The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-11-03
THRILLING ACCOUNT OF THE DESTRUC.
TION OF A COLONY IN MEXICO.

The ". O. Picayass Of Oct q, contains the fol
lowing:
The Tya:t cUniox publishes correspondence
giving the particulars of the destruction of the
French colony of Jicaltepec, on the 18th OF August
hy violent stor1n- On that day, which was Sun
day at o'clock In the afternoon, a norther com
menced blowing, heavy clouds which hung about
the horizon began to spread and Jew over the sky
with incredible swiftness. Then the rain com
menced falling with extreme violence. The north
er continued blowing all night till the following
morning without, however, ha wing anything alarm
fan ia torrents Al daybreak the wind changed ks
direction, veering round 70 the east, and suddenly
commenced blowing with unparalleled fnpetuosity.
n less than half hour. the whole village and all
the residences In It's environs forming the French
colony were completely destroyed the houses fall
| ing as IL were " ehchaneheo1 WIN SnocAne
crash.
which preseuted iteelf TO sight during the ghtfu
uuchainei elements. Distracted families, finding
themselves without shelter, saw themselves every
moment m hreatened be crushed under falling ma
terisIs which were sent flying through the air,
else 10 bethrown info the river by the guets Of this
terrible hurricane the Ike OF which has never been
seen in these parts Not only did spare houses
bu, rushed With fury over the country and the
foreet it tore up every thing its passage-cho-
colate corn cofee, sugar cane, &C.. IN sucn an.
ucr that the eye few minutes afterwards couid
see nothing but immense plains where virgin forests
had stood The lsrgest trees, such as cedars oahs
and 6s trees, of immense fiSe, were broken ana
tom branch from branch.
To add to The miseries thus causes tne ram noa M
having ceased pour down IN torrents sinIp 'Le
previous vening, sudden overflow OF - oahA.
by the liver ensued, and Ring tweniy.nse iesa
ABOVE It's ua,uraflevei rose over ne quay oI Sica
tepee and entirely inundated the oIpssne cana ana
the greater part of the French dwellings, OF the
colo,v Hau.es and the few essatss which sne hur.
ri ane had spared, were thus earfioa away W 'he
This was most trying and desolate moment for
IN the fan,ii,es OF the COLONY. WITHOUT shelter,
and sresding with reaeon the continuance OF the
eic, some were Obliged to construct rats TO
nroviie for their safety. while others, endeayorin4
io Der ~ ar,s6ghboriug HILL ionnd themselves con.
gysinsd :, traverse inundated low spots where the
warer resehssi 70 the waist And there they were
with the fr lit OF twenty years labor and persever-
ance DESTROYED, anuihiatsd IN less than an hour
Tbi. restrictive hurricane did not extend beyond
sx leagues on the coest and thirty IA the interior
intsl,i yenee OF the disater WAS prevented from
beiug conveyed earlier 10 consequence Of ccmmu.
ri a.lon being intercepted BY the ialien trees &c
AID ss length was only conveyed With great din
Gully, msche,e In hand
Notwithstanding the dosails thus given. no cor
rect idea II 10 said can bs tovmed q the terrible
devastation committed. and ef Tho naisory esnse
qaent os the viskatiR