The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-22 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 22, 1867.

THE
HURRICANE IN THE WEST INDIES

, Aisne also blew the Conway on shore, and continued to
blow, but with gradually diminished force, till 4 p.m.
The Italian gentleman saved was from Pennsylvania. Mr.
ARRIVAL OF THE DODRO. I Hodgson, chief officer of the Wye, who was one of the
I saved, has had an arm broken in two places. The
The Royal Mail Company's steamship Doum, Wye was blown right round by the hurricane, and
Captain Bevis, with the West India, mails, went down. The Douro was 250 mike from St. Thomas
arrived at Plymouth yesterday morning. She during the hurricanes. She felt the swell occasioned by
bring. 36 passengers specie to the amount of them, and the horizon was very dark. The Vasco Nunez
881,746 dole., consisting of 419,728 dole. in gold, ,de Haltom • Spanish war steamer, had fifteen of her crew
462,018 dole. in silver, pearls valued at 11,500 dole, ' blown off her decks. During the time the Douro was at
diamonds valued at 2,375 dole., 290 aerons india- , St. Thomas daily communication was kept up with Tortola-
rubber, 236 serons indigo, 195 bales tobacco, 59 In consequence of the inconvenience of having so many
cases of coffee, 75 Wes caacarilla, 212 serons bodies to inter at st, Thomas, some of them had been
bark, and 106 packages of sundries. Her dates are horned,
Greytown, Oct. 16; Demerara and Tobago, Oct. 23; : Our Southampton correspondent, writing last
Jamaica and Antigua, Oct 24 ; Trinidad, Grenada,
and St. Vincent, Oct. 25 ; St. Lucia, Barbailke°' !night, says :
1 The utmost excitement was caused here this forenoon
Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Dominique, Oct. 26 :
• 1 by the receipt of • teleg»m announcing the arrival of the
St. Kitts, Oct. 27 ; St. Thomas, Nov. 5. Darin
board Douro at Plymouth. The West India flag WM imme-
her paasage home one death took place on
die.tely hoisted, and crowds went flocking to the docks
the Douro, a man named Putt. Ne cases of yellow
and the newspaper offices to ascertain for a certainty that
fever had occurred. Free pratique had been granted
she bad arrived, for fears began to be entertained as to
to her, and the mails, 45 sacks, together with two her
safety.
Later in the day the following telegram was
passengers, were landed at Plymouth. The Douro
bangs exhibited at the Southampton Observer office, at the Royal
the following intelligence respecting the
great hurricane at St. Thomas : t Mail office,
and the other newspaper offices :—" The
• Royal Mail steamer Douro, which arrived at Plym oath at
The Royal Mail CemPany's steamship Wye was totally 11 o'clock this morning, and sailed for Southampton at
wrecked on Buck Island while attempting to put out to hat-part 12 o'clock noon, reports as follows :—No sick-
est. Out of seventy men only thirteen of her crew were as.
ilea board sass& Released from quarantine.
saved—among them were five whites, including the IMP- tfili, -two passengers for Southampton on board. Twenty-
taln, the chief officer, and the boiler maker—all the rest one of the crew of the Rhone saved,l as follows :
were drowned. The captain was on board the Tyne at the Emanuel Sherwood, boatswain ; George Holdman, captain
time. of the hold ; Charles Moody, boatswain's mate ; John
The Rhone was wrecked off Salt Island, about 25 miles Eaton, George Wallace, Fred Handford, John Palmer,
from St. Thome, while endeavouring also to get out to Charles Dimmiok ; John Bailey, boy ; John Aiken, boy ;
sea. She was driven on to a reef and broke up. The Henry Buckle, fireman ; David Rees, ditto ; John Jones,
captain and all the officers were lost, and only one prawn- Thomas Ingram ; Frederick Pearce, engineer's servant ;
ger and 23 of the crew were Bared. The passenger saved B. moCiate, Francis Brewer ; Cherie; Berry, store-keeper ;
from the Rhone was an Italian gentleman. He was six . Robert Baton ; John Bryan, saloon boy; John Monis,
hours in the water. His name is not known. boy ; Augustus Ganrion. Saved from the Wye, only five,
The Conway was blown ashore at Tortola, where she lost as follows :—Mr. Hodgman, chief officer ; Edwin Hill,
her funnels and masts, but was otherwise uninjured, and William Jules, John Holland, and J. Meekin."
may be got off. The Derwent was blown ashore from her, Tho crowd was so great where the lists of the saved
moorings in St. Thomas harbour and much damaged. were exhibited that scores of persoos could not get near
The Tyne and Solent rode out the gale at Paper Island, at enough for • long time to read the telegram. Great num-
anchor with their engines working a-head. The Tyne lost beta copied the lists to send to their friends. People came
her foremast, and the Solent all three masts. None of in from all the surrounding neighbourhood to hear the
the crews of the Conway, Derwent, Tyne, and Solent news. The Douro will arrive here about midnight, and she
perished. i will come into dock at daylight to-morrow. The dock
During the hurricane the Vasco Nunez de Whoa, • authorities have made arrangement. to prevent crowd-
Spanish war vessel, was dismaated in St. Thomas's her lag. The mayor of this town has postponed the
boor and otherwise damaged, but was able to steam about public meeting called to amid the widows and fatherless
the harbour, saving as many lives from the other damaged children of those lost in the Royal Mail service until the
vessels as possible. I extent of the disaster can be correctly ascertained.
Her Majesty's ship Doris arrived at St. Thomas's SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY Momenta.
November 5, and the Mobs was expected.
The Douro has arrived. No mails were lost on board
The following are among the further damages done to the Rhone. The Douro arrived out at St. Thomas's just
the shipping at St. Thomas :—The West Indian and as the hurricane had ceased. The first notice she had of it
Pacific steamship Columbian was sunk in St. Thomas's was in seeing the funnel and mast of the Rhone. Now
harbour, alongside other wreck.;
had been tram.
the
Todd was ashore, much damaged ; the Agnes Lamb, din- shipped.
steamer Robert but the Windward Islands passengers
roasted, much damaged ; the barque Howard, ditto ; 1 After the hurricane had lasted some time there was a
R. Bootes, ditto ; Wild Pigeon, ditto;
brig, ditto ; Ida Abbol, ditto; the Hope, ditto— '
Princess 1 Alice, • lull for about half an hour. It then recommenetd with
redoubled fury, and lasted altogether three hours. The
part of her cargo was saved; Procter, • schooner, non, parted amidships, and the waves ripped the
sunk in the harbour; Ocean Queen, ditto;
Water. ' gigantic steamer up just as if she were made of brown
