Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-04-18
From the New York Gazette.
EARTHQUAKE At MARTINIQUE

81. ttucent NntontCic ~ WIG iAW Z Wv
ruary, from which we extract the follow
ing particular account or the late Earth
quake'st Martinique.
In addition to the particulars which
have reached us through the French
press, Of the late calamity, we have beer
favored with a perusal Of some notes by
n gentleman who has recently inspected
Port Royal and ST. Pierre.
Anxious Of Judging from persona
observation Of the extent Of damage
committed at Martinique and ST. Lucia
a party of friends embarkc from Kings
town on the cath ult. and after al
agreeable but protracted voyage bore
up for Port Tor, as IL IL erroneously,
suspect, wri,teD) Fort Royal, at 10 o.
clock at night on Wednesday, the 3Oih
Ii was one of those lovely and serene
evenings, when the moon swims a'oit III
the melIowness of splendor unknown 10
Europe and as our vessel neared the
shore, reflected in fantastic grouping The
dark lines Of wall which encompassed It
But if our attention was rivetted by the
first coup d'eil, how imme easurably was
it heightened on attaining the deserted
wharf! No living being opposed ou'
progress no one greeted our approach
A solitary sentinel on the Savann'
merely challenged, as we made our wa,
through tottering streets and encumbered
thorOnghfares, silent as the grave. Any
language Of mine is incapable of doing
Justice TO such subject of absolute de-
ISOLATION Of PROSTATE porticos, dilap'-
dated mansions, and piles Of stone aud
mortar, eloquent in ruin. Every one
felt as if traversing "cily of the dead; "
nor could these emotions have been more
vividIy excited in pacing the dlscm-
boweIled remains of Hercuaneum and
Pompeii.
Con the following morning and fore
noon we repeated our visit, and yet more
in detail went over the spots so remarka
bly, striking tho previous nigh, but frs
impression retained their force. Al
the public buildings arc either totally
destroyed, or so rent or thrown down a
to be useless. OF 100 houses whIcl
composed the city, only 10 are saved
and singular TO say, these were woodeI
edi6ces. Whole lines Of streets in lht
meaner suburbs were entombed with th,
inmates by the falling in of the loltie
stone dwellings in their vicinity. Blu
of all the remarkable spectacles in this
accumulation of horrors, none can vie
with that presented by the arched irag
ments ofthc convcnt-the tattcred shreds
Of the old, and the site of what mas the
new hospital. This splendid building,
but recently completed, and which cost
(as an intelligent merchant informed us)
100000, is entirely razed to the earth.
Not stone remains upon another, and
the soil Of the open space or yard, 10
front, is white from the dust into which
il crumbled with its imprisoned patients,
46 in number, of whom 81 were military
An idea may be formed of the impetus
Of the earthquake in this quarter, whcr
| mention that between ten and twelve
feet in front OF the base lie the iron rail
ings which ran along it, Adjoining
these masses Of shattered planks ant
strewn fragments, is the cemetery o
burying ground. Hiher all the killed
aner being gathered together from dii.
ferent points, and deposited in dead carts
on la Place d'Armes, and that Of des
Quartres Noirs, were huddled into two
enormous ditches, dug for the occasion,
which were instantly filled up with quick
lime some without arms or legs, others
wanting an eye or nose, women whose
breasts had been torn off, were plunged
in without distinction of age, rank or
sex; and (says French writer as these
hasty sepulchres could not contain the
mass Of bodies which cloggcd them up,
the assistants were compelled to squeeze,
crowd, and stamp them, as one packs
behring's into a barrel Well might he
doubt the evidence Of his senses
"We found it difficult to ascertain the
exact mortality. 1t would appear tina,
about 900 sufferers were dug out of the
ruins, and in 800 of these ls, was ex-
tinct. The others were carried on to the
artillery barracks, fitted up as tempo
rary hospital, and nothing can be better
than the arrangements there perfected.
Amputation was resorted to in numerous
instances, but none survived the opera
ton. Government tries to conceal the
extent Of the calamity, in order to rein
spire confidence in the colonists but it
admits a loss of 26O dead, and about an
equal number wounded. Having been
courteously received by His ExceIlency
the Governor, Admiral de Mogcs, and
conversed with his Abide Camp and
various respectable individuals, | shall
now detail such further incidents as may
probably crafty the curiosity Of our fel-
low citizens.
All are agreed that this awful visi-
tation Of Providence was tempered with
mercy. II, instead Of happening at
o'clock Of the morning, it had taken
place few hours sooner, not a soul
could have escaped, las the town was bur
led in sleep but occurring when the la
boring population had for the most partrc-
paired to their wonted occupations, they
whose houses first fell, owing TO the
superintendent weight Of larger man
sions, avided the fate which engulphed
their residences. The greatest fatality
occurred in the streets, which being
narrow and built with great strength
were chokej up by the falling Of mis-