The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1843-03-18
Terrible Ear hUstaEtc.

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Terrible Ear hquaEtc.
THE News SoRRowFrLLl CoNFIEMEp
A LETTER FROM OUR coEREsP"NDENT
Gloss OF LIFE MUCH GREATER THAN
| WAS BEFORE ANNnUNcED-THE ORGANS
OF THE DYING AND THE DEsTRucTI"N
of THE LlvING-A MOST TERRlFIc
SrECTACLE!
Capt Knowles, of schr. Ellen, from ST..
Thomas. stated that before he left, news
had been received from Point Pelrc, eau
ha!ouse, that BY the grea. earthquake ol
the middle of February every building
was thrown down, and from len to fifteen
thousand persons killed.
The scene was terrific. II was break
fast hour with the inhabitants. Capt.
Fisher, Of an American vessel, when The
shock commenced. was sitting in the low
cr story Of IA store fronting the water, and
sprang for his boat al the end of a short
wharf In an instant, almost. he WIS al
the end of the wharf, but the wharf and
the boat both rocked so luriously that he
hcsiaed. Just then the ground opened
beneath his feet, and with leap he reach
ed the boat and was saved. Several oth-
er captains were with Capt Fisher at the
time, and all were saved. Vessels were
SO much shaken as to be in great dan
ger.
A furious fire broke out Immediately
after the earthquake. which ragged for
some days, adding greatly to the horrors
of the scene. Some persons, after having
been almost eXtricaled from the rubbish,
were necessarily abandoned to their fate,
on account OF the approach of the fire. The
cries of the people buried under the ruins
were heard for several days, and large
number were dug out in mulilaed and
suffering condition. The stencil from
sulphur, and from the decaying Eodies,
which had been exposed for two days,
was intnlerable.
Four thousand bodies had been dug ont
Of the ruins by the.sailors in the harbour
and taken out to sea in boats in order to
prevent pesilence.
The American Consul was buried in
the ruins, and dug out with both legs
shockingly injured-hc underwent an
amputalion, but died Immediately AFTER
OF a regiment of soldiers, 500 strong, 20
only were left allye.
The massive Notifications were a heap
of ruins, and the mouth of the harbor was
completely choked up by rocks forced
from the bottom of the sea. 1t was fear.
ed that the vessels in port would never be
got out.
The survivors were reduced to such
awful CXt.emities for food, that they rush
cd out to interrupt cart loads of cane
which had been sent in TO them from the
country.
At St. Bart. the church and several 9TH
er buildings were thrown down, and the
earlh'opened in the centre of the street to
the width of foot. the lissure extending
600 yards in length.
Only 10 lives were lost at Antigua, al
though almost every building in 81. John
were thrown down.
At St. Eustatia the damage was confn-
ed mainly TO buildings, some being very
badly injured.
AIS S.. christopher several of the pub
lie buildings were utterly destroyed. Only
one person lost her life, but some others
were badly hurt
At Nevis and ST. Bartholomew the
earth opened. and water with surpur-
Gus smell issued from the crevices.
Nothing further had been heard from
Montserrat. When last seen the island
was developed in dense cloud Of smoke
or dust The sea around was violently
agila'ed.
At St. Vincent the shock was felt but
slightly.