The Sun.
London, England, 1831-10-07 00:00:00

THE STORM AT BARBADOES.

The first official account of the hurricane at Eat badoes,
which has come direct from the Mawd was received at the
Colonial-office on the night of Monday. It is of the fol-
lowing purport :
The hurricane of the 11th August was at once one of
the most sudden, the most rapid, and the most destructive
visitations of the kind which has ever been experienced by
a West India island. On the evening of the 10th the sun
set on a landscape of the greatest beauty and fertility, and
it rose on the following morning upon an utter desolation
and a waste. The prospect at the break of day on the 11th
was that of January in Europe; every tree, if not entirely
rooted up, was stripped of its foliage, and of many of its
branches ; every house was materially damaged or levelled
with the ground ; whilst every hour spread the intelli•
genre of the lamentable accidents, and of very many
shocking deaths.

The evening of the 10th had not been remarked for any
peculiarity of appearance, and the Governor and his family
went to bed without the least suspicion of what was to
happen. Soon afterwards it began to rain, and there were
flashes of lightning and a high wind which came from
the north and east. Towards midnight the wind in-
creased and veered to the west and south-west : the rain
fell in torrents, and the lightning was vivid in the extreme.
At one o'clock, or thereabouts, it first assumed the ap-
pearance of a hurricane ; not lung after the roof of the
kitchen of the Governor's residence fell in, and at the same
.time several of the poor people in the neighbourhood of
Government-house (which is situated in the country
about one or two miles from Bridgetown) took refuge
there, their own wooden houses having been blown down.
From about two o'clock till day-break the violence and
horrors of the storm are represented to have been such as
no language can express. The noise of the wind through
the clefts and rents which it had made in the buildings,—
the peals of thunder,—the rapidly repeated flashes of
lightning, with intervals of impenetrable darkness,—the
crash of walls, roofs, and beams, were mixed in appal-
ling confusion, and every house shook front top to bottom.
Whether this latter effect was produced by the force of the
wind or by an earthquake, which is supposed by some to
have accompanied the storm, seems to be questionable ;
but the rents and fissures which were made in the massive
walls of the Government-house seemed to he such as no-
thing short of the shock of an earthquake could have oc-
casioned.

About two o'clock the Governor, finding that his house
was giving way, retired with the officers of his staff, his
servants, and the unfortunate persons who had escaped from
the ne ghbouring huts, to the cellars, where they remained
in perfect safety till the day dawned. In any other part of
the house their lives could scarcely have been saved, as
the ruinous appearances which the morning presented
made manifest.

The tempest did not entirely cease, nor the atmos-
phere clear up, till about nine o'clock in the morning
of the 11th, and then it was that the extent of the cala•
mity carne to be more apparent. Whole families were
buried in ruins. Fortunately, some of the churches were
found less injured than any other buildings (although many
were destroyed), and they were instantly thrown open for
the reception of the hurt and the maimed. Medical aid
was procured with all the speed which the incumbered
state of the streets and roads would permit ; but many
trees and houses had fallen across the public ways, and
much obstructed the communication between one place
and another.

No estimate could be formed at the date of the despatches
(13th and 16th of August) of the loss and injury sus-
tained; but the Governor speaks of the equanimity and
fortitude with which the inhabitants bore their calamity,
as what afforded great consolation to his mind.

The barracks and hospitals were entirely dilapidated,
and the troops were ordered under canvass, no deaths had
occurred amongst the officers, with the exception of one
gentleman of the Commissariat, named Flanuer, who with
three of his children, a female relative, and two servants,
had been buried i❑ the ruins of his house; but the number
of soldiers killed of the corps composing the garrison (the
Royal Artillery, the 35th and 36th Regiments), was, ac-
cording to the returns of the 13th, 36; and very many
others had sustained accidents of a serious nature.

