be equally long 24 painful. The loss of nearly 1,009 lives, 25.000 hogsheads of sugar of the present and next crop, incalculable losses in buildings, animals, and the necessaries of life, have occasioned a general desolation, independently of the great anxiety caused by 9-10th of the shipping w Inch were in the different ports of the island, be ing either wrecked, damaged, or missing. St. Lucie and Innminica have equally *tittered, the tempest reached also St. ✓incent and Grenada. It ravages extended to Guadeloupe, at well as to Porto Rico and its neighbourhood, though in a less degree. The loss experienced by Martinique alone may be very moderately calculated at 23,010,000 of frans, exclu sively of the shipping, the wink* and buildings of entire parishes were razed to the ground. It lasted 26 hours, 12 of which with such inconceivable fury, as to produce all these disasters, and to destroy buildings which had withstood all former hurricanes. It will require many years before the colony can recover itself from this heavy calamity. Dominica is one of the islands in the direct track of the late hurricane in the West Indies ; lint of the damages which It sustaioed few particulars have transpired. A letter from Barhadoes gives the following details : " Ilarbadoes, Nov. 4. " Accounts have of late reached us from Dominica, whence every vessel was driven to sea during the late hurricane, and none of them had retained when the Robert mail boat, which arrived here on Sunday the 2d inst., left that island. The Country has suffered so materially, that unless supplied, a fa. twine is dreaded."—From another letter of the same date, we learn, that on the 29th of (let. the Governor of Dominica issued a proclamation, allowing, in coo:sequence of the plan tations and provisions having been destroyed by the Mini. cane of the 21st, the importation into that island, for six months, in vessels of all nations and descriptions, of flour, bread, hiscuita, rice, beans, pease, oats, corn, meal, live stock, horses, moles, horned cattle, roots and fruits of all kinds, boards, planks, The proclamation further per mits th e el ,po r tistion of sugar and coffer to the value of one third pail of the inspirited cargo, and rum and molasses for the remainder." letter published in the Journal des Debats, contains an account of the damage silo:tined at Martinique by the hurricane which has calked such ravages in the U est Indies. It is dated St. Pierre, Oct. 29 :—the following is a summary of its contents " All the parishes of the colony suffered more or less front the dreadful storm on the 21st of October. Every where the provisions of the country were destroyed, and all hopes of a harvest, which promised to he most abundant, arc annihilat ed. In some parts of the island the sugar manufactories were greatly injured ; in others, totally destroyed, the plan tations were generally torn op ; negroes and cattle perished in considerable numbers, and every thing presented an image of desolation. The towns were no less injured. The houses and public buildings of Fort Royal were either wholly tumbled down, or unroofed. The same took place at St. Pierre. In the roads, great disasters happened among the shipping. Of the three king's ships which were there, two made soil immediately, and stood off from the island ; the other (the Margaretta) was wrecked on the coast ; the men nod pe uperty were saved. The hull of the vessel alone was lost. Gilberto there is reason to hope that Guadaloupe has escaped the hurricane. In order to mitigate as far as possible the calamities of this awful visitation, the Governor genet al of Martinique, Count de Vaugiraud, issued a proclamation on the 28th October, opening the ports to all vessels, of what ever description, bringing articles of food, such as wheats barley, e., and such articles no would be necessary for agri culture, and for the reparation and daily consumption of the anger manufactories. A letter dated the Bth November mn ntionr. the damages sustained in the neighhonroie islands of St. Lucie, Domiuica, ti enada, St. Vincent, St. Thomas, and Porto Rico. Up to that period no intelligeoce had liven received of the fate of those vessels which had put to sea at the commencement of the hot rieane. The following llRrtirularA were received by the Leeward Island Mail which reached town on Thursday : " Don I N ICA Nov. 5 Our accounts from the other parts of the island are now somewhat