The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-19
FOURTH EDITION
THE LATE EARTHQUAKE AT ST. THOMAS
Official Dispatches OF the Late
Admiral Palmer.
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ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO EVENING THEEGE4pu.I

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WASHINGTON. Dec. 10.
Secretary Welles this morning received
dispatches from Rear Admiral James s..
Paimer, since deceased. commanding bhe North
the earthquake at ST. Thomas, In watch the
Monongahela and De Soto we're so badly da-
mogei. He describes the rising OF the sea in
the horbor. which threatened 10 enguIf his
snip, the Susquehanna. with q feeling Of awe,
ne says the officers aud crew awaited its ar
II came rushing on, tumbling over the rocks
t snAC lOImea Ine entrance TO the harbor, carry
ing everything before ~. A small steamer and
sailing vessel trying TO get in were engulfed
and never seen again, and the vessels at anchor
ings and carried over the rocks leeward The
Susquehanna rose upon the rollers encounter
ing three IN succession, the anchors and chains
holding on bravely.
The sea now rushed in and receded with great
Violence as the sunken wrecks were rising
The shipping In the harbor were swept from
their moortngs and drlned wildly about The
small craft In shore were lifted up and thrown
into the streets OF st. Thomas, and left stranded
along the water 'front.'. Boats were capsized.
and men in the water swimming for Their Ives
AT last The water in the Bay subsid ed into sort
OF Whirlpool, and as soon as he could, Admiral
Palmer got out his boats and sent them To tha
rescue OF the drowning men.
Several were picked up, and onedead alreadv.
he also describes the condition of the De Soto,
Whlch has already been published. Constant
shocks OF earthquakes occurred every ten or
hfteen minutes. and SO coDtin ued with more or
less severity through the night The damage on
shore was far more ruinous to the merchants
than that occasioned by the late hurricane. The
town..
swamping the stores which were mostly on the
bay front, floating out and finally stranding
The goods in unheard- of directions.
The panic that seized the Inhabitants was
painful, rushing up the hillside crying for
mercy and listening to no attempt TO pacify
them. All the stores nd dwellings were aban-
doned, their owners either in the streets or the
wooden buildings of their friends
The damage sustained by the Susquehanna
was not material.
The despatch is dated November 10, and at
st. Thomas, on the evening after the earth
quake.
Commodore Boggs, commanding the De Sofa,
has made an official report to the Navy Depart.
ment concerning the earthquake at Saint
Thomas.
The Navy Department received this morning
the following
FLAGSHIP SUSQUEHANNA, SANTA CRUZ W.
l., November %, l867.-Sir:-Upon my reaching
Santa Cruz on the morning of the goth instant.
found the Monongahela lying stranded on the
wharves abreast of the town in nearly upright
position, placed there as if for some specific
purpose.
The Commodore is now getting out his guns
and coal and tightening his vessel as much as
possible, with the intention of getting her up
right. The report OF the Survey will inform
the Department of her condition and of the
practicabllity OF laupching her.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAMES s. PALMER,
Rear Admiral Commanding u. s. Squadron
To Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary Navy.