The most wealthy and influential inhabitants were
making every effort to relieve the poor, houseless, and
destitute. The Governor was using every means in his
power to encourage and assist the work of charity, and
looked forward with hope and confidence to the sympa-
thies of the mother country. llis Excellency expressed,
however, the determination of himself and of those around
him to meet the evils of the time with resolution and for-
titude, and to exert every effort to assuage and mitigate, to
the utmost of their abilities, every distress which might
present itself.

The few ships in Carlisle-bay had been drivea high on
the strand, but in them no lives had been lost.
As many members of the legislative bodies as could
be assembled met the Governor on the 15th, and Com-
missioners were appointed, and every proper measure taken
for clearing the streets and roads, pulling dow❑ houses
which were in a dangerous state of dilapidation, securing
subordination amongst the slaves, and preventing plunder
and disorder.

No names are mentioned of any individuals who have
suffered, except Mr. Flanner, the commissariat officer.
The loss of life is chiefly amongst the negroes.

THE CIIoLERA.—We regret to say that this
dreadful malady is rapidly spreading over Germany, and
making its way by slow but sure advances to the Rhine
and the frontiers of France. Experienced men, and those
who have watched the progress of the disease, assert that
this country cannot escape, however mitigated may be the
form in which our superior cleanliness and mode of life
will permit this plague to develope itself. It is generally
supposed at the present moment that it will reach us
early in the spring. The following extract of a private
letter from Vienna, of the 16th September, exhibits a me-
lancholy picture of the state of that once gay and populous
capital :—" At the present moment Vienna is in great
confusion; the cholera morbus has broken out in the most
violent manner, and the utmost consternation reigns. On
the 14th, 41 persons were attacked, out of which number
10 died, one was cured, and 30 at the close of the day re-
mained ill. Yesterday (the 15th) the malady increased ;
64 died, none cured, and 105 remain ill. This I give
from the official account, which is but too favourable;
triple the numbers, and it will be nearer the mark.
Among those who have fallen victims are the wife of the
Minister of the Interior, the Vice-President of War, se-
veral of the antique counsellors and advocates are already
dead ; to-day it absolutely ravages. Four physicians are
gone to their last homes ; business and affairs are almost at
a stand still; the EMPEROR, however, will not shut him-
self up in Schonbruran, although all the barricades are pre-
pared, as he magnanimously determines to be amidst his
people. Several thousand of the lower classes, without
work, are employed in useful improvements at his expence,
There are a great many hospitals established in the city, as
well as in the faubourgs ; the utmost possible vigilance is
observed, and the greatest precautions have been taken,
but all without effect; in Hungary there are more than
one hundred thousand dead, and it augments hourly. In
Gallicia, that is Austrian Poland, it appears to diminish :
perhaps it is a delusive calm—it appeared a week ago to
do so in Hungary, and now it is worse than ever." His
Eminence the Cardinal Prince Primate of Hungary,
ALEXANDER VON RODWAY, died at Gran on the 13th, of
the cholera. This Prelate had distinguished himself by
electing at Gran his Archiepiscopal Seer a cathedral which
was intended to be one of the noblest edifices in Europe.
It is, however, far from being completed, and the Ger.
mans seem to doubt whether any future Primate will incur
he expence which that completion would require.
EXTRAORDINARY BIRTHS.--A corres-
pondent, of whom we have no knowledge, has sent us the
following for insertion ; we suspect the account to be a
fabrication :—.on Saturday, the 24th of September last,
the wife of a journeyman shoemaker, of the name of
DAILY, was confined of twins, two girls—seven months'
travail—both dead. Notwithstanding this, the woman
continued to support nearly the same rotundity, and
suffered as much inconvenience as before the delivery. On
Tuesday, the 27th, to the great astonishment of the poor
woman and the dismay of her bewildered husband and
friends, she was confined a second time of two more, a boy
and a girl, both Of whom instantly died. The woman,
however, is doing as well as if nature had made only an
ordinary effort. Had they lived, it would have been funny
enough, their names being DAILY, and they had keen,
christened Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
Morning Chronicle.