Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-07-12
From the NewYork Herald.
Most Extraordinary Escape from the
Guadoloupe Earthquake.

We notice the arrival. at the Astor
house, of Professor Risley, and his little
son of six years old, who made one fthe
most Astonishing escapes in the Glada-
loupe earthquake, that was ever recorded
ia verse or prose. Mr.. Risley has most
remarkable and original genius for clas.
sic gymnastics, and his lutte son is per-
feet prodigy. We shall now give some
remarkable particulars oflhat great earth
quake, as nearly as possible in his, own
words.
/ aud my little boy had been at Point
Petre, GuadaIonpe, four days previous to
the earthquake, which occurred on The
morning Of "Wednesday, The eighth Of
February. l was there on a short pro-
fessional engagement. vas taking my
lodgings at the American coffee house,
and my meals at the French coffee house,
in different places, according 10 the Gus.
tom of the country. Wednesday morn
ing, the eighth, was one of the most beau.
tiful that could be imagined The sun
shone out in all its splendor. soft and
| pleasant breeze came in from the sea-
and everything seemed in state OF nalur
al peace AMI quiet.
! There Was estimated to be about sew
enty-6ve persons in the French coffee
house, where l. was taking my meals
We had all sat down to breakfast on that
morning as usual, and were quietly taking
our morning meal, chatting and talking
freely upon the thousand trivial subjects
that came up on such occasions in Iced,
we had all nearly finished breakfast.
For myself had flashed, and was sit
ting, partly sideways at the table. as one
would naturally sit alter eating--convers,
| ing with the gentleman who sat opposite
10 me. / had the towel ring 10 my hand
turning it about and carlessly playing
| with il.
The first thing which attracted my at
tention. was sudden jar, accompanied by
a rumbIing sound like distant thunder. |
had some two weeks before this been at
| Port Royal, in the island uf Martinique,
and seen the effects of similar visitation,
and instantly knew what it -meant. So
sudden was the shock, that within two
seconds from the instant l first felt the jar,
looked up and saw the whole building,
commencing at the farther end, falling
upon the people-the joisls opened, and
4 all began 10 come down with an awful
crash. l instantly uttered the word
stump p'-the man who sat opposite 10
me turned his head, and looked up side
WAYS, bat never rose from his seat = and
a, precisely the same moment, aud with
out stopping 10 turn myself about, | start.
ed from nv seat, and actually jumped
4 sideways, out of the window, through
glass, sash, and all, landing some ten OF
: twelve feet in the yard below. think it
couId~not have been over three to five
seconds from the instant irsL felt The jar
TO the instant my feet struck the pave
fment.
i NV impression on touching the ground
was its indescribably rapid molion-I car
compare il to nothing, unless it night be
, THAT of sieve of a ihreshing mill, in its
most rapid motion. should judge, from
1.-The distance was thrown, first one way
and then the other, that the lateral motion
|, OF the earth must have been from elever
I to fourteen feet I succeeded, notwilE
/ standing, in retaining my feet for some
: eight or ten seconds, iii. got away from
the building 10 the distance of thirty o;
: forty wards into an open 10, of ground.
While | was walking this distance O
|, thirty or forty yards, | saw the building.
{ of the whole city tumbling into,o mas.
: of ruins-and also the earth opening IL
? the lower part Of the town, and spontinI
Top immense volumes Of water, to III,
height of an hundred and fly feet. TIL,
! multitude Thoughts which passed thro
: my mind during these few seconds is Ut
: lerIy inconceiyabIe and incredible.
IL there could have been any Fl s
: thoughts amid such an ips anlaneou
flood-my first thought was of my boy
!, In relation to him, be was net with IN
!. on that morning. At about half. pas
: eight o'clock, Mr.. Montague. friend {
! mine, had by previous arrangemen,, cali
ed for him, and taken him away 10 break
fast with some friend Of his = where o
who il was. know not. and neither doe
e the boy know But knowing the repula
. lion Of Mr.. Montague, /, Of course, fe
: that Master John was safe and gave ny
~ self no uneasiness about him.
: Master John tells bis story thus: Mi
= Montague took me 10 the distlnce of SON
: six or eight blocks from the coffee house
o where left nay father, to the house Z
e some friend Of Mr.. Montague's, who's
Y. name do not know. There was stor
@ kept under the house. and I was take
& up TO the second foor. There was on
2 young lady who was playing upon tn
y piano. and several others were also pres
snt, who had been invited that morning