Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1803-12-24
From the Newyork Cazettc--pec. q.
Calamity at MADEIRA.

This extraordinary event, which we briefly no.
ticed in paper OF yeierday, happened on Sun
day the 9th Of OAober, at Q O'Clock in fhe even.
lAg. The day had been pveviOutly very cloudy
and continual ram had fallen, accompanied with
Equals, which were not v'olene, until tbs fun had
iuak b2Ecath tie holiFon, when the lea appeared
70 he UnUlu2l!y agtAted, and fucs a darkness pre-
vailed, that an osjecG mol 6i(ceruble at YARDS
diltance-deriog this ProGrets, every parton re
NAMED IN their houfss in ieeraing fecurity, and
wholly unconlcous Of that approaching horror
which was defined 10 lhortly TO fweeP them from
eff the earth
The clock Of The cathedral was Griking eight,
when an instantaneous form of thun and light.
ming began, and the rain fell 10 fucs torrents, that
all the crois treeta of the ealsrn part of the city
Of Funchall, were iudGeRly filed with mad and
water above the hrli floors of the hsui-s, which
vas occa6ooei by its being mpedsd, IN ioaae nnea
sure, in its furious decens from the ravines of the
mountains mo the (ea. At this hocking period
the touteis hears 5elf appalled, nothing was to be
heard bat the din of ruin, working IN every direc
ton hundreds OF huge Zones, that had been tom
from their quarres on the Ellis three miles above
the town, were turblin3 over each other in ia
Pendous concefloR, carrying with them, in con
junction with the d:uge, churches, converts, srses,
bridges, battlemeuts, and eight hundred human
beings INTO the bottom Of the deep. Whenever a
Aath OF lightning penetr ated the GLOOM, then were
zen mothers wadicg through the Rreets, up 10
their chins ri water, holding their infants On their
head, with ore hand, and end-avoring to catch fe
cnfitT with the other |; while thoie who attsnptej
to aailt them, were frequently manned OF killed
Dy the beams OF timber or wine pipes which foat-
CT around them and tie fea Drelsnted fcene
not leis awful, tho lief, ruinoss !; mon If the vel
ies LOFT their cables, anrhors and BEATS, and many
OF the ieamen were walhed overheard. The ihips
rolled, ione part Or another everal feet below the
water continually, and all the falors who were
there on that ddraa' night, whether Americans,
Englih, or Porsugueie, gave .hsnaelvsS UP as oIi
msn.
Zen shouiand pipes of wine and brandy were
dettroyed, and the fea fhore was kirted on the
enin'ng morningwth millions of fragments, among
which the mourning furvivors of the caamity
were eagerly eking for the dead remains OF their
relations or friends. Several days after, the AIR Of
4nnchail became 70 putrefcent fl ON the rottng of
the bodies that were buried beneath the congress
Ted mud and filth. that pelt,lence was spprehen
oed bat m eoniequence Of burning ear and pitch,
and other neuerazing combuaibles, that fcourge
was progidentaly avoided.
Ii was remarkable that this dsluge in its courfe
iwept away tweR nine vineyards that were ti,ua
ted on the iouih wet Eide Of the city ana 70 deci
I'VE was the rum, that it tore up all tie trees by the
roo's' and bore away not emily them, but all the |
cottages, with their inhabitants, the ground, cat
lie aud aPpurtenances, and left the ky baG, as
bare OF vegetation as the cliffs Of Norway. ALI