The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-11-10
Breadth Hurricane al Ezey
West.

I ESFGZ1kksEl ksczSskS MY
west.
Our thanks are due to Commodore
SLoAr and Lieut.. W. C. PEAsE for the
following narrative of disasters at Key
West, and the vicinity during the hurrl-
cane on the llth inst. The destruction
effected by this calamitous visitation IS al
most Unprecedented. Key West has
been completely devastated, while vast
amount of shipping has been wrecked
and destroyed. All the warehouses on
the island were either blown down or un-
rooted, and of the six hundred houses but
six have escaped the effects of the tenn
pest. The current ran through the town
at the rate Of six miles an hour, and was
five feet in depth. The Lighthouses at
Key West and Sand Key are all washed
away, and not a vestige is left to mark the
spot where they stood. Among the ship
ping the havoc was frightlul. The Bar
racks were but slightly injured, the Chin
neys being blown off the roofs.
The U. s. brig Perry, Lieut.. Blake
commanding, having on board Commo-
dore SLoAr. went ashore near Sombrero
shoal, inside the reef, with both masts
gone, anchor, guns, &c. thrown overheard.
She lay in ten feet water, and might be
got of. All hands saved.
The'revenue cutter Morris went ashore
about three miles from Key West, in two
and a half feet water, with the loss of
both masts, anchor, chains, guns, boats,
bulwarks, &c. She lay one mile from
the channel, and is probably total loss.
No lives lost.
The pilot boat Lafayette was sunk, and
all on board lost; two ladies picked up
by the cutter Morris. The Spanish
schooner Villa Nueva, for Neuviias, a
shore; vessel and twenty lives lost, in
Guiding woman and child; one man be-
ing saved by the u. S. brig Perry. The
schooner Sarah Churchman rode out the
gale on Bahama Banks, in company with
ship Adeline, with fifty passengers on
board, bound for New Orleans.
Most OF the vessels engaged in wreck
ing were lost or sustained great injury.
Only one wrecker was left to continue
business. The Eliza Catharne was high
and dry in a garden at Key Vaecas, and
one of the brigs ashore was three hundred
feet above high water mark. Four or
five vessels in the vicinity of Key West
were bottom up, and one upon the reef
was known to have been lost, with all
hands. About twenty vessels were ashore
on the reef, their cargoes being Of no
value.
The Government viii lose by the loss
of the brig Peary, revenue cutter Morris,
two lighthouses, Notifications, custom
house, and hospital, not far from $780,
600. Many vessels viii doubtless get
ashore, from the fact of Sand Key light
house being gone.
Dead bodies were occasionally being
dug out from under the ruins, and no one
can tell how many there are remaining.
As fas as has been ascertained fifty per-
sons have lost their lives, and it is singu-
lar that so few are deed or injured, when
we remember that the air was full of
boards, timber, slate, &c. and buildings
falling in every direction. Stone itself
could not Withstand the gale. Many per-
sons escaped in boats and held on to trees,
every moment to be washed
away. The scene was awful beyond all
power of descripiion.-N. o. Bee.
The account In the Bee gives the |
names OF great number of vessels, in
addition TO the above, that have suffered
shipwreck or serious disaster; but, though |
the loss of property must be very great,
we do not observe any other wrecks |
which were accompanied with loss of
life.