The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-19 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, DEC. 19, 1867.

Among the many terrible disasters which have
marked the progress of the year 1867 the West
Indian Islands have played a conspicuous part.

Every one remembers the panic about Tortola
which happily turned out to be unnecessarily ex•
cited ; but the actual narrative of events from St.

Thomas is so fearful that the most exaggerated
accounts have hardly exceeded the truth. This
unfortunate island has been visited in succession by
three great calamities. First came the hurricane
of October 29th, which strewed land and sea with
wrecks, and which many bereaved families among
ourselves have mournful reason to remember. The
noble steam-vessel, the Rhone, which went down
with so large a living freight, was the most remark-
able of the sacrifices to the hurricane, but the
destruction among the smaller shipping also repre-
sented a fearful loss of life. The official 'accounts
of the damage on land, too, were of a very serious
nature. All the principal buildings and offices of
the town wz,re more or lees injured, and a
large portion of them were laid in absolute
ruins, so that a vast majority of the
inhabitants were not only deprived of their pro -
perty and means of livelihood, but actually ren-
dered homeless. The natural products of the island,
too, were greatly injured, and in some places almost
destroyed by the hurricane. This was on October
29. On November 18 came a fresh visitation. The
La Plata steamship, which has just arrived from
the West Indies, was fortunately lying off Water
Island, some three miles distant, having avoided
the harbour of St. Thomas on account of yellow
fever, when, without any warning, a fearful earth-
quake occurred. The earthquake lasted 105 seconds,
doing very great damage, and spreading universal
consternation. Those on board the La Plata describe
the noise as that of thousands of sledge hammers on
the ship, and the glasses were broken. On shore, of
course, the effect was far greater. Scarcely a stone
or brick structure has escaped total or partial de-
struction. The inhabitants of the town rushed from
their offices, stores, and houses well-nigh distracted
with fear, while the trembling and heaving of the
earth beneath them proved only too forcibly that
the danger was not over. Above the town rose
clouds of dust from the torn and shattered
masonry. Scarcely had the first few moments
of terrible alarm and destruction passed over
when another calamity threatened the miserable
people. A noise like thunder was heard from sea-
ward, and the great sea roller which follows heavy
earthquakes was seen advancing upon the devoted
island, towering to a height of 50 feet above the
sea. A witness of the scene describes the effect as
if the whole Caribbean Sea had come tearing and
roaring into the harbour. The inhabitants on the
approach of this last irresistible enemy gave every-
thing up and fled to the mountains in thousands,
carrying with them as best they could their young
ones, their sick, and their aged persons. Those on
board the La Plata were, like the inhabitants of
the town, more terrified at the approach of the sea
rather than at the shock of the earthquake. In an
instant the three hulks which were bringing coals
and transferring stores were torn from the vessel's
side, and the La Plata herself-3,000 tons—was
tossed and twisted about as if she were a cask. One
hulk with about 200 tons of coal sunk at once, the
other two being driven ashore. The boats of the
vessel were swept away, and a good deal of damage
done, but fortunately her anchors held fast, though
she tore violently at theta, and thus the crew and
passengers were saved. As the water rushed on
ship after ship was dashed ashore, or driven into
collision with others. Some were carried far in-
land, others which had been driven in by the hur-
ricane were swept out. Two American men-of-war
steamships spun round and round in the harbour,
receiving serious damage. The iron wharf of the

Liverpool Steam Company was swept away in a