The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-17

rho pc sots-The EARTHQUAKES at st.
~. omaS-0ther Notwithstanding
H'rt,ulars as TO tho Transfer Of the
Island
Tinted States steamer De Soto, Com.
~ ,,~c c. 5. Boggs, which was reported
Ct. Thomas, on the 18th OF Novem-
E the hurricane and earthquake which
N .o3 that place, arrived here this morn.
MN, ~ r;-ht, with ali on board we'll. She
D, :. ~ m board as passengers Governor Car
ID" W. Danish Commissioner Captain
,<;S,rs an. Danish navy; his secretary
,'Sy' TN w. Hawlcy, Of Auburn, n. Y. the
A''-,.on Commissioner, and William
N",,,S ESQ. Vicc!ConSul at St. Croix.
49, rcntlcmen. have been making ar
ay [,,,Snts tlyr the transfer Of the island OF
.'os T S",, 20 the United States, and leave
= wa,s,,nrton tonight. She also brought
.g ~. s4catcr portion OF the officers and crew
80 .,,,o United States steamer Monongahela,
N:, was wrecked at Santa Cruz, with
,r iyc men drowned.
~ T[ ", allowing is q list Of the officers now
h VA the De Soto: Commodore C. S.
r.--s commanding; Lieutenant Com
4,r lanes S:ilwell, Lieutenant Com
-.,for George ". Sumner, Surgeon Da.
.. .I 'E;n8lchergcv, Chief Engineer George
r 'Vrbar!, Passed Assistant Surgeon Ben
'..r;, Kiddcr, PaymaSter F. X. Clarke,
, ,,;rr Masters 7. y. Meyer and Budd, Act.
- Eu>cns John Barrett and David Hall,
-, Assistant Engineer +. S. Thorpe,
,,,i7g Second Assistants Darlington and
|.,,les Eccpl, Third Assistants William
P,-r,ar, Alexander Demstcr, and Dudley,
Maze Bi.uvelt, Acting Masters Mates Full
.- AID Jones, Commodore'S Clerk John
g..r, Pavmaster's Clerk Bremen, Gun
-, r-n>haw, BoatSwain keene, Sail
mixer Maui, Lieutenant Of Marines 7. II.
Bce.ow.
The following officers Of the steamer
u,roarahvla are on board the De Soto :
>--,cou ". 7. Rord, Chief Engineer J.
1. 4. Xeigler, Lieutenant Harrington,
E7,rn Lyons, Midshipmen b. S. Richards,
!. 3. Carter, J. n. Hemphill, L. V. Han
,s,, Second Assistant Engineers J. G. Van
IIgYcnbuyC and C. J. Hobrighurst, Third
assistant II. ". Force.
The De Soto left st. Thomas at noon
december 5th-making the passage in six
f,vs AMI G half, although considerably
damaged by the earthquake. She leaks
10, little.
The earthquakes were Of frequent oc-
tine the De Soto sailed, but they were not
Of great violence. The principal damage
vas caused by the first one, which shook
he buildings TO pieces, and the smaller
cacs which followed only served to knock
down the remaining few that resisted the
Isl shock.
The De Soto's bottom was temporarily
-.yaired by the divers from the Wrecking
Company's schooner Competition" from
View York. The officers and crew of the
ge Soto are all well.
Captain Burrough, United States ma
ines, of the United States steamer Sus-
a1ehanna, died of yellow fever at st.
Thomas, and when the De Soto left, Rear
Admiral Palmer, commanding the squad
ron, was lying dangerously i'll with the
trycr. 1t had also broken out on board
tie United States steamer Don. Eigh-
teen cases had already occurred, which
-eSu!tcd in the death Of six Of her crew ;
tut there were no new cases for several
DAVIS before the leaving Of the De Soto.
The officers Of the De Soto say they
never before experienced anything so ter
tic as The earthquake. They were mostly
ircSsing to 70 on shore, it being about ;
,'ciock IN the afternoon, when their attcn-
ion was attracted to a dull, heavy rumb-
Ing noise, and all hands came on deck to
sec what il was. None seemed to under
sand it except the chief engineer, who
has been III the service for some twenty
wears, and VINO told them it was an earth
quake, and that they would presently see
a large wave, as they were always accom-
r4.trt by one. One Of the officers then
looked over the side Of the vessel to dis
cover it. but found, TO bis diSmay, that the
water was all reccding from the harbor.
and that the vessel was being left high and
dry. The chief engineer then called their
attention to wave, about two miles out,
and which was rapidly approaching. The
De Soto was lying under one anchor,
which was speedily run out, and the wave
struck the vessel amidship with terrific
.grce, carrying her far up the harbor TO-
'g4rds the town, breaking the cable, stove
10 ,wo of the ships boats, and carried an
y.her away; which was subsequently re-
@yered. The wave recedcd and came III
10 less than six times, slowed her keel,
clgsing her to leak considerably which
was subsequently, temporarily repaired.
one of the Monongahela's officers, in
describing the earthquake, states that the
wave struck the vessel amidShip, the first
one carrying her up into the town and
into a storehouse. The second one landed
her high and dry in one Of the principal
streets Of the place, where she now lies, q
monument of the vast devastation COM
lai.ted. Four men of the Monongahela's
crew were drowned, and one had his skull
fractured, from the effect OF which he
has since died.
From the ST. Thomas FTdende Of Novem-
Der 9Th we fluid the following in relation
70 the cession of that island and ST. Johns
10 the United States:
st. Thomas, Wednesday, November
p, lSG7.-AccordiDg TO invitation from
lis Exccllercy Governor Birch, the mem
Jers OF the Colonial Council, the civil and
military functionaries OF the island, ana
other inhabitants, assembled at Govern
ucDt House to-day at II o'clock.
AT ten minutes past II, their EXcelien-
cies Governor Birch, Vice Governor Rothe,
and Chamberlain CarStensten, appeared
with their aids and attendants.
His EXcclcucy Governor Birch IN lie"
words introduced to the assembly his tx
cc.lcucy Chamberlain Carstensten, hnlght
Of Danuebroge and Dannebrogasman, as
ROYAL Commissioner Extraordinary where
upon his Excelency Chamberlain CarSten-
a:ca addressed the assembly as follows:
"Gentlemen,-In conformity with his
Majesty, our most gracious Kings order,
dated 18th October, charging me as royal