witch ashore and a complete wreck ; the Elizabeth,
paper. A gentleman who has come home in the Douro,
sunk in harbour ; Norman, ditto ; Nimble, ditto ; Ludwig
Holm, complete wreck; Nordakov, ditto; Valkynen, ' saw 292 persons buried at one time at St. Thorns., and
soon afterwards there were 50 more ready for in-
ditto ; Maggie mink in harbour; West India Packet, ditto l terment. One small bay he saw crammed with
Nanette, ditto ; Dos Hermanoa, ditto ; Petrel, ashore and dead bodies which had been washed ashore.
may be got off ;Pigmy, ditto ; Wickins, ditto ;
w tart, the shore
the Wye w
killiPn- 1 At Buck Island, wheretian, disappeared, supposed to have sunk ; V. G. Baird, or'
as as
strewn with the remains of ships broken into such small
Berg, ashore, dismasted, but can be got off ; Sarah New- p•• that all identity WAS destroyed. Captain Taylor, of
man, shore, possibly may be floated; Charles Spragoe, : the Wye, was
have been wrecked ; Aberdeen, I
disappeared, supposed to providentially saved through not being on
board his ship at the time of the hurricane. He is left
ashore, dismaated ; hiecasta, ditto ; Nelly
alongside the dock ; Clinton. capsized ; Caravelle, din '
Gay, diamastea , behind at St. Thomas. Tortola has not been rubmerged,
but everything has been destroyed on the island by the
masted ; Bernice, ashore, wrecked ; Bruno, ditto ; Veloce, I fury of the hurricane, and the people were likely to suffer
sunk ; Gazelle, ashore and dismasted ; Emma, sunk : faun starvation. Her Majesty's ship Doris has aooord.
General de Lourmel, diemasted ; Jackmael, ditto ; Sylph,
sunk, but may be raised ; Veloy, ashore, dismasted ; ingly conveyedproviaiocs to the island. The Derwent issank,
nut wrecked, but seriously damaged. The Tamar, which
Bertha, sunk ; Helios, ashore, cargo saved ;
Maria
Rd' I will bring the next West India mail, will be late home.
ward, ditto ; Johanna,
' All the Royal Mail Company's property at St. Thomas is
Anna, ashore, dismaated sunk ; Treffer, ditto ;
; Antis, &masted, and much destroyed. The damage they will sustain will amount so I
damaged ; Juliet, dim:fleeted ; Amalie, sunk ; Pelayo, ' ',nit a million sterling. No such tornado has ever been
ashore, badly damaged ; Camagney, ditto ; Reunion, sunk; known.
Rapido, ditto ; Formadidad, ditto ; Tres Hermance, ditto ;to Lighthouses are blown down, the damage
property at St. Thomas is immense. II
Albagracia, ditto ; Alfonso, ditto ; °ollie, ditto ; Manuela,
(THROUGH MR. =TIM'S OTTICI.)
ditto ; Valor, disroasted ; Panchita, sunk ; John Penchi*
ditto ; Oriental, ditto ; Concepcion, ditto ; Itchen, sunk SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY MORNING.
in harbour ; British Empire, all the lighters and small The following particulars of the hurricane at St.
craft, rank in the harbour. Thomas have been furnished by Purser Whitmarsh.
When the gale commenced, the Rhone was lying at Peter
About 300 bodies had been recovered and interred at
St. Thomas. Island, with the Conway alongside, transferring cargo.
blasts of wind struck the vessels with such force
No mails or specie were lost by the Royal Mail Com- I Circular i
pony's ship Rhone. The Douro experienced unfavourable that the Conway was immediately blown ashore, and lost
weather ' her funnel, dir. The chief steward, her cargo, and her
throughout the voyage, strong north-eseterly winds ,
e w saved. The Rhone tried to ride often amounting to • gale, with heavy sea. The Conway,- ,
neate . the sto at anchor, but her cable
is again afloat. The Tyne went to windward with the ,
proceed to sea under
Douro's out mail ; and the Solent to Jamaica and the broke. She then
full steam. In going out • terrific blast of wind struck
Isthmus. The Tamar brings the next home mail
her and carried her on to Salt Island, her stern first taking
The following are additional particulars respect-
ing the catastrophe : therocks. Shortly after an explosion occurred in her
engine-room, which it is supposed blew out her bottom.
The Rhea" mails that had net hem pat on board : She directly parted amidships, doubled up, and went down
are brought by the Douro. The leading features of the
calamity in the West Indies appear to be confined to the in deep water so suddenly that all below went down with
her. The last seen of Mr. Morrisb, the purser, was at
great loss of shipping, and the destruction of house. is
the islands of St. Thomas and Tortola. The loss of life the wheel with Captain Woolley, endeavouring to bring
the ship up to wind. There were about twenty-two
has mainly occurred among the crews and pusengers of the passengers on board the Rhone ; two only of
vessels. On shore many people have been killed by the
falling of the houses. At St. Thomas and Tortola son. this number were saved. It is estimated that
upwards of 600 persons were drowned at St. Thomas
adorable damage was done along she shores of the has. during the hurricane, which commenced at 11 in the
boors by the high seas that prevailed during the hard- morning and calmed by 3in the atternoon. Within 48
cane, but the lass of life through the waves among the hours 300 bodies were washed ashore, recovered and buried.
people on shore was very small. On the sailing of the They presented a fearful spectacle, from the fact that they
Douro the islands had scarcely begun to recover from the had been partially devoured by sharks and other fish.
disasters; so much damage had been done in connexion The smell in the harbour was most offensive.
with all the ordinary channels of business, that its usual The bodies of Dr. White and Chief Officer Topper
course was effectually stopped. The merchants' were picked up and buried, and Mr. Cameron, the cam-
offices, official offices, sad printing offices, were so pony's agent, offered a large reward for the body of Cap-
wrecked that anything like an attempt at a clear: descrip- tain Woolley, which had not been recovered. It was
tion of the loss sustained in life and property, and damage . thought that on board the Rhone there were more killed
done, had as yet been but very roughly carried out. The' than drowned through the explosion and breaking up of the
loss of life at St. Thomas, in the harbour and on shore, and ship. Captain Taylor, of the Wye, was on shore on leave
among the shipping at sea, on the day of the hurricane, of absence at the time of the hurricane. The damage to
near the island, was oonaidered not to exceed five bun- property ashore was great, and the loss of life is estimated
Bred, while that at Tortola was believed not to have ex. at from 150 to 200 persona.
ceeded one hundred. Of about eighty vessels known to'
have suffered more or less from the hurricane in the her-

