The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-12-20 00:00:00, page 4

BRIDGE-TOWN, (Barbados) Od. Is.
To give a full description of the late terrible storm
is not only entirely out of our power, but is we be
lieve beyond the abilities of any human being ; we
shall therefore, for the information of those on a more
happy spot, give a Ihort account of it, as every inha
bitant of this little community is already too well in
formed.
On Tuesday the loth instant, soon after day-break,
the wind began to blow very frefh and continued to
do so until about io o'clock, when it blew very hard
and increafcd in its violence till about four o'clock
next morning; about noon on Tuesday many of the
vessels in Carlifle-bay parted their cables, and by 3
P. M. all those which till then remained at anchor,
(except a few lloops and schooners which were after
wards driven on shore and wrecked) together with
those which had drifted in the forenoon, were blown
out to sea: Several houses were blown down in the
evening ; the gale dill increased, and about 9 at night
became a molt tremendous hurricane, which lasted
without intermission or abatement till pall 3 the next
morning, when its fury began a little to subside, al
though it may be said the storm was not entirely over
at 5 next evening. As we have already observed, to
give any adequate description of the accumulated hor
rors of the night is impossible, but the roaring of the
tempest, the noise occasioned by the falling of whole
houses, and the roofs of others, the terrible shrieks,
cries and groans of the wounded, who were hurt by
and buried under the ruins, the incessant flashes of
lightning, and unabating torrent of rain, formed to
gether such a scene of terror, as has, we believe, sel
dom been equalled in any part of the world. Nor did
the return of day-light, which had been anxiously
wished for, bring with it any consolation, as it served
but to present to us a fpedacle of the most melancho
ly nature. The metropolis, which but a few hours
before had been one of the belt towns in the Weft-
Indies, converted into little better than one confufed
heap of ruins, and the country all round laid waste,
much more than it could have been by the ravages of
the most cruel enemy.
The mole-head, a work of the utmost utility, and
which had cost this country upwards of io,oool. ster
ling, entirely destroyed, and the bafon almost tilled
up with sand, stones, and pieces of timber, in such
a manner as, it is much to be feared, will render it
totally useless. The castle, forts and batteries all de
stroyed ; one wing, and a great part of the other, of
that large and magnificent building, Government
houfe, are thrown down, and the center unroofed;
that valuable building, the court-house and prison,
which was not to be equalled in any part of the Weft-
India islands, is now little better than a heap of rub
bish, as there remains but a small part of the walls ;
nor have the houses of individuals in general shared a
much better fate, as there were not above 30 dwell
ing-houses, stores, &c. in the town, which have escap
ed without considerable damage, and of the remain
der, much the greater number are either entirely
thrown down, or left in such a situation as not to be
repaired ; of eleven parish churches and two chapels,
there remain no more than St. Peter's church, the
chapel about three miles to windward of it, and the
church of St. Andrew's in Scotland ; we are inform
ed that most of the others are either dow, to their
foundations, or in such a situation as to be entirely
useless. The other towns, viz. Oiftins and the Hole-
Town, are much the fame with this ; Speight's-Town
we apprehend has many of its buildings standing en
tire, and many others but little damaged, few being
totally destroyed. From the best information we have
been able to obtain refpefting the country, its situa
tion, if possible, is Hill worse ; in most plantations all
the buildings, the sugar-mills excepted, are laid level
with the earth, and that there is not a single estate in
the island which has entirely escaped the violence of
the tempest ; —what adds to their distress is, the total
loss of the ground provisions, which before had a pro
mising appearance ; the sugar-mills in general, having
had their points lowered at the finishing of the lalt
crop, are preserved, except the light covering over
their round-houses, which are blown away ; feather
ed stock of all kinds, with which this country abound
ed, are now hardly to be seen, and the working cat
tle, &c. in many estates have fuffcred very much, some
plantations having loft, by the fall of the buildings
and continued rain, 30 head, some more, some less,
and in several estates many of the Negroes perished in
the fame manner. To afeertain the loss of the whole
number of people is at present impossible, as in and
about this town and parish whole families have either
been crushed to death in the ruins, or fivept by the
torrent into the sea; many were dug out of the rub
bish four or five days after, and many more thrown on
the beach by the tide. Some, who have taken great
pains to be informed, fay upwards of 3000 have pe
rished, others fay more, but to speak with certainty
cannot as yet be done. It is generally believed, that
this vafl. devaflation did not entirely proceed from the
storm alone, but must have been accompanied by an
earthquake, of which several gentlemen of great vera
city declare that they felt three diftind shocks, and
which declaration is strengthened by the sea having
risen on that night to an extraordinary height all along
TRENTON: Printed by ISAAC COLLINS. Advertisements of a moderate Length are inserted for Two Thirds of a
bohar hard Money each the firft Week, and One Sixth for every Continuance, and long Ones in Proportion, or the
Exchange in continental Currency—and by whom Essays, and Articles of Intelligence are thankfully received.
the southern coast, altho' the wind during the great
est part of the hurricane blew from the N. E. quarter,
and never fhifted further to the southward than S. E.
