New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-18
ST. THOMAS.

r~uucAd BY the Oldest lnnhoithnu inc hoasioss |
~, sf rain that has occurred within their re-
membrsnce, or that the traditions Of the place
maize any mention Of. The storm commenced on
Sunday last about noon, and continued raining
literally pouring most Of the time-with little In
termission until Wednesday evening. Some idea
can be formed Of it's violence from the fact that
the rain suage indicates fhl Of water to the
amount of thirty. two inches on level; and also
that said amount Is equal to what usually falls
nj this season the rainy season, too, by the way
in the space Of Elk months. As will readily
be supposed, 80 violent rain has csnsed
no small damage in town and throughout
the Island. The water suddenly collected
on the slopes of the high and abrupt mountain
Immediately in the rear of the town, forced its way
down to the sea through various channels provided
by nature, usually dry, yet now filled and over
flowing like so many swollen rivers sweeping
down in its way, earth, stones and whatsoever rub
bish lay in it's course which it deposited in the
streets swept into the houses Of the poor and the
stores of the merchants. The streets are conse-
Queptiy very much t1rn up, and much suffering
and loss had happened 10 the lower classes, whose
dwellings, situated in the valleys through which
these extempore streams forced their way, are not
built sufficiently high to prevent the water coming
In on such extraordinary occasions. Ihree or
four bodies have been found since the subsistence
of the food, of persons who it is supposed lost
their lives by being carried away by the force
Of the torrent which they were attempting 10
cross. The wind blew constantly with great force
from the South, though fortunately IL ana not
amount to hurricane, as was feared by all, wnich
apprehension was indicated by the closed and bar
IL. aot nf oil fhp
by itself and social intercourse being for the time
almost wholly interrupted. Notwithstanding,
however the wind was Of sufficient force TO try
the anchor. and the quality of the cables of the
vessels lying in the harbor. And during the storm
the bark Magnolia" of New-Haven, which came
in on Sunday and anchored in the mouth OF the
harbor dragged her anchor, and by the merest
good fortune, escaped wreck on the rocks on the
Lward side of the bay. We only hear from Porto
Rico and st. CrOix, that they were visited by the
same rain Storm the particulars Of injury not yet
being received. but it is impossible that the plan
tations in both Islands have not extensively SUI
fered. and that the coming crop of canes will be
materially lessened by 1t.
Birds OF passage are beginning TO return from
their recreatiOns and visitations, their tours of
pleasure and business in the States and Europe
Among these are happy to greet, and announce
ms particularly interesting to some OF your readers
Consul G. j. Helm, Esq, with his recent Ken
ouph, active and efficient American business man
here. These gentlemen, with their families,
arrived on Sunday, Just at the commencement OF
the storm in the bark Kate, in an unusually short
passage Of ten days from Baltimore. The Kate is,
] believe, a somewhat notorious craft, owing to
come peculiarly in her constructions fancied
dispropOrtion, think, between the hight and
weight of her masts and rigging generally, and her
hulk-one of the various expedlents, or expert
ments if you please, adopted by American enter
prise. not to say recklessness, in order to save
time and beat all the world in the sh0rtness of sea
voyages. The loss Of the Kate has been predicted
from the time she began to run. But she
runs still, and runs fast, and nver knows
a calm. Her passengers speak highly OF her
performances on her recent trip when, too, in res
pect of her unfavOrable qualities she was put to
no slight test; and also with great satisfaction
Of the able seamanship of her master j. Oliver,
together with the attention he unwearedly pays
to the comfort and cheerfulness of his passen-
gers; the civil, accommodating and courteous
spirit and manner he constantly manfests to-
ward those who commit themselves to the hos
pitality of himself and his "go0d ship "-qual-
tiles, may take present occasion to state, which,
on ship board, or anywhere else, are sure to make
friends, but which, il is TO be regretted are not
always found in the masters of vessels toward their
passengers; who, when they are fairly out to sea,
feel themselves at perfect liberty to disregard the
happiness Of the same, and even treat them with
roughness incivility, petulance and irritabllity
which have no place in the relations of gentlemen
and lades-which have no proper place on ship
board, unless it be before the mast, and Of which
there is q great deal too much there.
forgot 10 mention in its proper place that dur
ing the storm, the brig Jas. II. COmery and the
ship Kentucky ofBostOn, which were loading with
guano at Bird Island, the former having lost her
anchors the latter having struck through the
violence of the waves and having thereby knocked
other false keel were compelled to leave and put
for this port. They left the island in company,
intending to keep together, the more as the
Kentucky was leaking badly, and the wife of the
Captain of the brig being ON board, where they
were, at the time the storm commenced, both
living on account of superior accommodations,
the wife not being able to accompany her husband
on board on account of the hight of the waves.
During Monday night, however, they parted COM
pany, and the most dillgent search of the Captain
Of the brig throughout Tuesday and Tuesday night,
was unable to discover the Kentucky. He ar
rived here on Wednesday morning, filled with
most painful apprehensions of the loss of the ship
and his wife. Happily, and to the no small relief
Of others than the Captain the English steam
frigate Devastation, then in port with the Cap
tain on board, went out in search of the missing
ship and succeeded in finding her on Thursday
morning, making her way, though quite disabled
and leaking, to st. Thomas.
American -four is in great demand just now,
and the merchants in that line are not at present
able to meet all calls. A new market is for a
few months opened at Martinique, the French
Government having permitted the opening of her
ports for a time TO the importation of other than
French breadstufs, which, az present, France can.
not supply, owing TO scarcity az home. A large
cargo is also being dispatched to-day to Laguayra
l must not omit, also, to notice the opening