The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-03-20
From the Journal of Commerce.
GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF FEBRUARY 9Th.

From the Journal of Commerce.
GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF FEBRUARY 9Th.
We have advices from most of the West India
Islands in the range of the late appalling earthquake
Only the wndward or easternmost cluster of those
Islands, have suffered material damage. Guadalupe,
(on which the town of Point Pere situated and
the ncighboring small island Of Montserat, appear to
have been the focus of the explosion. volcano on
The former island by the captain OF the Crit
fon arrived at st. Thomas, to issue thick and sue
cessve volumes of flames and Noserat is stated TO
have been enveoped in smoke or dust, as II thrown
up from volcano. We think the report of the sink
ing of this island will prove to be incorrect. We
proceed to give some details
GUADALoUPE.-Captain Knowles, OF schooner Eli
len, which arrived here yesterday in II days from
st. Thomas, states that before he left news had been
received from Point Petre, Guadalupe, that every
building thrown down by the conclusion, and
from ten to fifteen thousand persons killed.
The scene was terrific. 1t was breakfast hour with
the inhabitants Captain Fisher, of American
vessel, when the shock commenced, sitting in the
lower story Of store fronting the water, and sprang
for his boat at the end of short wharf. In an IN
slant he at the end of the wharf, but the wharf
and the boat both rocked so fearfuy that he hesi-
tated Just then the ground opened beneath his feet,
and with leap he reached the boat and was saved.
Several other Captains were with Captain Fisher at
the time, and all saved Vessels were SO much sha-
Mr. Ridgeley, comedian from Philadelphia, was
the lower floor of hotel and sprang into the
street On all sides he saw men throwing them
selves upon their faces on the ground In another
instant the stone walls fell and buried all beneath
Them except few who fortunate as to find
themselves above The ruins When Mr.. Il. recover
ed himself he was unframed, though all the persons
he had just seen were hopelessly buried. His little
son, lad of years of age, the first object
he saw, springing to embrace his father. How they
came so near together Mr.. Ridgeley could not I'M
derstand, as the lad was, at the commencement of
the shock in the third story of house four squares
off. The boy says that all he remembers Isl that
when he heard the cry Earthquake he jumped out Of
the window The boy was sitting at breakfast 18th
the family, and all the family persisted except small
GIRL who, after the shock, was standing by the side
Of young Rdgeey. Mr.. Ridgeley found his trunk
shattered 10 pieces, thirty yards from the hotel. His
clothes very badly torn, and hi hat gone, but
he was not injured. the earth rocked so that man
could not keep his feet 1t opened in several places,
and closed asains swallowing up people and build
ngs and in instances the wafer spouied up six
tv and seventy feet. Many large openings remained.
About two-lhIrds of the inhabitants persisted. OF
the garrison Of eight hundred men, only seventy sur.
WED.
A furious fire broke out Immediately after the
earthquake which ragged for some days, adding great
ly TO the horrors of the scene Some persons after
having been almost eXtrlcated 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 heard for several days
aud large number were dug out in a mutilated and
suffering condition. Some it was hoped would sur
yive but Others died after their dellyerance The
stencil from sulphur at first, and from the decayIng
bodies after two days, was inoerabie.
Four thousand bodies had been dug out Of the
ruins OF Point Pere by the sailors in the harbor and
taken out to sea in boats, in order to prevent pcst
lence.
I'll ,,., ri
ties for food, that they rushed out to intercept cart
loads Of canes, which had been ordered in for them
from tie country.
Among the killed is the American Consul. He
was taken from under the ruins with both legs brok-
en- and put on board an American vessel in the har.
Dor, but died the next day.
The streets Of Point petre are narrow, and the
houses almost all of stone, and from three to five
stories high The number Of inhabitants as we learn
from an old ship-master well acquainted with the
place, about 20 600.
A st. Crox paper of February l6, with which we
have been favored by friend, says;
sThe mouth Of the harbor of Point Petre, which
before the event capable of admitting ships OF
The heaviest burden, became completely cboked W
and forever rendered impossible by rocks being forced
up from the bottom of the The vessels which
were at the time in ort, will, it is feared, never be
got out among them many large ships from France
and other vessels from America.
{" An order came down for 1000 barrels Of -four
300 barrels of beef so tierces of rice 30 casks of
fish, &c. all Of which have been procured and sent
tonight, by French schooner and the Romp, of ST
Croix "
contribution TO the amount of $4,000 was also
raised and forwarded by the Romp.
ANTIGUA.-ln less Tia n three minutes, says the
Antigua Herald, the earthquake laid PROSTATE or
otherwise sci iously injured almost every Windmill
steam engine, and every set of sugar works on the
island, rendering useless almost every church and
chapel as the few that LEFT standing are so ser-
ousiy rent and injured to be unsafe even for
temporary shelter, and therefore dangerous in the
extreme Tor public worship.
The Cathedral, our ancient, venerable and beaut-
full Parish Church or ages the principal ornament Of
Saint john has been seriously injured as TO be to-
tally unfit for divine worship The roof having been
twisted from its original position on the walls aiCry
threatens early terrific fall and the walls are so
severely rent and broken as to have been rendered
utterly eess until they shall have been thoroughly
rebuilt from the foundation. The Tower has also
been so severely split and shattered that serious i'm
jury is threatened to the djacent houses and their
occupants, its fall is seriously apprehended should
there come on a heavy fall of rain
The Court House, Public Arsenal, Police Office
Lunatc Asylum, Common Jail, House Of Correction,
Military Barracks, Her Maestys Custom House, aud
seve, al Warehouses have been seriously injured
to require very extensive rebuilding and repairs His
Exceency issued a Proclamation yesterday, com
mandlng Friday next to be set apart as a day of So
Tenn thanksgiving to Almighty God for his great
mercy vouchsalcd to us in protecting our lives from
the imminent danger occasioned by the dreadful and
unparalleled Earthquake Of Wednesday last
The immense loss OF property occasiored by this
visitation will require several millions Of pounds ster-
ling to replace. The present most uxurant and large
quantity Of Canes which crown the fields will UNI
avodaby be sacrificed for want of mills to grind and
Sugar Works to manufacture the present bountiful
standing crops
This sad catastrophe preceded by an extrsor-
binary and alarming rise Of the tide to the extent Of
four feet above its usual flow.
We have not been able to ascertain the accurate
number of lives that have been lost the occasion