The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1868-02-07
A Carnival of the Elem ents.

A correspondent of the New DIRK Tt-
lime writing from Bey Island Zone of the
Virgin Islands) gives the following account
of the recent earthquake:
On Monday last, the 18th, we experience
ed the most awful series ofearthquakes ever
known in this or any other part Of the
world, so far as the number and duration
went About two o'clock heard tre
mendous report as if heavy cannon had
been fired some distance off then came a
loud rumbing noise like number of iron
carriages drawn over n rough road by hun
dreds of wild horses. / stopped my horse.
for | well knew what was coming when the
shock cane | never shall forget it.
never had seen or felt anything Ealf so
dreadful in all my life The hurricane was
bad enough. but the earthquake was ten
times worse. 1t was very long shock,
and thought the land wonld siux under
me.
Earthquake after earthquake for nearly
an hour; and such dreadful shocks. By
and by, we heard great noise and left
! them, and went up the hill little. When
got high enough to see the sea, what a
| sight! The sea had encroached, and the
noise We heard was from the power of the
water running back again. 1t continued to
run off until the rocks and reefs we're all
! dry, and it seemed to suck away the water
out Of the bay and leave everything dry.
| My attention was reused by similar noise
on the other side of Taylor's Bay, and
there, too, the same thing was going on.
| As soon as the water would come in on the
| south side, it would go off on the north /;
and so it continued for a length of time.
! IL IL 4 ,t-1
after earthquake. Three hours had now
elapsed since the first shock, and night
coming on-what night had We before us
to be sure. Not an eye was closed. We
were all frightened half to DEATH and OK
pected every moment to be swallowed up.
1t vas truly awful sight, and never to be
forgotten. We must have had over 200
shocks during the night, and some hours
there were over twenty. Daylight came
at last, and never was 1t more welcomed
by miserable creatures; we were complete
ly worn out, OF course the day before our
dinner was forgotten, SO we wanted food,
sleep and every thing else to make US COM
Portable They had just made bread at the
house VIXEN they first came, and then it lay
en-. When found the shocks continued, |
|
| little distance from the house, for the walls
were cracked, and we were afraid to remain
in the house, not knowing at what moment
Il shock more severe might come and bring
it down. Since last Tuesday morning we
have lived in the tent. Fortunately for us
there has not been much rain. Severe
and frequent shocks continued up to Fri
day; they are now subsiding, but every
now and then we hear the reports, but very
little vibration. We have had week Of
earthquakes.
Just fancy, large fish were left on the
road to Little Mountain; the sea brought
them up, and when going off left them en-
tangled in the grass and bushes. Some Of
the bays are clean gone, the sea running
on the sandy bay so to 40 feet wide
Everything looks changed Such hurri
cane, and such earthquakes, al within
three weeks! Hundreds of poor unfortu
mates sent to their last home, end hundreds
more have lost their ALL Since last Sun
day, the 18th, all we have had to live upon
has been pice Of johnnycake in the NOR
Mug with our coffe, and the same In the
evening with q little soup. We have beer
getting fever since We have been living il
the tent; all the rest are well. Goth. The
weather has changed, and the cold has driv
en- US out OF the tents, On Guano lslanc
everything is swept away to the bare wall:
of the house. This calamity has finished
Tortola and all belonging to it. 1t is pain
full to contemp late the state of affairs. Or
the 9th we had a very unpleasant nigh
of it, having bad four shocks during the
night.