snore consolatory than our fears hail suggested. with respect to the causes and coffee, but previsions are every where injured, or totally destroyed. t• The schooner Bee, wlsiela left St. Thomas on F r id a y i n _ form us, that the following sestets driven out of Martinique had put there on the 25a1 tilt.:—La dation, La Ron Henri, laa Keine Zitle, and American brig Forman, all dismasted, with five awl sin feet seater in their holds, most of the men washed °vet board, and the hulls not rendered sea worthy. "The French ship Ceres stinek on Crab bland, and dashed to pieces, her crew rottsisting of live men, drowned. Ten or twelve sail rail on shots at 1',.. to Rico, by the Masters mi.. sink St. Thomas, and the crews perished. A small Schooner Was passed keel uppermost; and the Captain of the lion Henri declares it impossilaSe for any small vessel to live in such a ►ea and wind. Both St. Themes and Porto Rico have antlered alreadfailay from the effects of the hurricane, and Piltily vessels have been lost ota those ho o d s . B y t h ese cc. co u n ts a lso, our hopes of the Ce turn of the aintorittnate yes. eels that pet to sea on the :gist from oar anchorage arc con siderably diminished; they may. however, yet be heard of further to leeward. " Sr. VINCENT, OCT. 2..—We have this day the painful task of [actuating she destructive die eta of one of those awl'sl visitations of uhieh are het seldom or partially enperienced in this favoured colony, although of frequent re. currenee in the islands situated to the uorthwaid of us during this period of the year. On Tuesday, at day break, the up_ peatenee oldie weather indicated an approach of the calamity which in the MITSe of that slay was attended with such mis eltievous CUIISI qiutewes in ties port, as well as in other parts of the culohy ; the wind at this early hour set in from the north west, accompanied by a litany sea, and every other de Inonstration of an appioaching storm. During the tin canton the gale continued to increase, and the agitation of the waves presented she most alarming appearance; whale the vessr Is 411 the bay were prevented, by the direction of the storm, front quitting their anchorage, though they were placed iu the most perilous situation by remaining at it. nosh the morialtV till about tierce in the aft% mom, the slur rased aith •tendons violence, occasioeally aecompaiited I)) falls of rain ; gad several sends weir, in eaaseque nee, thrown out the together with their seVetal valuable dro i him s bout, .NATIONAL RFAITSTER. some of the Litter are totally lust in this bay and along the leeward coast. " The vessels which suffered are, the schooner Ann and Eliza, of this port, on shore, hut since got off, with loss of masts arid some other trilling damage; Schooner Relief, of Bermuda, with a cargo of Itois r corn, rice, tobacco, dec. also on shore, partly damaged, vessel much injured, and not in a state to be removed ; schooner Alicia, on shore; and sloop Relief, got off with little damage ; and schooner Good Intent, of Deinerra, likely to prove a total loos. Besides these, the schooner Fox, and a small vessel, called the Triumph, were thrown on shore at Calliaqua : and the sloops Messenger and Blenheim at Bequia ; but the three former are uow off, aad have suffered little injury. " Of the vessels that rode out the gale, the ship Westnsore. land lost her rudder, and two or three droghing vessels cut' away their masts, to cense them to ride more easily. A young man, named Donald M‘Doriald, in the employ of James Grant, Esq. was unfortunately lost by the upsetting of a boat, in which he was going off to the assistance of the sloop Re trieve ; and one or two negroes, who accompanied him, were saved with great difficulty. " As evening approached the gale gradually subsided, the wind becoming more southerly. " The accounts from all parts of the conntry represent the damage sustained to have been considerable, particularly among the plaintain walks, great part of w hich arc destroyed both to windward and leeward. and the canes in many places are much lodged, though we still apprehend upon the whole that the mischief which has befallen this island will prove little, when compared with what has been suffered in those to the northward, from which we fear the most distressing as counts. Vessels that were at sea during the gale, and since come in, represent the tempest to have been most severe to windward of the island, as also throughout the Grenadines in this Government ; but from Grenada we learn that its effects were but partially experienced there, and that no injury of any conserinence was sustained." The following are from the Barbadoes papers : " BARBADIDES, Ocr.2B.