The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-01 00:00:00

EARTHQUAKE IN THE WEST INDIES.

Commodore Bissel, of the United States' Navy,
has sent the following despatch to Washington, de-
scribing the effects of the recent earthquake in the
West Indies upon the war steamer Monongahela :
—" United States' steamship Monongahela, St.
Croix, Nov. 21, 1867. Sir,-1 have to state, with
deep regret, that the United States' steamship
Monongahela, under my command, is now lying on
the beach iu front of the town of Frederickstedt,
St. Croix, where she was thrown by the most fatal
earthquake ever known here. The shock occurred
at 3 o'clock p.m. of the 18th instant. Up to that

moment the weather was serene, and no indication
of a change showed by the barometer, which stood
at 30.15. The first indication we had of the earth-
quake was a violent trembling of the ship, resem-
bling the blowing off of steam. This lasted some
30 seconds, and immediately afterward the water
was observed to be receding rapidly from the beach.
In a moment the current was changed, and bore the
ship toward the beach, carrying out the entire cable
and drawing the bolts from the keelson, without the
slightest effect in checking her terrific speed toward
the beach. Another anchor was ordered to be let go,
but in a few seconds she was in too shoal water for
this to avail. When within a few yards of the beach,
the reflux of the water checked her speed for a
moment, and a light breeze from the land gave me
a momentary hope that the jib and foretopmast
staysail might pay her head off shore, so that in
the reflux of the wave she might reach waters suffi-
ciently deep to float her, and then be brought up
by the other anchor. These sails were immediately
set, and she paid off so as to bring her broadside to
the beach. When the sea returned, in the form of
a wall of water 25ft. or 20ft. high, it carried us
over the warehouses into the first street of the
town. This wave in receding,took her back towards
the beach, and left her nearly perpendicular on the
edge of a coral reef, where she. has now keeled over
to an angle of 15 degrees. All this was the work
of a few moments only, and soon after the waters
of the bay subsided into their naturally tranquil
state, leaving us high and dry • upon the beach.
During her progress toward the beach she struck
heavily two or three times. The first lurch carried
the rifle gun on the forecastle overboard. Had the
ship been carried 10ft. or 15ft. further out she
must inevitably have been forced over on
her beam-ends, resulting, 1 fear,. in her total
destruction, and in the loss of many lives. Pro-
videntially, only four men were lost. These were
in the boats at the time the shock commenced.
The boats that were down were all swamped
except my gig, which was crushed under the
keel, killing my coxswain, a most valuable man.
During this terrific scene the officers and men be-
haved with coolness and subordination. It affords
me great pleasure to state that, after a careful ex-
amination of the position and condition of the ship,
I am enabled to report that she has sustained no
irreparable damage to her hull. The sternpost is
bent, and some 20 feet of her keel partially gone;
propeller and shaft uninjured. The lower pintle of
the rudder is gone, but.no other damage is sustained
by it. No damage is done to her hull more serious
than the loss of several sheets of copper torn from
her starboard bilge and from her keel. She now
lies on the edge of a coral reef, which forms a solid
foundation, on which ways may be laid. She can
thus be launched in 10 feet of water at 100 feet
from the beach. Gentlemen looking at the ship
from shore declare that the bottom of the bay was
visible where there was before, and is now, 40
fathoms of water. To extricate the ship from her
position I respectfully suggest that Mr. J. Hanscom
be sent down with suitable material for ways, ready
for laying down, and indiarubber camels to buoy
her up. 1 think there is no insuperable obstacle to
her being put afloat, providing a gang of 10 or 12
good ship carpenters be sent down with the naval
constructor, as her boilers and engines appear to
have sustained no injury. A valuable ship may
thus be saved to the navy, with all her sores and
equipments."