One gentleman, Mr. T. Skeete, of St. Joseph's,
informs us, that not more than thirty yards from his
dwelling-house the earth is opened at leaf! 50 feet
wide, and in a direst line for 150 feet long, and ot a
depth not less than 10 fathom ; that there is a large
bank of earth thrown up, and the chasm forms a kind
of an angle, and is nearly of the fame dimensions of
the former. Some gentlemen now here, and who were
at Lisbon a few days after the earthquake, declare that
this town, in proportion to its size, has differed more
from the late calamity than Lisbon did at that time.
We are informed that the public records of the island
have been all preserved, or at most but little damag
ed, and people in general have been so fortunate as to
save their books and most valuable papers. One thing
more we must observe, which is, that another cala
mity is flaring us in the face, and without the divine
assistance must soon follow the last —the want of com
mon necessaries of life. The small quantities of all
kind of provisions in the hands of the merchants (who
have not increased the price of any one article) a great
deal of which is damaged, the total loss of our native
produce already reaped, the deftruttion of what was
growing in the earth, without any prospect of an im
mediate supply from abroad, so that the vast number
of poor, as allo many Negroes throughout the whole
island, must perish for want of food ; and should we
have seasons for the earth to bring forth her increase,
thousands must fall for lack of a place to shelter them
selves. No provisions in our ruins—no habitations to
abide in—no lumber to ereCt houses with —nor no
workmen, should we have lumber feut us —what a
dreadful situation ! Had we abilities to describe, and
time to publish, it is not for a neWfpaper to contain
the dreadful Rory —it would fill a volume. Let us
then, one and all, implore that gracious God, who
hath thus visited us with his avenging hand, merci
fully to look down upon and to forgive us for those
things which has occasioned him thus to pour down
his fury upon us, and that he will avert the impend
ing calamity.
TO BE SOLD Wholesale and Retail, at the Print
ing-Office, in Trenton,
The NEW-JERSEY
ALMANAC K,
For the Year of our Lord 1781.
Containing a Variety of ufeful and entertaining Mat
ter in Prose and Verse.
, A QU-ANT IT Y'O~F
HARNESS,
Consisting of Coilers, Blind-Bridles, Collars and
Haimes : Also good strong
SHOES and SOAL LEATHER,
To be exchanged for HID E S, in Trenton, by
STACY POTTS.
Elizabeth-Town Sta^e.
subscriber hereby informs the PUBLICK,
I that he has provided a STAGE-WAGGON,
commodiously fitted for passengers, and will set out
from the sign of the Bunch of Grapes in Third-street,
between Market and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, on
every Wednesday and Saturday mornings, precisely at
ten o'clock, and proceed to Princeton ; there meet the
stages who have engaged to be there from Elizabeth-
Town and Morris-Town, every Thursday at twelve
o'clock, and Sunday evenings. The rout ofthis Hage
is from the Bunch of Grapes on Wednesday to Four-
Lanes-End ; Thursday morning proceed to Trenton,
to the house of Jacob G. Bergen, there breakfaft ; from
thence to Princeton, to Col. Jacob Hyer's, and re
turn to Trenton the fame evening ; from thence next
morning by the Four-Lanes-End to Philadelphia ;
Saturday we proceed from Philadelphia to Four-
Lanes-End, Sunday to Trenton by twelve o'clock,
from thence to Prjnceton ; Monday return from
Princeton, dine at Trenton, and proceed to the Four-
Lanes-End ; Tuesday morning to Philadelphia.
All passengers, packages, &c. are desired to be at
each place at the above appointed times. The price
for each passenger from Philadelphia to Princeton is
Two Silver Dollars, or the exchange in Continental,
and the fame for ijolb. baggage.
The subscriber will purchase goods for gentlemen
at as low a rate as may be had, and charge five per
cent, for purchasing, and will charge only half the a
forefaid price for the freight, provided he has not full
loads of passengers and baggage ; and in case he has,
he will procure teams that will carry the goods at the
fame rate. —All gentlemen and ladies who will please
to favour him with their custom, may depend on
punctual attendance, and their favours will be grate
fully acknowledged by
The Publick's humble servant,
GERSHOM JOHNSON.
