The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1846-11-02
TERRIBLE STORM.
Fifty Lives Lost-Key West IN Ruins-Light
House Gone.


House Gone
The New Orleans Picayune of the 23d inst,
says it is indebted to Lient Pease, last from Key
West, for the details of terrible gale in the
Gulf of fury which is unexampled. To begin
at Key West: 1t commenced blowing from the
North East on the 18th, and the tide rapidly.
The storm increased in violence, ragged to a hur-
ricane until midnight when it abated. The next
day it blew moderate gale. But the hurricane
had swept away every dwelling house, save six,
in Key West. They totally Destroyed
The Custom House and the Marine Hospital,
were both unrooted. lis supposed that OF Gov
eminent property destroyed the amount is $780,
600. The loss OF life is very great. A great
many persons were killed and drowned by fall
ing buildings The lighthouse and dwelling
house attached were destroyed, and IA souls per-
ished in these buildings. The Sand Key lie ht-
house is gone, and the buildings and people in
them.
The U. S. brig Perry ran ashore, but it is
thought she may be saved. Com. Sloat was on
board her ; all the hands were saved.
long list of disasters to vessels in port is given
and it is added that about twenty vessels are
ashore on the rect among them is the bark Iris,
from New Orleans TO New York Their car
goes mostly lost. The current ran six miles
an hour through Key West. As far as ascer-
tanned, fifty persons had lost their lives. Stones
could not withstand the gale, so violent were the
elements. The scene was awful in the extreme.
Fourteen persons were either Killed OF drowned
at Key West Light House, and MOI soul escaped
to tell the tale. The only vestige OF the Light
House TO be seen, is portion of the iron posts of
the lantern, and some pieces OF soap stone which
have washed one hundred yards from the spot
where they fell.
AT Sand Key, six persons were killed or drown
ed-most likely the former, the general inn
preston is they flew to the stone Light louise
for refuge the Key being very low. Poor old
Capt. Appleby-I knew him very we'll he has
told me the first hurricane would sweep all to
destruction, and alas his prediction is verified
At Key West the tide was five feet high, and
running six miles an hour through the centre of
the town. The citizens fled to the back part OF
the town, which is rather higher than the rest,
into the bushes-laid down and held on, expect
ing every moment the waves would reach them
Parents were separated from their children, hus-
bands from their wives, and all was confusion ter
ror and dismay. The island trembled to its very
centre. few hours more and a white sand
beach would have covered the now desoate re-
mains OF Key West. The occupants OF the Ma
rine Hospital were expecting every moment to
go into eternity large stone building sur
rounded with five feet of water running by six
miles an hour, cutting the sand from under the
foundation, made the situation awful. Thirty
leet OF the stone washed away from one corner,
hfteen from the other, and the roof blown of.
All the wharyes washed away or injured
not one warehouse escaped the fury OF the storm
wood and stone seemed all alike going to de-
struction. There are not more than out of 600
houses but are unroofed or blown down
The public buildings at the Fort, as well as the
wharf are all gone, and the Fort is itself mass
OF ruins. 1t is estimated that the Government
alone will lose at least 100000 by the hurli-
cane.
The streets and roads are impossible, being
hled up with lumber and the ruins of the fallen
houses.