The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-06-28
A Terrific Storm.

he describes as the most fearful and
interesting visitation of Providence
Inc ever beheld. He says, in letter
written at the time to a friend, "This
several days before its occurrence, by
the bishop of a neighboring island, who
rested his prediction on certain astron-
omical calculations; and he also an
nounced, us the completion of the
catastrophe, shat terrible earthquake
would ensGe, by which Naples itself
wonld be destroyed on the 25th of
November This advertisement oh
tanned so much credit, that the greater
part of the inhabitants actually gave
up every other consideration to the
grand concerns of religion, imploring
the mercy ofGod, and his forgiveness
of their past offenses, as if the follow
ing day were infallibly to be their last.
On the other hand, slany laughed at
the prediction, observing how little
faith was due to astrologers. In the
midst of these apprehensions and en-
couragements (of which the former
however predominated) retired, on
the evening Of the Gath, just before
sunset, to my apartment, and in my
way thither met almost all the females
of the city, bare footed, and with hair
dislevelled, crowding to the churches,
with their babes in their arms, crying
and imploring God for mercy. As
night came on, the sky was more than
usually serene. My servants went to
bed Immediately after supper; and
/ about midnight stretched myself on
my bed, where, after lying for some
time awake, l was just falling asleep
when I was reused by the noise of an
Earthquake. The easement was burst
open, the light which / always keep
!; burning in my chamber was extin-
guished, and the whole house shook
to its very foundations. In this state,
between sleeping and waking, and
i. assailed by the terror of impending
: destruction, ran to the cloisters of the
monastery in which l reside, followed
, by my servants, and there we CROPPED
about i'll the dark thaving only til,
glimmering of one dull lamp to direct
: us), to receive whatever consolation
was in our power. Here we were
shortly met by the abbot, with his
monks in procession, who, terrified by
the tempest, were bearing the holy
cross and relics of saints, and preceded
by lighted torches, with devout pray
ers and EXPLANATIONS, in their way to
the church to sing mathis to the Virgin.
"It would be much too long to re-
count all the horrors of that dreadful
night; and although the truth very fal
exceeds all power of description, yet
fear to be thought guilty of exaggera-
ton when l exclaim, 'What delnges
of water! what wind what thunder
what terrible rumbling in the heavens
what fearful tremblings of the earth
, what vehement connection in the sea
what shrieks of amazed and distracted
multitudesr The long night seemed
, extended by magic art to twice its ac-
tual duration; and when morning
came, its approach was announced to
us rather by the clock than by any cor.
responding light in the armament
} The priests robed themselves for the
celebration of mass, while we, moi
having courage to lift our faces t.
heaven, remained. stretched on the
3 ground in prayer and supplication
} Though day had broken, it was still
, as dark rs night. The multitude. il
the upper part Of the city had beguI
5 to dispense; but toward the seashor,
the noise seemed to increase, and thu
gathering of horses was heard in thu
street below. What this could NEAR
: it was impossible to ascertain but
> made bold by despair, l at last mount
$ ed on horseback myself, resolved tt
9 see, even though should perish.
l "Great heaven who ever heard o
S such things as / then beheld I? TIT
: Oldest seaman declared that the lik,
was never before witnessed. In tn,
! midst Of the port were seen an infnit,
number of poor wretches scattered OF
: the sea, and struggling to gain til,
: shore, who by the violence and fur,
4 of the waves, were battered about til
: they looked like SO many eggs dashe,
: to pieces on the beach. The who'll
: space was filled with drowned an,
half-drowned bodies-some with thei
: skulls observation-disclosures with broker
/, arms or legs; and the screams of mel
t and women who lived near the beacl
l were no less terrific than the uproar @
t the clements. The very sands, o.
which the day before, you walked wit
e ease and safety, were become NOR
dangerous than the faro of Messina @
f the whirlpool of Charybdis. A thou
$ sand or more of the Neapolitian no
: bility came to the shore on horseback
8 as if to sOlemniZe the funeral obseeuie
D of their country. Soon the r,lmor cam