bour, every effort bad been made to ascertain their names,
and the list brought by the Douro was considered to be

generally correct, and to embrace all that could possibly
be discovered up to the day of her sailing. Some of the
. _

vessels that were believed to have foundered there was

but slight hopes of identifying, either from their not

having been reported at the islands, or being known when
seen off. Amid the confusion of wrecks, when a panic
prevailed also on shore, the assistance to the wrecked
vessels unfortunately could be bat very limited, and
the loss of life was consequently very heavy among their
crews and passengers. On the subsiding of the gale every-1
thing was done that could be carried out with the means
left to ameliorate the disasters. The Royal Mail Com-
pany's wharfs, coal sheds, Sc., suffered badly, but the
Douro was able to coal.

An officer of one of the damaged vessels states that the
casualties at St. Thomas and its neighbourhood were c►used
by two hurricanes. The weather on the morning of the
29th of October was very threatening, and the wind blew
. . .

fresh from the northward. The Conway was under the
stern of the Rhone at 9 a.m., and her captain con-
sulted Captain Woolley. The glass had fallen a great deal,
and it was arranged to secure the ships against the
expected bad weather. By 11 o'clock a fearful hurricane
blew from N.N.W. half W., the barometer had fallen to

27.95. At 12.15 p.m. the wind had lulled, and at 12.30
p.m. the Rhone wu seen steaming to seaward. It had
then almost become • calm, and at 12.40 p.m. it wu
almost dark. Shortly after a mast fearful rush of wind
from S.S.E. half E. set in. This second hurricane drove

the Rhone oa a reef, which she took about midshipa.
The first striking shivered almost everything fore and
aft. The second striking broke her in two, and everybody
wee thrown among the dibria. The persons saved were
washed ashore on masts, hencoops, &c. The second hur-