New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-12
IL.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE CITY,

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE CITY.
Corrsspopd.ncs Of The N. y Tribune.
RUE ST. LAURENT, CAPE HAYTIEN,
January "a, 1889.
The first conviction irresi.tibly impressed on the
mind of the traveller, after walking through the
streets of Cape Haytien is that the city bias been
tpiee "lsd out at east-frst by its founders, and
afterward by al earthquake. 1t is difficult to de-
eide which of them did the city most damage.
The streets of the city are, or rather were, ex-
ceedingy narrow; for now, half checked up with
piles Of stones they streets no longer. To de-
scribe Cape Hsytien in one sentence, say: Ii is
mass of picturesque ruins clad with the various
vegetation Of the tropics, relieved by occasional
cottages and two-story dwellings, and half dozen
or twenty business streets. That is as correct as
any general brief account can be.
/ have a copy of the original plan of Cape
Haytien: and, like a Kansas city, it looks admira-
ble-on paper. The great and fatal error of its
founders was in making the streets 90 narrow;
otherwise, the plat is well arranged. The French
part Of New. Orleans is open to the same objection
that urge against the plan of this city. Indeed,
the same class andNtyle of One-story houses, which
one ,ees with pleasure after escaping from the in
eyitabe four story bricks Of the Saxon, prevails 10
Cape Haytien-with the same style of mammoth
doors and windows with shutters and without glass,
and the same occasional yellOwwashed exterior
walls The two-story houses have the same French
STYLE Of balcony which sbounds in la Rue Chartres
of the Crescent City.
OF EARTHQUAKES.
The great earthquake which literally took
down this city occurred on the 9TH Of May, 1872
1t is estimated that six thousand persons persisted
"In FIVE seconds" said citizen to me- "the
whole town fell. There were no ruins here before
that dsy-Only some unfinished houses, If you may
call them ruins. Ii was beautiful, superb city
then, with numerous fountains and splendid two
story houses In every direction; all surrounded by
tasteful little gardens, full of flowers and tropical
shade trees" He said, also, that slight shock
was experienced here only two months ago.
Lord Bacon, believe, foretOld that man would
or urged that man should, endeavor 10 subdue
even earthquakes. We have tanned the lightning;
who is ready to be the Rarey of earthquakes
There il q fine opening here for that line OF bus-
ness Undoubtedly the Republic of Hsyh would
be willing TO grant monopoly TO an earthquake
oueler, even If he were white and Saxon of the
feared and hated American Republic.
Ii is impossible to give you an adequate idea OF
the innumerable ruins here. There are more ruins
everywhere than houses; and there are houses in
habted-sOme Of them conceaed-amoDg the ruins
The streets were paved once-in the days of French
domination-but the pavement everywhere is IN
ruins also. The earthquake and heavy rains de-
stroyed il. Most Of the streets were paved as to
have the sewer in the center, which, l believe, Is
the prevailing practice in the South and Central
American States. The streets run nearly Dorth
and south and east and west; the chief ones north
and south. or parallel with the harbOr In the
southern suburbs there are hundreds OF little shin
ole and clspboard shanties all old looking, dilspi
dated ard dirty both inside aud out, far as have
been able to Uncover. In the city proper the
houses are built Of stone brick, with mortar fac
ings. Inside, they are generally unsealed, have
brick foors and whitewashed walls. The shantles
have uneven earth hOors-that is 10 say, they have
DO artificial floor at all.
THE STORES.
The Wholesale stores on Quai ST. Louis are lofty
and spacious warehouses, with very large doors and
very large windows, but all without glass. The
retail stores generally small, and there are i'm
mense numbers Of them; bat none of them that
have seen have windows of glass. The goods there
fore, are displayed psrPsndieHiariy shelves, and
horizontally on the floor. did not see any dry
goods store that would make passabe appearance
in Hanover street, Boston, or the New. York
BoweTy. The brick floor Of one Of them noticed