The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-04-06

nvnro,S;t1 So "liu lie fingered in Z;
e1preSSloie ,.Iisa agony for two dsys d",- ~ M
Wi''on 1e ihoe oessantly called on him ling :"
,hina.e ms sriterings. Entorinr W Ter ler-
pam 10 refresh ourselves, the noe, pubic
purst into tears. telling us she con,J OwneF
seno 70 US, as now she could onlv ~ rO s'-
Tor son-in-law and grand cb;la, NOUN
umely snatch-ed from her arms. un-
house officer explaind how be h.S a. S0s'Om
twlcs overturned in the street. and LOU oeen
In several places, but when he q, l. ond urI'Sed
rosei 'ne screams, groans and cries fop ma q
cy Deggared all description and abonln,',rl, ,asr.
narrowed his feelings. II thought "us,y :" wst
MS own words, "the day of isdSsms,,"t W. N
arrived" The first to exns,;S hssf
shock, 1t is believed, were the ssaS. 'ns'
the fleet, (recently from Mexico a Ivi0a ii =.
the roadstead. E'ng IN
The vessels bounded as if thew had ,,..,
on reef, while frightful detonatinn rauSN .""HS
ed their ears, and then simpllaneoua .Ia: .s%si'
IRON the shore. Within the city the esr,h. r,Ja
quake is represented as composed Of ,b,"-
shockS, and its duration to have extendsd :"
a period Of from 40 to GO seconds. ,rs' |"
hrst two shocks were accompanied h.
rumblng noise; then came a yibr.t;n.
ton and opening Of the earth: rert o. ~
slantaneous thrill-and the work If a..
tructlon was complete The dirpct;o, -
lhe shocks seem to have been tr,nsevo,,.
A rush was made for the streets. wb.,. "I
most every individual was seized with sm,
por struck by the falling embors, blinded
by the dust, or choked by Wholesome eAlnl
via; and 1t is not the delusion of fancy n
say that we ourselves were sensible of .
sllli offensive smell among the ruins. Va.
rlous phenomena were remarked, a. nro.
ceding and following the earlbouaE.-,
sparks OF fire thrown up through The era.
vices in the earth, the of thunder under reoi.
and the like. wv"
Twenty millions seven hundred tbou.
SAND francs, or more, will be required 10 "a.
bid Port Royal, if rebuilt it ever can be:
as at present it can only be termed pile Of
fens and pendent masonry, propped up by
beams OF wood, dangerous to the ps,sers
by. Its population previous 10 the fatal
Ilth OF January, was computed at l2. 600
souls. The bulk of the survivors have fled
70 the adjoining country, which has also en-.
dured its trial. Those who remain ale either
iunctlonarics in public employment, or DOOR
people, who still cling TO the wreck of their
little means. There cannot be doubt that
the city or port owed lis destruction 10 tho
alluvial nature OF the soil on which il was
erected, since the Fort, situated on an emf.
nence, escaped with slight fissuru in ope
Of the barracks. Till more permanent pro-
vision can be made for the citizens, they
are encamped under tents upon the Savan.
me- one OF those agreeable public lounges
which the French establish in their colonies,
as well as in the towns of the mother coua.
try, and which must tend SO materially to
the amusement and health OF the people.
On Ihe same spot divine service is now
performed under canvass covering, butt!
appeard to be attended by few male devo-
tees. Every tongue is loud in praise of The
Governor and the heads Of departments, for
their incessant zeal courage, and humanity;
and they have been nobly seconded by the
military and seamen of the fleet, upwsrd IF
loOO OF whom landed to dig out the suffer.
ers' But for them, still greater fatality
must have ensued, for the native laborers
and slaves were either overcome with ter
ror, or refused TO give their services; nav,
1t IS even added that conspiracy existed
among the latter TO FIRE the town on the night
oi the 10Th and llth; and that one incend.
ary was taken with combustible materials
ior the purpose. He is supposed to have
been crushed under the walls Of the pris-
on.
=" Every high wind or brisk shower Of
ram threatens TO complete the annihilatiOn
Of Port Royal. In bearing up on Thurs.
day evening for st. Pierre, under heavy
breeze, which at one time almost betokened
hurricane, we naturally felt for the unfor-
tunates, who were again threatened with
repetition OF their caamities; but up to our
departure on Saturday,no intelligence reach
ed Us from this quarter. The inhabitants
DO speak of even fifteen shocks of earth
quake 10 alarm them since the first, bnt
doubtless apprehension goes far to awaken
their fears. st. Pierre has Likewise suffer-
ed, but not to an extent comparable 10 the
capital. From all accounts there is reason
TO believe, that the earthquake was fully as
severely felt; in our own island, as in any
OF the neighboring ones and if | NAV bS
permitted to appeal to natural causes.
principle one is to be found in the SOt!tri-
ere, which must have acted as a safety valvs