—His Excellency Lord Cumber- mere gave orders for dispatching the Duke of York to St. Lucie, with such articles as could be procured for the imme diate relief of the sufferers. " BAR BADOES, OCT. 20.—0 n Monday night, between 10 and 11 o'clock, a violent gale commenced from the west, which agitated the sea to an alarming degree, by which the following vessels were cast on shore between Martindale's watering place and the pier head :—Sloops Earl Sandwioh, Forrester, Thomas Spencer, and Economy ; schooners, Mat thew King, Eliza, Lady Nelson, Fly, Hazard, Greyhound ; brig, Adelphia ; and back Crown Prince. We understand however, that several of these vessels will be gotten off and repaired. " GRENADA OCT. N.—On the 21st inst. we were visited by one of the most tremendous storms ever witnessed by the oldest inhabitants of this colony, Many of the houses in town have been much damaged, and niuch property has been destroyed. The effects of this dreadful storm ►ave been felt in a calamitous degree all over the island. In the negro houses and gardens Ins:orient cane pieces have disappeared, works and bridges destroyed, and cattle and stock of every description swept away many persons having lust nearly their ill." Lord Combermere and melte arrived at St. John's Anti gua, on the 16th of November, in flee Antelope, Admiral Harvey. A slight shock of an earthquake had been felt in St. John's about ten o'clock in the night of the 14th of No vember. A few days since, as Mr. W. Wright of Sheffield, accom panied by his wife and a young child, was returning home in a gig, the horse took fright, and ran with such violence against Malin Bridge, about two miles from Sheffield, that they were all thrown out, when Mrs. W. who was far advanced in prelt• tansy, received so much injury, that she died shortly after. The child escaped unhurt. FIRE AT K WOLF: CAST I. Z.—Early on the morning, of Christmas day a fire was discovered by the housekeeper, in the state bed.room, called the Venetian Chamber, an apartment highly decorated with the florid Gothic style of architecture. The flames were then nsging along the wainscot on the eastern wali • site, with great presence of mind, flew to the chamber in which slept the Earl of Ddawarrc, instead of Earl Whitworth's; the cause of her selecting Lord Delawarre was in consequence of her master's being then con fined on a bed of sickness. Lord 1). immediately arose, sunnnoned the domestic establishment, and cooly dinezted them to take steps methodically, to counteract the threatened devastation. By this ju dicious arrangement that venerable and magnificent pile was saved from almost inevitable destruction. A plentiful supply of water quickly reduced the flames, which did not extend beyond the above 'mamml% (;ready to he regretted is a loss of a part of the very fine Gubetin tapestry; also several pictures, particularly tli exqw site pot trait of Lady filmic, daughter of the fourth Earl of blorset.— The hangings of the superb state-bed, and other avieles, were saved. The damage to the nom does not exceed So 01. to hat a providential eircuinstsnee it ;vas that the family were then resident there! llad not that been the ease, this building, the work of ages, together with all the pictures, statues, vases, and tither inestimable antiques, melt lutve filler a sacritiee to the devouring element. We add, with great pleasure, that the alarm produced no ill edit:ton 1.1441 Whitworth ; on the contrary, the shock seemed to have re-animated him, fur he has lawn getting daily better ever since. The amiable Duchess of Dorset conducted herself with thegreatestintrepidity. Great praise is Due to Lord Delawares : also to every savardim,the household.-. Evening Asper. Mri.sriettorx Accronter.