Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-11-02

this roof some forty persons ulauA5eu
to climb from the station, and fol
|. awhile save themselves from watery
graves. 1 say for awhile, for when
the waters from the bay receded, and
those from the two rivers sought their
usual outlets, the current formed bore
away the remaining walls, and the
roof started for the bay. This was
near 6 A. NJ, and the ''frail craft
with its human freight was clearly
seen by many on shore moving fast on
its short voyage to destruction but
nothing could be done to aid or save.
Many of those on board shouted loud
for assistance, but none came, and In
despair, once the bay was reached,
kneit down and prayed, and il was
whilst in the act of supplication to
the Almighty for safety in this world
or mercy in the next that large wave
struck the floating roof, scattering it
to pieces, and precipitateG its forty un-
willing passengers into the water. A
few minutes more and thirty-nine be-
ings, lately full of life and hope, were
added to the long list Of those drown
ed. Only one escaped-One of those
thirty passengers from Havana who
unwisely remained in the station
building-and he was saved by one Of
kthe American vessels in port. OF one
| hundred and fifty inhabitants in the
suburb on the evening of the 7th, not
ten are to-day alive.
A CEMETERY DESTROYED.
The Matanzas Cemetery was one
of the places that experienced the
| greatest fury of the combined winds
and waters. Several of the walls
and your readers must bear in mind
| that in this island the dead are in
great part buried in walls, generally
/ having four rows of inches or holes
! for the reception of collins and cOrpses
were partly destroyed, and thus
made to give up their dead. Numer-
Gus coffins and more or less decOm-
! posed bodies were scattered for several
| hundred yards by the wind and water,
and presented most shocking sights
after the water was gone, filling the
air with an insuppOrtable stencil.
/ The authorities had to turn their at
I tentiOn first to these cOrpses, and re-
/ bury them at once in order to save the
city from the further scOurge Of a
plague.
THE Loss AT CARDENAS.
/ Cardenas is next to AIatanzas in its
/ losses and disasters from the storm.
/ Several houses were brought to the
ground, many more were unrOOfed or
otherwise injured, the trees every
where were uprOoted and blown
down, and the fine whaTves and ware
houses, the pride Of the city and fOun-
tains of its wealth, were extensively
] Tho 1arrra nd anGFIVr Vr-n 70
[ houses of Pena & Medina, Of p. r.
Fernandez, of SOler & Co., and Of
/ Cantera, are to-day only heaDs Of
ruins, the large quantities of sugar
and mOlasses stored in them almost
total losses, while some ten Of the
/ other fine warehouses are partially in
/ ruins. Seven lives were lost in the
city from the storm, and in the bay
| eleven. OF thirteen vessels in port
four were lOst-the Spanish bark NJ.
| Z. captain and five sailors drOwned),
/ the Spanish schooner ROsita and Flor
Z del PalaciO, and American schooner
IdValeria; two were beached but will
be gotten OFF safely-the German bark
Cardenas and British bark Speed
away; and three were dismantled.
The American brig L. +. Dunbar and
American schooner ;. Z. Libby were
so fortunate as to come out injured
The wind had an opposite effect upon
the waters of the bay from what IL
had at Matanzas, for instead Of driv-
ing them upon the city it caused them
to reeede to such an extent that one
of the vessels nearest to shore was
left for several hours without any
water around her and literally on dry
land. This was fortunate for the city
but bad for the shipping.
GENERAL DEVASTATION.
From Guines, Nueva Paz, Corral
NuevO, Guira, AlacTanes, Madruga,
Beiucal, Bemba, BolondrOn, Cabezas,
and two dozen or more smaller towns
and villages, I have unvaTying reports
of houses blown down or unrOOfed,
and trees all gone. In Nueva Paz ll6
houses, mostly of wood, and OF small
dimensions. were changed in a few
hours to heaps of ruins; in Madruga,
100: IL Tuines, IS (church tower, also
DOWN, in Alacranes, 80; in Bejucal,
40; and so on, each place having suf-
fered more or less. The loss of lives
in those villages, prOvidentially, was
small, considering the extent Of the
material damages experienced, and
will not exceed twelve persons all told.
The storm was felt but slightly east
of Sagua. In Colon the injuries done
were few and Insignificant, and the
same may be said for Villa Clara,
CienfuegOs, and the Island Of Pines.
Westward no harm was done a few
miles beyond Havana, the Nuelta
AbaiO not being embraced in the
storms travels. The districts of Ma
tanzas, Cardenas, JaTucOs, Guines,
Guanabacoa, Santa Maria Bejucal,
Santiago de las Vegas, and Colon two
thirds) are the ones to which the
storm seems to have confined its de-
vastatiOns.
SUGAR-HOUSES DESTROYED.
Full reports show that hundreds Of
sugar-hOuses have been more or less
iniured-blOwn down or roofs Ofchim-
neys gOne-and estate, plantation and
farm residences, Outbuildings, and
negro quarters have Jared much worse,
being of weaker construction. In
Guines town alone over 1000 per-
sons have sought temporary shelter,
having for a while abandoned ruined
homes within the agricultural pOr-
tions of the district. The extensive
repairs now necessitated on the es-
tales, plantations, and farms come at
a most unfavOrable moment, since the
time for commencing cane-grinding
is near at hand. The planters how
ever, will yet find greater drawback
in their immense losses of horses,
mules, cattle, hogs, &c, for the brute
creation suffered much on the estates,
plantations, and farms, as well as in
MatanZas. The southeastern portion
of the district of Colon and the
famous Cienaga de Zapata were inun-
dated by the tOrrential rainsand over
flowing streams, and over 1900 head
of cattle drowned. The growing cane
was generally prOstrated, and its final
yield probably thereby reduced one
third OF more, which means from 300,-
900 to 400, 900 boxes of sugar less in
the coming crop. In the districts of
Guines, Bejucal, and Santiago de las
Vegas a good deal of rice is raised
every year, but reports agree in saying
that the storm has about destroyed
their rice crop for this year. Another
sensible, though not heavy, loss is the
general destruction of the banana
fields, the larger banana, or plantain,
which is cultivated the most, serving
a large proportion of the population
as a substitute for bread. A private
letter, just shown me, announces that
the Canas estate of Don Juan POey
H. Lot Tee mill onH that tho GanOrfa