Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-16
More About tho St. Domingo Hurrioan,

Ii was not so much hurricane proper
as furious, drenching storm OF rain. IL
began at about eight o'clock am, and
blew in fits and roaring gusts I'LL past
midnight The great damage to the
shipping and larger buildings In the city
was done at the beginning of the blow
But all during that terrible day the wind
and rain seemed to combine to continue
steadily the work of destruction. The
frst crash of the gale unroofed whole
streets of thatch.covered houses, and
shook and loosened tiles on fiat rooted
Moorish palaces. built by the younger
followers Of Columbus more than three
hundred and fifty years ago. Old trees
that bad withstood the gales OF centuries,
fell as If the AZ was at their foot The
rain came down in such masses that it
seemed as if mountain torrent was
running through the air, bearing on its
surface leaves and branches of trees,
fragments Of timber, hats, handkerchiefs,
and miscellaneous lot of dry goods
(dry no longer), and even fruit Cocoa
nuts were whirled through the city like
cannon balls, and added to the fright of
some who thought the horrors Of another
siege was to begin. ~ En
The poorer classes, who we're drowned
out Of their houses, snatched hastily
what little poor valuables they hap
pened TO possess, and waded- through
the flowing streets to the churches
Their blessed doors stood open as usual,
and never did more stricken wanderers
pass their portals The grand old eathe.
dral on the Government square, begun,
as an inscription over the front entrance
informs us, in 1914, and completed in
1910, was crammed with weeping, ter
ror. stricken multitude. There was not
living thing to be seen in the streets,
except, when, at long intervals, some
desperate adventurer at the risk Of his
life, would pick or crawl his way along
under the lee OF the walls left standing,
from one to the other of the old churches,
in search Of some missing relative or
friend. scs 1af qN MMfai tHt ia
What added to the dreadful gloom was
the ponderous thump Of the breakers all
along the line Of the ses.wall of the city,
which at times seemed to shake the very
foundations Of the churches, and caused
a cry OF earthquake" in the crowd
Thank heaven this appalling crown Of
disaster, which has been withheld for the
many centuries from this venerable and
historic city-once the metropolis of the
Western world--was spared to us. In
the midst Of the universal desolation
which prevails there is sentiment of
gratitude in the breasts of these poor,
destitute Dominicans that matters are
no worse. Their churches were COM
paratively uninjured, and this these
simple minded devotees regard as
special token of remembrance of heaven
Before this late visitation Santo Do
mingo City was famous chiefly for its
magnificent ruins, and for one revisiting
the city to day would not at first glance
be impressed with any sudden change
wrought in the fortunes ofits inhabitants.
All the prominent edifces remain stand
ing But the desolation is in the cabins
of the poor Thousands are houseess.
The roofs of their dwellings being blown
off in the first heavy gust, the rain after
wards deluged and spoiled everything in
the shape of furniture, wearing apparel,
bedding, etc, so that large numbers
have saved nothing but the clothes they
stood in. Some of these poor people
owned "burrow or donkey-their
only treasure, with which they did kind
of slew-express business about town
others kept few hens or few goats, or
a COW. A great part of these domestic
animals were killed during the gale
The roads to the interior are in bad
being choked with fallen
trees. 1t is reported that many natives,
with their animals, we're drowned in
attempting to cross the suddenly swollen
rivers to their homes. The Niqua river
rose to on unexampled hight, and swept
off large quantity of copper ore belong.
ing to the Santo Domingo Copper Com
pany Of New York. The camels EN-.
ployed in this company in transporting
ore to the seacoast, / understand, were
not injured, as they lay fat, with their
long necks extended on the ground |
before them, according to their custom
in the desert
There will be great suffering among |
the lower classes for some time to come,
for, unlike the other West India Islands,
we have no mother country to look to |
for relief The government has sppro.
priated $25, 900 for the sufferers, but this
is but drop, and government and peo
pie are now poor alike Cor. NeS0 York |
Dnof