New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-09-01
FOREIGN NEWS.
TERRIBLE CALAMITY.

TERRIBLE CALAMTii'
Ct THOMAS AGAIN DEVASTATED bi v,ILEp
o,yv-ovrR ONE HUNDRED PERSoS' n Zoo
a,x ruousAsp PERSONS LEFT hoo'
Ann Observation-Disclosures pisAo'D
Fl; Is - Thursday, Aug. 81 ls'''
,,- hurricane has swept over 'niS IN
Another u.' .r.-,uruins nearly every house, and
,.v,,s the pace in ruins. fes'e'u''' -, .,,,.ro
,,ose from the east, shortly ai"i "a'a
49, nortbeast, from which point ~ VIZ"
80 n,t,, noon, when the wind veereo ro"nu '''""
and fell upon the island in terrHc nu'ri'
WV ., s,,ned to the northwest and oiew WIN
ean0 ~ .,.n m when there came lull
So ,,u An m. At this hour the HURRICANE
WIN" ,,o ,.,spd from the south; but Its
,u,a,,on was not Ions as on 'ne p''''' ~
rs violence 80 great It's term VI e''"'''' '
lasted only two hour" -,.. oo,,.
-. ,,uov,r. IN the wake q the hurricane came
a. .uful gale from the south and southeast WHICH
,..ea for several hours. During the hurricane III '''
several shocks OF earthquake re ldered more
areadt,l the tuation Of the people.
Hundreds OF dwellings have been swepi away ana
not house hos 'eft sahulnV unu""""e" VIZ
distressed island. Some .,VoU people have been ~i'
louseess and destitute and nearly $50 persons nave
been killed and manged, or disabled by houses plo"h
Sowp or bricks and tiles flying thicky all around curing
the hurricane. Already some 80 corrses have been
d,ageed from under the ruins, which, in the shape OF
trees fences shattered houses and heaps OF bricks and
tiles srewn throughout tie streets, offer sight OF
perfect desolation.
There are no casualties 10 report about the shipping
here, with the exception of British bark loaded with
sugar. and riding at anchor at; the mouth OF this
labor which broke loose and went adrift toward Rock
,a Channel and lie taid TO have become total wreck.
Two French steamers. recently arrived here, drifted
about and got fast aground; but the English steamers
Corsica Tyne and Delta we'll as the steamer Florida
Of anchor here weathercd the storm handsomely, the
crew Of the latter However, having to cut down her
ass to save her The Island OF st. Kits is said to be
also III RUNE as was caught first by the hurricane.
St. Thomas one of the Virgin Islands,
which, for the second time within few years, has been
subjected TO great calamity belongs to Denmark, and
has population Of about I30OO Its is 81 square
miles, This island has long been, and continues to be-
Of tic principal emporiums in the West Indies. 1t
this distinction partly to its convenient situation
partly lite spacious and safe harbOr at St. Thomas
the south coast and partly and principally to the moder
alton OF the import dues which vary from to II pei
cent. st. Thomas has, in consequence, become depot
for the supply the neghhoring Islands, goods beinl
cent to 1t to he warehoused till opportu
ity offers for conveying them to their fna
destination. The annual imports from Grea
Britain alone amount to Ot00O0 The King Of Denmark
was willing cede st. Thomas TO the United States, bu
tue Senate refuqed ray the treaty for its transfer
The cultivated land the island is only about 6,ot
acres. st. Kitts, or St. Christopher, is one OF the
British West India islands in the Leeward
Yroup and IL 20 miles long and rbOut five
miles broad. Tho population numbers 16l2 white and
s coored inhabitants The chief towns are Basscterre
and Sandy Point. The island has rich, fertile and cul-
yated soil pasture and woodlands ascend almost 10 thc
mountain summi's. The annual trade OF the island
amounts to about $4,000 About $4,000 cwts Of sugar
sIe produced annually.