The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-11-18
The st. Thomas Calamity.

LETTER FROM CAPT. JOSEPH NJ. VAUGHAN. ~
When the first intelligence OF the fearful hur-
rlcane at st. Thomas reached this city, there
was great anxiety for the safety of Capt. Jo-
seph M. Vaughan and his wife, who were
known to be there We now rejoice to learn
that both he and his wife survive amld 'he
widespread desolation of that ill7ated isi'siiu.
Below is a copy of part of a letter just recely-a
ed from Cant. Vaughan by his friends here:
ST. THOMAS, Nov. 1, 1867.
You will, I know, be glad to hear from us af-
tor the many great dangers and troubles
through which we have passed at this unfort4
innate island. A fortnight ago. right in the very
midst of the heaviest and most anxious of my
work, had an attack of fever that laid me on
my back, and was for some days very sick. /
was obliged TO leave my quarters on board the
vessel, and took Il residence in Il very pleasant
and hilly spot on the island. See how Gods
mercy was shown to us in a striking mannerl'
One week from the date of my coming
shore fearful hurricane desolated the island;
utterly destroyed forty seven ships-sunk,
ashore or capsized, and drowned over 800 per-
sons! Our house was unroofed we were wet,
and all the furniture destroyed; no one in our
house was injured, though the chimneys, walls,
fences and trees were actually flying through
the air. This dreadful hurricane gave no warm
ing whatever, but commenced blowing from
the northwest with the utmost fury, and CONF
tnued for two hours. During this time the
distressing spectacle, of seven vessels capslzed
in an instant by whirlwinds, was within my
own sight. Nearly every soul of the crews re-
manning We're clinging to the bottoms or to the
spars of the sunken ships. A death-llke calm
followed, and prevailed for halt an hour, dur
ing which time several vessels put out boats to
save lives. The pilot department pnt out two
beautiful cutters through frightfnl sea, and
had already saved many lives and the Spanish
man-oi-war had all her boats out with forty
men and officers, when the wind shifted in an
instant to the southeast, in such rush and
binding storm, that all these unfortunate peo-
pie were swept at once into eternity. All the
ships were sunk, and every wharf and build
ing on the waters edge destroyed, the trees
torn up by the roots, and, the suburban resi-
dences on the hills blown into mlllion tiny
fragments and scattered Tor miles over the Hill
sides Such dreadful scene of ruin no man
living, think, has ever beheld. This happen
ed ON the 29th, and all day yesterday hundreds
Of corpses were being taken from the lower
harbor. te .-y 5iulh ~ ro< 7 -Eg
NJ. was a Mortified eyewitness of the whole
| dreadful scene, but from place of compares
| tive safety. l.t is. k -siTe5.s1Q 7 -
In the morning, under a cloudless sky, st.
Thomas lay in ruins. Where the day before
rode safely at anchor sixty -seven vessels on the
smiling bosom of the bay, nothing met the eye
but mass of wrecks The ship that l was
loading lost her masts and was driven high on
shore from four anchors; the cargo, / am glad
TO Say, is safe. The result of the, whole affair
is, we shall leave hore on the 18th inst, in the
steamer Guiding Star, for New York-Proyi-
dence permitting--where we hope to- arrive on
~ ~,hgI 80 j.
You will excuse the incoherency of this let
ter, as we are all very much upset by this dread
f,Il calamity. :