Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1843-04-28
EARTHQUAKE IN THE WEST
INDIES.

The following letter from an eye%h'
ness (says The New Orleans Cour'er)
will, no doubt, interest our readers, as It
furnishes the only minute and correct
account yet published Of one Of the mosI
EIrighlEul scenes that can be imagined:
PoINT PETRE, March l3, ls4S
To the Editor of The Courier: Qn. the,
9Th ol February, sboat bali past ~ o.
clock. a Irighlful earthquake threw down
all The houses and walls 10 The town OF
Point Petre. After terrible minute OF
mortal anxiety the trembling ol the earth
ceased, and then arose on all sides the
most beart-reUdiOg, cries. For mo-
mcnt a cloud of dust madeit impossible
10 Distinguish objects; but in short Time
the " ind dispersed he dust,& " the eyes
of The few survivors fell on the heaps OF
bodies horribly mulIaied; some sIIll
live. aud others quite dead.
A supor for. a moment seemed to pay
ayza The loueu euesand Iimhs of those who
escaped uuhurt. They looked at each
other like IDIOTS. Suddenly cries broke
forth. "My ehIId!" "My lalhef" my
wlle!n an6 then all were 10 motion 10
in search Of those lhcy held most dear
No longer could any streets be lrace1, :,
for all were filed up by the runs OF the
houses, of which none remained stand
,pp but lew butt of wood AIlera long
/ aud painful search smong the heaps oI
RUNS. q lew persons were taken out Ial'Ve
The questions asked while this aVRs
going on were truly heartrendIng:-
"Hsve you seen my molherT" "She has
been crushed 10 death" "llave you met
with my chldreu9' "They were fouod
under The ruins" ooh, tell mo what
has become of mywile!' "She has oeen
dashed 10 pieces"
Olhelssl close to the spotwhere
IpleIy stood their dwellings. with their
hands cIa.peG together, aud on bended
knees they called Tor aid: "My mother
ls there buried aIyveunder lhe ruins; she
calls; help me TO get her out" II am
seeking my own mother was perhaps the.
repIy; and he who had been called on
10 aid went his way.
la al; the roads, heads, arms, and legs
we're seen sticking out. the rest OF the
body being held as in vice. And these
heads, arms. and eg1 are Hamp'ed on
bv their fellow ownsmen, who were
searching after their own relations.
Three thousand dead u two thousand
mullIared bodies, have been taken from
the ruins, and many more remained un'
touched eight days sIler the disaster.
When they heard Of this iIighIruI ca
Iamity, the people Of the nOighborIng IS
laods FASTENED 10 send or bring lhem aid
and succor. Subscriptions we're every
where opened and all rushed forward lc
nut down their names. Even tho poor
est among the poor has'ened TO contrib
ute his mite,
Ia the mean time food was wanted.-
: Not q store or a warehouse had escaped
. ,be wreck, True. a few frame houses
D remain standing; hut flames had burst ou
D from the luns, and what the earIhquakt
: had spared was now rapidly consumed by
fire Nothing then was saved but th'
lives Of few human beings whose mind
were impressed with the recollection
= of the scenes they had Witnessed
= The night OF The 9Th was tr'gh'lul =
While the flames were completing tn
work Of destruction, those who had esca
= ned sought rcposo afler the farlgues an
alarms Of the day. Tho stoulest ha
fed 10 the adjacent plantations, carry'n
. perhaps a child, perhaps some challt
I, snalched from the fire. Others had r'
=. pairpd on board the vessels in the harbo
The iepbe had lain themselves down
= the foot of a tree or close 10 a rock.
N Thefre continued burning Two day
10 and nights.
,s On the tenth provisional admin
20 tration was organized, Ralions wei
ID distributed consisting Of a little rice,
9. lIllIe Goldfish, and biscuit. Judges, laN
in yers, notarles, merchants were see
= with niece Of Goldfish and biscuit
,lI their hands The dpihdent Jared wors
or getting Nothiog 10 consequence Of III
or state OF things numbers lett the isaud
re No questions arose as 10 where II
its vessels we're bound for. 1t sutficed
- the unfortunate emigrOnt could be r,
e. ceived on board None remained b
,pt those who we're tied down by some po
as erFul motive. The people Of Martin
lar que gave the kindest reception to tho
re- who sought refuge among them
m, CH TESTUT.
'p-
nm nA--M. McNuItv ihe faUona oF