Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-10-26
THE HURRICANE IN CUBA.

Details of the terrible storm in Cuba week
before la It state that nearly two thousand peo-
pie wer. killed, mostly drowned. Twelve
thouean head of cattle were lost, and in Ma
tan7as alone four hundred houses were de-
stro, ed The damage to property is estimated
at ave millions of dollars. Seven hundred
and fifty street lamps were washed away.
The stock Of sugar and molasses in the ware
houses was very small and the loss trivial.
The principal loss is in dwellings, warehouses
boats, lighters. &c. The bridge OF Boitee, a
magnificent structure over the San Juan, nor
far from its mouth, costing more than SlOO,-
600, was destroyed. The bridge over the
Yumurri leading to Versailles was also
washed away. The San Luis bridge near the
Havana railroad station still stands, though
much damaged.
A passenger train arrived at the depot OF
the Havana and Matanzas railroad just before
the overflow took place. The depot, engine,
train, passengers and employees all disap-
peared in the flood.
A letter from Matanzas merchant states
that 4S2 dead bodies have been found and bur-
led, and that 500 missing persons were unac-
counted for. The most prominent man that
was drowned was the rich merchant, Pedro
Benet The brute creation naturally Jared
worse than man in the inundated wards and
suburbs. The number o horses, cattle, boys
dogs, &C., drowned is very great Gunes, a
town between Havana and Matanzas, was in
undated Many buildings were blown down
and some of the inhabitants severely injured
The jurisdiction of Colon felt the force OF the
tornado. Much damage was done to the grow
ing cane, much of it being torn out of the
ground by the roots by the force Of the wind.
The cane most backward for the season was
less injured.
The damage to the shipping was very great
The brig Mary H. Chase and bark George S.
Hunt, of Portland, were totally dismantled,
and lost anchors and hawsers The schooner
Edwin, of Bridgeport, was driven from her
anchorage and colided against some coasting
schooners, sinking them, then carried almost
to Tuinuri bridge and was driven back again
to the bar, where she stranded and the cap
tain and crew escsped to the shore. The
vessel was then driven down the harbor and
wrecked near the Canimar The schooner
Frank Palmer, of Bath, had her bow broken
in and her bowsprit ripped up. The brig Lib
erty was the only American vessel that es-
capped unframed. In all these disasters in
the bay only five lives were lost, and all from
Spanish vessels.
In all the smaller towns and villages houses
were blown down or unrOofed and all the trees
are gone. In Neuva Paz, ZIG houses, mostly
of wood, we've changed to a heap of ruins.
In Makenga 100, in Guines 6S and the church
towers were also blown down. In Alacranes
80, Bejucal 40, and thus each place suffered
more or less. The loss of lives in these
villages was small considering the extent Of
the material damages experienced and will
not exceed twelve persons in all The storm
was felt but slightly east of Sierra Morena
and not at all east of Sagua. Westward no
harm was done few miles beyond Havana.
The districts of Matanzas, Cardenas, Jarucos,
Guines, Guanabacoa, Santa Maria, Benjucal,
Santiago de Las, Vegas and Colon, two thirds
of the island, are the only ones to which the
storm seems to have confined its devastation.