The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-11-15 00:00:00

THE FLOODS IN JAMAICA.

The New York Herald publishes a letter from Kingston,
Jamaica, which gives particulars of the clisastroua storm
which recently raged over the island. It says
"The eastern half of this island was visited from
the 11th to the 14th inst., inclusive, with deluges of
rain, which, swelling the mountain torrents and the
streams around Kingston, has resulted in a fearful
destruction of life and property. The main arteries
of communication from Kingston, the capital, were
rendered impassible, the railroad and tram lines
embedded in sand, the former of which are still un-
workable. Telegraphic communication with the out-
side world has been suspended, but the newly-opened
line to St. Ann's Bay, on the north side, has since been
repaired. The loss of life among the peasantry on
Saturday, when the storm was at its height, was
terrible. Many returning to their homes after dis-
posing of their produce in Kingston, in attempting to
cross the gullies' which traverse the Liguanea Plains
and spread out far and wide like a seam n such weather,
were swept out to sea in many cases; in others their
bodies have been found .deposited on the banks.
Houses have been swept away, bridges destroyed,
chasms opened in the roads, and in the streets of
Kingston water and gas pipes exposed. Among the
numerous casualties one instance will suffice. Some
peasants attempting to cross the Dry River, seven
miles to the east of Kingston, found themselves at
length upon an island with a raging torrent before
them. Huddled together with their donkeys and pro-
duce, they awaited, with heartrending shrieks, the in-
coming of the waters, which, rising gradually, at
length overwhelmed them all. Not one single human
body has been recovered."
Another account says :—"The injury to property
caused by the floods in Kingston, St. Andrew, and
the Port Royal mountains, is immense. Some 13 lives
were lost in Kingtton, while horses, mules, sheep,
goats, huge trees, and timber, bridges, houses, and
sacks of coffee and plantain trees were swept out to
sea. Great distress prevails among the poor. The
telegraph land lines have been thrown down, and
communication with many districts is entirely stopped.
No accounts have been received in Kingston from any
of the other parishes. Business has been almost en-
tirely suspended in consequence. Captain Webster,
of the Atlas steamer Etna, reports that on the morn-
ing of the 13th, about 20 miles north-east of Morant
Point, he passed numbers of dead horses, sheep, COVJF,
goats, logs of mahogany and of cedar."
Other accounts state that no such heavy rain has
been known since 1848, and that, even then it was not
so continuous. It was not possible to estimate the
actual lass of life or the value of the property de-
stroyed. At Kingston itself the damage has been
enormous. Huge chasms have been cut in some of
the streets, and many thoroughfares are in some
places quite impassable. Houses and walls have
fallen; water and gas pipes have been laid bare.
The roadways have been swept clean of their
metal ; the tramway lines have been greatly
damaged. Railway traffic has been suspended, owing to
the overflow of the River Cobre, which has covered
the line for miles with a muddy deposit. The over-
land telegraph line from Holland Bay to Kingston was
broken down, and no news from the outer world had
been received for five days at Kingston. Fortunately
there was but little wind, otherwise the damage would
have been far greater than it has been.
Accounts from country stations received at Kiogaton
down to October 16 are to the effect that the damage
to the coffee and pimento plantations is so great that
the crops of both will now be vow short. A fair yield
had been expected.