New-York daily tribune., 1844-10-26
From the NJ O. Tropic. Oc, IS.
Hurricane at Havana.
Great Loss Of LIFE and Prop rty-Dsstructton Of
Woods, Crops, &c.

So far as heard from, the devastation appears
and The mex. intelligence aust bring us accounts
OF many more disss,o-v, both by sga aud land,
than we have vet heard. The loss OF property
has been enornous and we are as,on=hed that
the loss ci life though Il has been considerable,
is mt greater The barometer, during The storm,
fell foe incheS-somcth!ng never before kuowi!
within The tropics.
The authorities OF The is!and have issued de.
cree, translation Of Ehich we publish below, for
the benefit OF the mere 1ntile community.
SUNDAY. October 6. 1914
When we wrote an article tris Morniug, WE he'd
seen bat = small pGI. OF tie ravages OF the Hur-
ricaue Now that We have IraveTsed the whole
ciiy-now that sight has beheid iDnuInercoe
Iuiss--now that We have heard with horror The re
lation Of thousand disastee-a thousand scenes
oil desoiaon occurring in the short space ol eleven
houys--wr suppress feelings 10 pant The effects
of this torture without parallel II the history OF
Cuba. biost sad irdeed il ihis relation To uS and,
we.e il not 10 satis- the pubic mind We would beg
10 Es excused. Bur, knowing that the realty Is
nt.fr so horrible as The exaggerated picture winch
icAr and Charaiuiiism forces upon pubic tnIieiy,
vii. seek 10 cs!ui The excited emotions ci ne com
uc,iity. ,.'e DO rot wsh inicr from ns ttat our
sad review Will be ~hciiy exact or complete Al
ti!s early hour IL IL Impossible 10 oblain positive in-
formation Of The extent Gi suiirring. ] nc Public
Authorities {. the Ciy aod Port are actively en-
gagged in the inquiry, and in the method OF repairing
them as far a. pUsslb!e Those most Interested do
not know hgir losses with any drgfee oi cer,aiaty'
Therefore our sketch will he Incomplete, provisions
~: bet we saii, ad iatertm write new facts, ;u:rr
,ratiOn ea. dates, and ccretennG rectiy II should
ii be requisite.
The 4h Of October as we have already said,
day o sGca sad nieinory-it rained continually and
abunsa:tlv. Al frs: the wind light and scnniy
from the S E. Afterwards, it blew with more fore.
from due East unit evening, when nature ftii 10 III
most complete calm-a prelude 10 grand tragedy
thu, was soon 10 nc enacted. At8P. ~. it bssan
blow ard rain with force; at The wind was tenn
pestuous; at 10, hurrcnnc-increasing in strength
during the whole night, end continuing lhus uat
10 A. ii. Then mperiectbly ii began 10 luli. Al
meridian, much diminished and diminishing all the
evening During thGi unfortunate nigh, ard morn
inc the hurricane traversed lhreet0uTths Of the
pass and with such sudden variations, that the dam
gers, especially n the bay, were aggravated, render
Inc all eiortG herocally employed for the salvation
OF The lost vessels, null.
During this night Of terror trbulation filed the
heart Of this tranquil city. AT p. NJ. commenced
the demolition Of houses, enclosures, trees doors
and windows, and 10 such extent thet it would be-
difficult TO find within our whole extensive populu
lion within and without the city walls, q single
house that has not suffered, and been injured more
destruction which rescunded in the elements, the
cries Of the victims, the voices OF sufferers, the tears
Of the unfortunate, and the prayers OF the ieihinl,
added
The long desired for dawn OF day al length
rived, but not with II termination 10 the general
anguish, which increased the feeble ray of light
Illuminated MS with the torch Of death This picture OF
destruction; for in truth i! was belween the hours of
aud 8 that the hurricane effected as greatest raya.
ges During ll:at day almost every establishment
remained closed the streets and squares were de-
serted; lhe distribution Of the daily supplies for the
city were reterd ill ate in The afternoon. In The
markets there W." nohlu6-no milk, meat or provl.
