New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-09-15
HURRICANES IN TIE VEST INDIES
DEVASTATION or ST. THOMAS-GREAT Loss OF
LIFE AND PROPERTY.

DEVASTATION or ST. TUOMAS-GREAT LOSS OF
LIFE AND PROPERTY.
ST. THOMAS, Aug. 2G.-Five days ago this
island was visited by cyclone which exceeded i'll its d
men,ons that OF four years ago. and caused almost as
great destruction of life and property. On the Goth
inst there were no marked premonitory symptoms of
great tempest, excepting an oppressive heat and an
o!anpus silence At O'Clock i'll the morning the barom
ot,r was at 3OO5, the thermometer e34 The former be-
zen almost imIcrceptiby to decline, and continued to
decline throughout the day, but always to an !nconsid
cradle extent. Daring the night there was an irregular
breeze from the northeast but TIE quiet. The
next morning at O'Clock the barometer stood 1922 the
wind was still from the northeast, with q force
rated scale OF no. Two hours
later the wind had veered round to east-north
east, and continued in that direction until IL o'clock
There was q slight rain the wind blew In pu incrCas
ing III force. TIE barometer stood at 29s32, and
tnued to fall gradually for two hours when stood at
29ls9 At this time it began to fall very rapidly at first
rising and falling 310th of line with every strong blast
but subsequently in TO Cloth Of line
The symptoms had first become alarming at about
O'clock and at that time vessels in the neighbour
hood anticipating danger, prepared to put into port
The wind then blowing again from the northeast
at Q O'Clock it had veered around to the NORTH
and at 8 o'clock it blowing from north
northwest, with force on tho winds scale
marked by g. The hurricane, which hitherto had
only been mcnacing, now certain. There ter
rife SQUALLS Of winds and at an nOur later the wind
was coming down from the high land in regular wir-
winds sometimes from northnortheast and sometimes
from west appearing to be Influenced by the
surrounding hills At o'clock the barometer stood
at 28e49 Tie storm became most terrific
at A O'Clock, and 1t was in the
succeedng half hour that the most destruction DONE
There was one continuous roaring Of the wind ntermn
ged with the crash of falling houses and the sound Of
roofing and other huge bodies borne along by the wind
II was impossible open the eyes or catch the breath
stapdipe face against the wind. Tho raised by
the wind TO an inconcevabe hight, and vcrabie inun
dalton entered the vessels.
Ats O'Clock the wind ullcd and the dead central calm
OF the cyclone reached the place. the barometer had
then attained lowest point standing at 26s-at one
point it was even as low 20 For half an hour there
was unnatural darkness and quiet and then the wind
again began blow steadily from tie south and south
west but without the heavy gusts previously expert
enccd. TIE barometer then began rapidly to rice
and at O'Clock 1t at 2945, ana the
destructive violence Of tie hurricane, which passed
away to the westward, The wind then slack
ened very slowly until midnight, when 1t was only
gale Shortly after o'clock the rain had begun to fall In
torrents; an hour later the wind had been
blowing from the south aud southeast the
barometer at midnight at 1910 NO effort
made to light up the streets during tnc night IN
fact that inp0ss billiy, for almost al the ianp
pats were battered down. The hurricane was nov
ting OF Tuesday, the 22d Of August but Tie wlnd thone
out the day blew gale from tie southeast ana 'hefo
was q large fail Of rain.
With the dawn of day Tuesday the eHten, OF the
blocked up with the debris Of shattered hoJscs ucs
b0sn porop The roots and lampD0sts Ibe oeVsstauon