The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-09
The CYCLONE IN INDIA.
Nearly Two Hundred v..-.,.
aged and Two Hundred Live. I.o.t.

"un0ro0 Vessels Dam.
aSed aoo TWO Hundred Lives Lost.
Calcutta papers of Oct. 10th, contain
graphic accounts of the terrible hurricane
which recently swept over that city. An
eyewitness writes as follows
Except the falling in the barometer
there seem to have been but few SYMPTOMS
of this awful visitation. The preceding
day was rather close, and on the evening
of it there was'a slight Pickering of light
ming on the horizon, but not such as would
to any ordinary observer attrack notice.
The morning Of the day was ushered in
by cOpious showers of rain, and By wind
which gradually became more and more
gusty. Up to ten o'clock, or Whereabouts,
it was possible for carriages and palkees to
proceed, though with some discomfort,
but afterwards, as the wind increased,
none except the most venturesome trust
ed themselves in the streets.
We watched with suspense the efforts
of the vessels to preserve their ground,
one pair in particular which had fouled
each other, and had then united their
efforts to preserve each other for a long
time, and when the gale was at its worst
it seemed very doubtful whether it would
force their grapplings, when an unforeseen
accident took place. The Bethel, or float
ing seaman's chapel, which was moored
close to their bows, dragged or broke her
front mOOring, and swung round to the
chain of one of the "united brothers :"
she chafed against the chain for a long
time, and finally sawed herself through
from some feetabove to considerably be-
low water mark, and as she rolled heavily.
the water issued in jets from the crevice,
she soon became heavily water-logged and
seemed only kept above water by the
chain, but soon the sail increased in vio-
lence, and her increased weight bearing
on the mOorings as we'll as those of the
vessels themselves, to our regret the VIII 10
group soon gave way, and soon drifted out
into the mist to join one of the groups of
stranded and dismasted vessels.
Every now and then, loud report,
heard indistinctly through the roar of the
hurricane, indicated that some main or
foresail had "gone to ribbons; ;" scarcely
a vessel that drifted by-and there could
not have been fewer than twenty whilst we
were looking on-had her suit of canvas
complete, and many had scarcely COM
plete sail amongst the whole lot AVN
ings and even wooden roofngs, we're
whisked off as if they had been so much
thatch. at last the force of destruction
could no further go, and the river was left
in front of US, as far as we could see
through the mist, clear Of ships, and there
was not boat to be seen, every one being
swamped. A cargo boat went down not
thirty yards from shore, and out of it
emerged five heads; all were swimmers,
but the smothering effects of the spray
were so great that only three succeeded in
reaching the shore. An ice ship, which
had her broadside to the wind, succumbsd
early in the gale, and drifted across 30
where she now lies, high and dry. There
was constant change in this panorama of
destruction; as fast as vessels drifted away
others replaced them, some dragging their
buoys, others whose chains had parted and
left them at the mercy of the wind. and
others which drifted gradually, though no
less surely, to their inevitable fate. Cargo
boats in great numbers drifted past, and
every now and then the wreck of some
bholiO, swamped but not sunk, bobbed up
and down like some green monster.
The loss of lives has been variously esti-
mste,: at 500, 800 and 200; the latter
number may be taken as near the mark.
The number of European seamen missing
is about 100. The Lady Franklin, Of
Ooolie Bazaar, presented a most pitiful
and heartrending sight. The cyclone was
at its height at the time, and she was fast
going down. The men on board had no
chance Of escape, even sucE Of them as
we're able to swim, as the state of the river
was something frightful. They took off
their shirts and held them up as signals of
danger, but there was not soul on shore
who had the slightest means of affording
them any assistance, and the vessel went
down, not even her masts being visible
above water Equally distressing scenes
were to be witnessed on board other ships,
and what rendered the case doubly worse
was the belplessnes of those on shore to
do any thing towards relieving them from
the danger which threatened destruction
every moment.
Another account says:
With few exceptions the shipping was
driven from their moorings, and cast
ashore or jammed together on the oppo-
cite side OF the river, while several were
sunk in mid channel, and others stranded
by the storm, wave high up on the Cal
cutta shore. Several ships were ashore in
Garden Reach, and one sunk little be-
low the Garden House. The old Hindos-
tan, which was used as bulk and floating
church, sank. 1t appears that, having
broken adrift, she fouled the Nemesis, do
ing her damage, and finally, rolling over
and over, went down opposite the King of
Onde's house. The ships that have foun-
dered, are the Lady Franklin, Govindpore,
Azemia, Anne Royden, rLoo Choo, YES
pasian. Vile de St. Denis, Merry England,
the tug steamers, Hercules, Fire Queen,
Banshee, Satellite, Linnet and Hindos.
tan. The Moulmein, which was gener-
ally supposed to have been lost, is adrift
Great loss of life it is to be feared, has at
tended these founderings. Many Euro
pean sailors were to be seen during the
gale, floating down the river on pieces of
wreck, and we have heard the number