Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-12-17

4 Il was not so much a hurricane proper
as 4 furious dreuchiug storm Of rain. Ii
I began at about eight O'Clock am, and
tlsw in fits and roaring gusts till past
midnight. The great damage to the
shipping and larger buildings tn the city
was done at the beginning OF the blow.
But all during that terrible day the
wind and rain seemed TO com biue to con
+ tinue steadily the work of destruction.
The FIRST crash Of the gale unroofed
f whole streets Of thatch covered houses,
and shook and l0Osened tiles on fat
rooted Moorish palaces, built by the
younger followers Of Columbus more
than three hundred and fifty years ago
Ola trees that had withstOed the gales of
centuries, fell as If the sX WIS at their
foot Tie rain came down in such
masses that it seemed as if a mountain
torrent was running through the air,
bearing on lis surface lesvess and branches
Of trees, fragments OF timber, hats,
handksrchiefs, and a miscellaneous lot
Of dry goods dry 30 longer, aid even
fruit Cocoa nuts were whirled through
the CITY like cannon balls, and added 10
the fright Of some who thought the hor-
r0rs OF another siege was to begin.
The poorer classes, who were drowned
out Of their houses, snatched hastily
what little poor vslUables they happened
to possess and wRded through the flOw-
ing streets to the chHrches. Their
blessed doors stood open as usual, and
Uever did more stricken wanderers pass
their portals. The grand old cathedral
on the Government square, begun, as an
inscription over the front entrance fn-
forms as, in 1914, and completed in 1910,
was crammsd with a weeping, terror
stricken multitude. There was not a
living thing TO be seen in the streets ex-
Cept when, at long intervals, some des-
eerate adveBturer, at the risk Of his life,
would pick OF 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.
What added 10 the dreadful gloom was
the ponderous thUmp Of the breakers all
along the line OF the ses-wall Of the city,
" hieh at times seemed 20 shake the very
foundations of the churches, and caused
q 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 eity-once the metropolis of the
Western wOrld-Was spared TO US In
the midst OF the universal desOlstiOn
2 a .
gratitude ia the breasts of these poor.
destitute Dominicians that matters are
no worse. Their churches were COM
parativeiy uDiujured, and this these sim.
Pile minded devotees regard as q special
token Of remembrance Of heaven.
Before this late visitation, SantO Do
mingo City was famous chiefly for its
magnificent ruins, and one revisiting the
city to day would not AZ first glance be Z
impressed with any sudden change
Wrought 10 the fortunes Of its inhsbitants. /
All the prominent edifices remain stand
ing But the desolation is in the cabins /
of the poor Thousands are houseless. /
The roofs Of their dwellings being blown
of in the first heavy gust, the rain after
wards delUged and spoiled everything in (
the shape Of furniture, wearing spparel, (
bedding, etc, 50 that large numbers have I
saved nothing but the clothes they stood 1
10. Some Of these poor people owned /
" buTTowN or dOnkey-their only treas
which they did kind Of slow
express business about town; Others kept .
q few hens or q few goats, or COW. A
great part OF these domestic animals
were killed during the gale.
The roads TO the interior are in bad
condition being ehoked with fallen trees.
their animals, were drowned in attempt /
ing to cross the suddenly swollen rivers
to their homes. lhe Niqua river rose to
an uneXsmpled hight, and swept Off q
large quantity Of copper ore belonging
,e the SantO Domingo Copper Company
o. New York. The camels employed by /
this company Ia transporting ore 10 the Z
seseOast, understand, were not injured, I
as they lay fat with their long necks Z
extended on the ground before them, ac-
eoTdiBg to their custom in the desert.
There will be great suffering among
.he lower classes for some time to come,
'oT, unlike the other West India Islands,
we have no mother country to look to
'OT relief The government has appro-
9riated S25, 600 for the sufferers. but this
s but drop, aud government ndpeople
ire now poor alike Correspondence N
y Post II