sions OF any kind. Nhen the hurricane was over,
he city continued to present TIE appearance Of
place thar lnd been bonbarded aud sacked. Doors
and wiaGoas that remained were found shut,aud only
through sections OF the doors and windows iOOp-
nolesl mish a face he seen, anxously watching to
learn ii the war OF the elements was over. Where
yer the eye cast, were seen rubbish, houshs and
trunks of trees, spouts, window frames houses
propprd up, windows aud doors forced out turre,s
broken, walls demolished and hahiaIioGs over
flowed. The spectacle which the wharyes Of Ca
balleria, San Francisco ard the Machna presented
especially The latter is indcscrbab'e, mos, horrible
and most desolaie. At The fIst, The vessels moored
there striking against each other, had their ribs
broken. At The second, more than ten schooners
vent TO pieces, c"d passage boats and Launches
broken, with masls and spars, boxes ard barrels
were under The wharf. AT the Machina, were seen
likewise a multitude Of sinai! vessels destroyed in-
uyed and abandoned. The gate OF this wharf was
forced down. and the great mast Of the Mach;Da fell,
and in its fall DESTROYED part Of the houses which
were there. A, The Fish Market there has alsobeen
havOc-one Ct its towers ruined-all the launches
that were it, were thrown up the shere orin
the sewers. In front Of the Fish Market, against
the cuartel Of Valdez, and over against los City
Walis, brig loaded with charcoal has been driven
tt,a h.,
four more vessels are seen, thrown upon the shore
and deshing against the walls. The picture is sad
from this poiGt-yesse!s smnsted in The channel
others lost on Casa Blanca, Triscornia and Regla,
and even as far up the hatbor IS Tellepedra.
We have already said that the TeDglado, or shed
the wharf of Gaia .eria, Is comp leiely down. In
is fall three victims lost their ves-two whites anG
black. The new shed in front OF the Custom
house has suffered damsge i:kewise-the pisnks OF
the wasT'cs broken up. in Resla The damages
iderabe, much in the town al the wharves.
The Plaza de eros halt destroyed, and many
houses ailer. Ia GuanabScoa We are informed thai
more ihan so hruses are ruined. In ,he Cero many
houses 6ad enclosures are down. In Puentes-we
do not know what has happened 10 this picturesque
pace. ,'ns bridge OF &o,uasn las disappeared.
In Hsy-a We have hearl OF three stone pad NOR
TAI houses almost ruined, a.d it i> 10 lad on
that has not suffered paru.!Iy. ihe srrater part OF
he city laS:l,'s havc cone 10 pieces The top orna
,nents OF na Government house have beer lruDs.
por..d, us il by mag c, 10 great Gisicnce. fh-
stately palm.trces u s;anra Clara were torn up b,
their loots and their beautiful leaves thrown by the
wind iuto the srset.
In the street o. Rel.-, Nc. l0S, chamber, or up
per story, WIS blown Gown, injuring considerably
muiaito Carpenter and boy who slept there. AT
presen; We GO not know otaOy more personal acci-
dents within The city walls
Outside of the walls, WAS to be expected, was
the greatest destruction. The sentry-boxes w-re
carried great distance and torn into chips; the
lamps Torn from their hangings aud utterly de-
stroyed. Opposite the Pillar Of lnda many houses
have fallen; the balconies that extended 10 Crniue
COS street, and many Others, 20 longer exist. The
campo det Mdrte, Parade Ground, J on tie south
and west side has lost great part OF lis ron-ral-
ipgs and pillars which iell from the force OF The
wind and the trees blown against them. All the ar
ches and gateways have lost the trophies and in
scriptoas which adorned them. The great House
Of Aldama--tbat cas,le-that Palace, built bomb
prooi-has suffossd one of iIs balconies, facing the
North, was twisted away by tho wind The Plaza
DE Vnpor on It's north side, is without single .x-