Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-10-04
TERRIBLE HURRICANE.
Ruin apd DesoIation in St Thpmss-
Fearful Loss OF Life-Addftional PAY
ticulars.

TERRIBLE HURRICANE.
Ruin and DesoIation in St Thomas
Fearful Loss Of Life-AdditionaiP par
ticulars.
On the 22d ult., the island of st.
Thomas was visited by a terrible hur-
ricane. The st. Thomas Tidende gives
the following interesting particulars
At o'clock there was a sudden
calm. The centre of the cyclone was
passing over ST. Thomas. We seemed
to be shut i'll all around with heavy
pail of ominous darkness. The heav-
ems appeared to have contracted. The
air was unnaturally still, as if, after the
violent effort, nature was catching
its breath for another fierce onslaught
ter. During this calm the barometer
reached its lowest point. Different
barometers seem, however, to have Civ
Ell different results. One in the har-
Dor showed 28:40; another $3.50, while
one III town showed $3.50 another 49,
ga, and another 2S:68. The calm last
ed for about an hour, and than it be-
gan to blow again in heavy squalls
from southwest to south.
The barometer began to
rise rapidly. At 7 o'clock il was
as high as $3.50, and the violence of
the wind had ceased. At midnight the
barometer stood 29:70. At 4 o'clock
on Tuesday morning it stood at 1880.
At s O'Clock is stood at 1920, and the
wind from the southeast with rain
squalls continued ali day Tuesday.
Monday night was intensely dark and
gloomy. There we're no lights in the
streets. The street lamps were all
smashed. Many of the lamp-posts
were thrown down. There was no gas.
The streets were encumbered with
lumber, tiles, zinc-sheets, tin-sheets.
branches of trees, and rubbish Of every
kind. In some places whole trees were
torn up by the roots, while those that
stood were entirely stripped Of their
leaves and had lost many branches.
Tuesday morning revealed the full
extent of the fearful havoc caused by
the wind, The greatest amount of de-
structlon has been committed in the
valley between the first hill to the east.
known as Lucchetti's hill, and the sec
ond, known as the Government hill. es-
peclally in a line from the military hos
pital up to Poly Berg. Ofsome houses
there is scarcely vestige left. Others
are but heap OF mashed lumber Some
have been moved from one place to an
other. Others have been turned upside
down One, which seemed to be 9th
erwise uninjnred, still contained it's fur
nlture, and rests on one side of the
root which now serves as the floor while
the floor proper now forms the roof.
and the Inmates seem to have accommo-
dated themselves to the new order of
things. Some houses were entirely
quilted OF their contents others had a
wing carried away, others the roof,
while such loose objects as windows and
doors were nowhere to be found, except
scattered abroad in fragments. One
house, new brick building of three
stories, had the upper story shaved off.
Another house, wooden building, also
OF three stories, had the middle story
blown away, leaving the third story
down on the first. These are but some
OF the freaks of the hurricane. Stone
walls and brick walls were blown down.
Solid masonry was blown away. Iron
work was twisted, bent and broken.
But the saddest part is vet to be
told. A number of lives have been lost
and many persons have been wounded.
One house was blown into the torrent
running in the gut known as " Majors
Gut, ia Kings quarter, and five per-
sons who were in it were killed. The
dead and dying were cxtricated from
beneath many Of the ruins, and others
were picked up i'll the streets, where
they had been struck down by flying
missiles, One was found with her skull
carried away. An infant was found at
Polly Berg. It died to-day. The
dead have been buried and the wound
ed have received all the attention that
could be given them. The chairman of
the colonial council called a meeting
Of the council at noon on Tuesday, and
1t was resolved to place 81, 500 in the
hands Of the police master to relieve
the immediate wants of the sufferers.
A further sum of $4,000 has been
granted to q committee of IL gentle
men, appointed by the council, who
are to concert measures for It's applica-
ton toward further relief. Two gentle
men have with thoughtful generosity
opened vacant stores to give shelter to
WV AiN'oNLCoo iyocis DNSiUGSS WAS Sis
pended from noon On Monday until
this morning. Yesterday it rained so
many of the houses that remained were
leaking, SO many people were dead and
wounded, that there was great discom-
fort, distress, and agony in this gloomy
city.
This cyclone seems to have been
more extensive, covering a greater area.
than that of 1867. The central calm
occupied 3 longer time in passing over
this island than did that Of the other.
1t has caused more destruction in the
town, and we may therefore say that it
was more severe. That it caused less
IN the harbor is due to there being less
to destroy. The most severe part of
this was while it blew from the west
ward, but this one is rendered doublv
severe from it's coming so shortly after
that and the earthquake of 1867. and
before we had entirely recovered from
that first blow. We can only pray that
it Will not, like that of '67, be followed
by such another earthquake as followed
that ~ N 49, 'N>'