N. B. Philadelphia and Trenton papers may be had
of said Johnson. Oft. 20, 1780.
One Thousand Dollars Reward.
STOLEN out of the stable of the subscriber, in
Mansfield township, Burlington county, state of
New-Jersey, in the night of the 13th instant Nov.
a black ISTALLION, known by the name of Gro
ver's Black, about 14 and a half hands high, a natu
ral trotter, canters well, 14 years old, very gay, y-Bths
blooded. Also a half blooded bright bay MARE,
15 hands high, five years old last spring, with a star
and some collar marks near her withers, a remarka
ble white spot on her near fide betwen her buttock
and thigh about a span from the root of her tail, a
natural trotter, canters well and very gay. Any,
person taking up the said horse and mare, and deli-'
vering them to the subscriber, shall be entitled to the
above reward, or Five Hundred Dollars for either,
and all reasonable charges, paid by
4JI J°shua__fcste Rq
WHEREAS Doctor John Hunt, of New-Jersey,
son of John Hunt, deceased, late Agent of the
West-Jersey Society, and purchaser of a propriety or
24th part of East-Jersey, hath, for some time past,
undertaken to dispose of the interests entrusted to the
care of his late father, as his own property, without
the least colour of title ; and hath also entered into
sundry contrasts, as heir at law to his father, respec
ting the laid propriety ; —by which means unwary
persons may be drawn into expences and trouble, for
which they can have no consideration or future re
compence in law or equity from said lands. And as
I am one of the Welt-Jersey Society, and have alfq
purchased of the said John Hunt, deceased, in the
year 1766, one-sixth part of the said propriety, I have
thought proper to give this public caution, and to as
sure the intended purchasers, or tenants under Doc
tor Hunt, that his father was a mere Agent or Attor
ney to the West-Jersey Society, and his powers are
extinguished by his death : That the said John Hunt,
who died at Wmchefter, in Virginia, in the year 1778,
made a will, which, by the laws of New-Jersey, will
pass the estate to the devifees therein named, for the
payment of his debts and legacies, totally excluding
his son, Doctor Hunt ; and of course, that he cannot
legally rent or convey any part of the prunifes above
deicribed. And whereas, being the only person in
America interested in the eßate of the Weft -Jersey So
ciety, I lately gave a Power of Attorney to Jofeplt
Ball, of Batfto iron-works, to take care of the tim
ber lands belonging to said Society, and it now ap
pearing to me that the said Ball has been concerned
with sundry persons, who are in custody in this city,
in (hipping lumber to New-York, whiph I have had
reason to believe has been taken from the timber lands
of the said Society, contrary to the trust I repoltd in
him, I do revoke the said Power, and forbid all per
sons possessing or cutting timber off any of said lands
under the laid Doctor John Hunt, laid Ball, or any
other person ; and do give this notice to all irelpaO
ers on the lands of the said Society, that I shall prole
cute them with the utmost severity of the law. The
collectors of taxes in New-Jersey will be pleased to
inform me, by letter from time to time, what the
taxes are, due from said lands, and they shall be paid,
so as to save the property from being plundered and
destroyed for very trifling sums.
JOSEPH REED.
Philadelphia, Nov. 29, 1780.
NAIL R^irsT-
Of a good quality and different sizes,
TO BE SOLD,
By the Subferiber, at Union Iron-Works.
ROBERT TAYLOR.
December 2, 1780. 5
JUST PUBLISHED,
And to be SOL D, wholesale and retail, by
ISAAC COLLINS,
At the Printing-Office, in Trenton,
A neat EDITION of
THE NEW TESTAMENT,
Printed on a good type, and good paper.
,At the fame place may be hadX
D/lworth's Spelling Books, Primers, &c.
CANE to the plantation of the subscriber, near
Trenton, on Frida, <week, a Jorrel horse, <witb a
far and blaze, about 14 bands three inches high, both
hind feet <wbite, has atwhite spot on the point of bis
off buttock. The opener is def red to prove bis property,
pay charges, and take him away.
THOMAS HENDRICKSON.
December 4, ifl^o^ 3
CA M Eto the plantation of the subscriber, ig
Hopewell, near Maidenhead, about the 26th
ult. a Black MAR E, thirteen hands three inches
high, three years old, her near hind foot white, and
shod all round. The owner is desired to come,
prove his property, pay charges and take her away.
3* RALPH LANNING.