Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-12-14
Ealqnsitg at MadeiyQ.

his extraordinary event, which we briefly
noticed in or paper Of yesterday, happened on
Sunday the ninth Of Oaober, at eight in the
evening. The day had been previously very
cloudy and a continual rain had fallen, sccoapa
MED with squalls, which were not violent, until
the suu had sunk beneath the horizon, when the
sea appeared to be unusually agieaIcd, AID soch a
darkness, prevailed that an obi .tt Was not discern
able at a yards 1istance--dnrng this progress.
every person remainedia the!y houses, in seem.
ing security, and wholly unconscious of thai ap.
preaching horror which was destined 50 shortly t.
sweep them offthe earth!
The clock Of tie cathedral was striking eight,
wien an instantaneous storn o. terrible tighten
ing and !hundes began, and the rain fell in such
torrents, .iat all the cross streets Of the eastern
part OF the CRY Of funchsiI, were suddenly filed
with tiud and water above the first hoo,s of the
houses, which was cecasoned by It's being np-
ded, in some measure, from It's furious descent
fron, the raynes Of the Rouhtains into the sl
At this shocking p@riod the sson'cst heart fcItsp
paled nothing was 30 be htard but the dint Of
ruin working in every direction hundreds Of
huge stones, that had Seen torn from ttei guar.
RES on The. his three niles ABOVE the town, wee
;rumSing over each other III stupendous concus.
sion, carrying with them, in cOnianttion with
the dslugr, chatchtsj converts, streets, tees,
ba,tIemeuss, aud cight Eundfed human beings
INFO the bottom o. the deep. Whenever a fish OF
tightening penetrated the gioenb were seen me-
Tiers wading through the streets, up to Their
chlis IN water, hbding their infants on their
heads With ooe hand, and endeavorlnG to catch
security with the other; While those who dc
tespted to ASSIST them, were frequently maImea
OF killed, by the beams of timber or wine pes
W ich Aoated around them and the sea Pnsn''
ed scene no less awful, though less rnnou'
most OF the vessels lus their cables anchors a"'
boa!s, ard many Of the stamen were wased over
board. Tie ships rolled, IL some part or a1o-
ther, several feet aoave the water o0nhoudF'
and al the sailors who were there on ''aI ~
NAL nisht, whether Americans, Engl'h o. iO''
fuguese, gave themselves up for LOST meN.
Thus, III 50 Short a space of tine as rev W.
nufes. were marty hundred individuals 'affleaW
tlsir eternal home, III the vefy p'snt'tude Of a,
apparent security; and several thousands ieau''.
from ahuence to poverty: ard many OF Ins"' =.
IS probsblr, IN The indulgence Of those llp'r
ictliots, which constitute our cnn'naity OF 0p'
folly, and sent to their account, f" uhoiaD'H'',
unaaointed, unaRnealed' Ten thou ana pF.'
Of wine aud brandy were destroyed, and inc So,
shore WIS skirted On the ensuing morhip8 wiz
millions of fragments, among which the iHoO'r
ing survivors OF the calamity were eaGefly seq.
ing for the dea3 remains Of their f'ia t5sn
friends. Several days after the air Of I l"Cnl ~
became SO purescent, from the ro'tnS o. -. ~
bodies that were buried beneath the congfeg'''1
mud and 6sh, that pesiIenee ives aPP'e'e :".b
ed; but in consequence of burning Tar an' p'.,s
and other neutral,zing conlbustblcs, tfai ''0u'6
WAS pfovidcntially avoided. ,,.
Il was remarkable that this de.uge III It's soa',,
swept away % vineyards, that were s'fu"su
a, G south west side Of ID: cry AM go a'S'''i