The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-11-21
KENOSHA WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER p, 1867.
An Appalling Calamity.

! AL Appalling Variability
The Great Hurricane at st. ThOmas---Si1
Hundred Lives. FIFTY Vessels and Eight
MiIiions OF Property Lost and Destroyed
From the New York Papers
For the following account of the storm
that visited the Island of St Thomas, in the
West Indies October 20, we are indebted
Dr. Stephen Hasbrough, surgeon to the
Steamship Marmion, which reached this
port yesterday:
''On reaching the Island of st. Thomas,
on the Morning of the Goth, we found that
on the day previous October 29th, the island
lad been visited by hurricane which in
its terrible effects, certainly remains unpre
cedented within the memory of any living
man, The storm lasted about four hours,
and appeared to grow out of stiff north
west wind which changed round to the east
at about / o'clock in the morning, from
which time, fer four mortal hours, lasted
scene for which it would be vain to attempt
to describe. Several districts in the town
| (St Thomas) were totally destroyed. The
storm ragged with such violence that large
trees were torn up by their roots and swept
| away. Houses were lifted bodily form their
foundations and dashed to pieces against the
earth Huge ships and steamers were hurled
together, their frames instantly breaking
into fragments and sinking. Some fifty or
or sixty vessels Of all sizes were either sunk
or dismasted, and driven ashore. In many
cases the entire crew of vessel went down
together. Thousands of residents of the is
land are wandering about homeless and
penniless, besides the large numbers who
instantly persisted. The amount of suffer
ing, confusion and excitement beggars de-
scription. There is no attempt at trade or
transacting any kind of business. Every
one is paralyzed with terror at the awful
phenomena, or mourning their own Attic
ti- or those of their friends and relations. |
On the morning of the awful day, the old
steamer Conway was put to sea, but there
being indications Of heavy wind, the pas
sengers prevailed upon the Captain to trans
port them to the Rhouea new and excellent I
steamer owned by the same company. Both |
vessels they put to sea, and were still in
sight of land when the Cyclone came o.
The Rhone was dashed upon Peters island
her boilers burst, and all except twelve or
fifteen souls persisted. Meanwhile the Con-
way proceeded as far as Tortolas Islands, !
upon the shores of which she was thrown,
but all on board were saved. Harbor.mas-
ter Steinberg, of St. Thomas, was lost " lille !
nobly striving to rescue drowning crew.
He had succeeded i'll landed one boat load,
and was boldly pushing out for another
when his boat was capsized, and both were
instantly swallowed by the sea. The steam
er Columbian reached the port at eleven
O'Clock in the morning, and went down at
two in the afternoon. Several vessels arriv-
ting during the following night also went
ashore, as the lighthouse had been shat
tered by the storm of the previous day, and
all guides for the mariner swept away. The
cargo of the Columbian was valued at from
one to two million dollars.
All the wharves of the town are one mass
of ruins, the fort aud barracks are gone, the
lighthouse destroyed Many persons
were buried under the ruins, quite large I
number Of bodies having been picked up
along the harbor The loss ashore and
among the shipping is equally large.
AS we took our departure from the island,
nothing had been heard from the results of
the cyclone on the other islands, except ons
report from Tortolas, which says the town
is in ruins, and many of the inhabitants
killed. The hurricane came from the east,
and seems to have taken q narrow path.
The Miramon was ninety miles out when it
occurred, and experienced only a severe
breeze.