Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-11-19
AwFCL cATAsTRoPHR.


SAN Francisco, Sunday Nov. 8, 1874.
A Hong Kong paper of September
16, jnst received says: II is our pain
full duty to record tho most appalling
disaster that ever occurred In this coun
try. A typhoon of unprecedented
violence ragged throughout the colony.
on Tuesday night and Wednesday
morning. Not single ship escaped
unchanged, and the casualties and loss
OF life exceed anything evcrbefore plac-
ed upon record. This city, after tho oc-
-curence, presented the appearance of q
Of town which had been besicged.
In all directions were seen roofless and
shattered houses and crambling walls |;
roads strewn right and left with debris
and the wreck Of boats and trees, some
Of gigantic size, torn up by tho roots.
ALI business has been suspended, and
oppressive silence reigns over the
colony. The Press, OF October 8, says:
The loss 1T Hong Kong and Macao is
not less that 5000 lives. Vessels ar
irving report meeting dead bodies .
long distance before reaching port, and
corpses are daily washed ashore in
various parts Of the island. The dam.
age done 70 property II larRerthsn an
ticipated. In Hong Kong alone the
loss OF property by the destruction OF
vessels, building and general merchan-
disc, will reach Il, 600 900. The stea-
ner Alaska, which was blown ashore
ct Aberdeen has not yet been got of.
The boats Of the Spanish steamer Al
bay were lifted above the masts by
the typhoon and came down with .
crash.
A correspondent ct Macao writes
that that the typhoon wac OF the most
terrific character, Early ON Wednes-
day, the tidal wave broken ON shore
with awful violence, sweeping every.
thug before it. When tho tempest
was at its height, fires broke out IN six
different places, maliciously caused by
pirates for sp0ils. Tho church OF
Stanton and . large number OF houses
in the neighborhood were completely
burned down. Many people lost avery
thing they had and were rendered
homeless. Macao was laid in ruins,
and the misery thus SufEiied upon hun
dreds Of its residents 10 fearful, while
the loss Of life waa 5clDrmous. Its
computed that over 10000 lives, were
lost in Macao alone. Four days after
tho feluvia arising ft0m the thOusands
Of decomposing bodies yAsa 20 great
that the soldiers reyoltod and refused
to bury any more bodleS. The Cover
NOR, fearing thata plague would fol-
low if the bodies were not disposed OF.
ordered them to b burned; 1900.
bodice were crcmated, the troops COW
ering the cOrpses with tar and then
setting the heap on Dire. 4
The loss Of life around and In the
vicinity of Hong Kong will exceed
1000. A large number Of Europeans
are among The killed. The Whole
number of lives lost will number 20 600
soull Tho amount Of property des-
tr0yed goes far into millions. A slight
shock Of earthquake vas experienced
ct the same time as the tidal wave and
typhoon. Tho United States steamer
Alaska was moored on the Aberdeen
side of the islands. After getting to
her wharf on the 22d, tn stornl burst
with terrible fury, Her new hswsers
parted like threads. She dragged her
anchors and struck on The opposite
shore with her living freight. She
was carried bow on TO tho rocks with
terrific force, at frat pounding greatly,
then listing to stsrboerd and resting
quietly, Aberdeen 1sAlmost entirely
destroyed, and the dock 10 fearfpl.y
damaged An attempf 20 doat The
Alaska on the 9Th failed, but the Cap
tain To- sanguine of getting her a of
ultimately. Tie vessslds not damag-
e.. 70 .18aal sdt s7igsf a q