--aln friday morning a most me. hincholy accident occurred at Stamford, at the newly-erected mag nificent hotel there, during the time Sir Hobert heron was lodging m the house, accompanied by several of his friends on their canvass. The party bad dined at the hotel on Thursday, and sat late, so th .t som, of the servants of die inn were not able to retire to rest till about half-past two o'clock on Friday mowing. At that time Sarah Holden niece of Mrs. Priest, landlady,) seventeen years old, and a char-woman, named Mary llibbins, 30 years (Wage, took up stairs a pan of colds front the kitchen grate, and put them into the fire place of their chamber, for the purpose of warming their feet before • they got into bell. Unfortunately the flue of the chimney had been stopped up, and consequently the vapour front the burning coal, cir culated through the chamber. The unfortunate women, exhausted by a long day's labour, sat down by the See they ad provided, and were soon (as it was: supposed) 'Julianne by drowsiness. They slept to wake no more ! for when at eight of bock, Mrs. Priest went up to the chamber to call them, they were dead, 4 , lfrocated by the ex halation front the coals. The young woman sat in the chair near the fire-place, her head reclining on her breast the elder sufferer lay on the ground : both it is supposal by the medical gentleman who was immediately called in. had been dead tin several hours. The distress occasioned in the inn by this accident can be but leintly described. Both the lifeless persons hail been on the previous night in perfect health and activity, and the younger was perhaps as tine a won= as ever was seen. The other was the wife of Mr. Prises head man on Ins Kelton faun. and las left a husband with three infants. Otani respect to so tie lancholy a visi.ation, the canvassing in Stamford WA.) suspended, am. Sir R. I and his ftientis quit tut the town. The Coroters inquest, held in the come of the s day, returned a Terdict.-Dittl accidently by :ufrocation. JAN Lt. IMPROVEMENTS IN COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE. (Pmom ma JOURNAL SCIRNCr. &C.) " The lighting, warming, and ventilation of this theantre having attracted considerable attention, we have much pleasure in being able to furnish our readers with a short ac count of the methods by which such important desiderata have been so perfectly attained. " During the last season a number of experiments were in stituted by Mr. Harris with a view of introducing gas iIIUUR. nation ; but on account of the heat and smell which it pro duced, the plan was postponed until the summer recess ad mitted of more extended trials, which, as we need not say, have been perfectly successful. " The great central chandelier, containing eighty batswing burners, is suspended under a funnel which terminates upon the exterior of the building, so that the smell of the burned gas or any that might escape unburned is effectually carried away. The intense heat also occasions a considerable current of air, which rushing upwards, tends materially to the ventilation of the house; but besides this, ventilators are placed in many parts of the building, which communicating with the great tube of the chandelier, are continually drawing foul air front the audience part of the house. So that the gas light charade. her not merely illuminates, but is also a powerful agent in the ventilation of the theatre. " The fresh air with which the honse is supplied, is admit ted at any desired temperature,an effect attained by air pipes and stoves placed at all the entrances, and under the different corriclores of the pit and boxes, while the influx of cold air from the stage, which is often so annoying to the spectators upon the drawing up of the curtain, is prevented by similar means ; but here in consequence of the danger which might accrue from stover, on account of the inflammable nature of the machinery, the air is chiefly heated by steam, which is sup plied from an engine boiler securely placed in a vault near the stage entrance. _ " The gas, which is supplied by the Westminster Company, is conducted into the theatre by two three-inch mains of cast iron, securely cased and defended from accident, and there arc on the stage, proper register cocks, by which the intensity of the light may be regulated in every part of the building. _ _ _ " In ease of any failure in the supply of gas, very ingenious means have been devised, by which the house may in a few minutes be lighted with candles in the usual way. We under stand that Mr. Riddel, M. de Chabannes, and Mr. Symmoss, are the persons whom Mr. Harris has employed in the ex♦ Wiwi of these improvements. On Sunday the 4th inst. between tight and nine o'clock at night a hackney coach, after setting down a family in Gower street, Bedford square, was returning empty akmg Gower, place, where there are some new buildings ; hen the coach man and horses were precipitated into one of the cel lars. The coach was shattered to pieces, one of the horses killed upon the spot, and the coachman awl the other horse escaped with many bruises. Last week Louisa Robinson, who lived servant at the Star Hotel, in Shire-lane, Fleet-street, after the family were in bed, broke open several drawers and boxes, and stole 1911. notes, 40 Sovereigns, 2 gold and 1 silvt r watches, a gold chain. and several articles of jewellery, plate, & c . he amount of 2001. with which she decamped, and has hot been heard Of. ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.—On Thursday week, about eight o'clock, the inhabitants of the Tower were alarmed by dread ful groans proceeding from the Tower ditch, and it wus ascer tained that a woman was there. By the prompt assi s t anc e, however, of the soldiers, and or a poor sweep residing in Shire-lane, Temple.bar, she was got out and taken to a pub lie-horse in the Tower, where the usual means recommended . by the Humane Society were resorted to with success, tinder the direction of Dr. Minter, of the Tower. The aeconnt she gave of herself was, that her name was Herbert. and that she had foolishly throw a herself from the ramparts into the ditch, with an intent to decroy herself. It is supposed she is at times insane. CatTION TO SERVANTS.-011 Saturday the 4th inst. • about eight o'clock in morning. a manwho had formerly been in the service of a respectable math and bell-hanger, called at a hothe in the neigiutionrhood of Trinity.-quare, where he haul been occasionally employed, and was admitted by the servant, supposed that as the kick of the parlonyloor required repair he tied been sent to du the job ; when lie connived during her absence, to steal a great coat, a hat, and two silver spoons, with which he escaped. His name is known, and measures have beet. taken for his discovery and appi . eben. anon. DREADFL L EFFECTS OF GUNPOWDER.—The following circumstance k made pnblie as a caution to tho, e p erFous who are in the ii bit of selliog gunpowder to children, the practice of which justly deserves reprobation, setting aside the illegality el it, as a considerable penalty is thereby in cur) ed. Oil Tuesday afternoon last u UM of Mr. Richard Hunt of Romsey, about eight years of are, with some other children, purchased sonic gunpowper at the shop of Mr. W. Webb, and some of the family furnishing them with fire, they (children like) retired to the back part of the premises to aratue tbeinselves; when the above-mentioned child kneeled dual. to blow the powilet, and it unfortunately exploded is his .face. He now lies a shocking spectacle to 4:Amid, being .11eadfally scorched from his chin to his eyelnfoas and fore. head ; hopes are however indulged that he will nut entirely lose his eye sight, which is sonic consolation to his distressed parents. • On Sunday the Ith inst. atCaptain Cockscdge's near Bury, a couple of woodcocks were shot by George Bettye, Esq. of Hougliam, at one thsch.ll at. of a single barrel. KIDNAPPERS.—A few days ago Dank! and Sarah Suliven, the children of a poor man residing in Red Lion-alley, Cow-cross, the girl about nine and the boy about seven years of age, were enticed away by a woman, who vas seen purchasing apples for them in Smithfield, and who took ti em down Barbican. The pocr children's parents have made every inquiry in vain for them; and although A reward has been diem" by the parish, they have not yet been heard of. 1 he body of Mr. D. the gentleman who has been some ume mist ing from the Isle of Thamet, has at length been found in the Thames, at Putney, at which place a Cotoner's inquest was held on Wed :lmlay last. The Jury, after a most attentive and laborious investigation. were commetely satisfied that Mr. D. was drou ned ac cidentally. It appears that the bridge is on the Pumey side very badly lighted, and there is a regular descent hunt the street to the Aver, so that s person unavquainted with the place could :t.ttieely fail of ,stepping into the watt r, ii.stcud.of going upon the Midge. The strungaght relleetyl from the Fulham side only makes the place the mote dangerous. as it dazzles without illuminating the opposite shore. The jury gave nouce to the high comtable, that unkna some means were taken to picrent a recurrence of such aceidems-, ITICAEUrCS would be resorted to agr.inst the bridge tympany, r f I