The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-11-22
Awful Catastrophe.
Loss OF 10000 LIVES By TYPHooN IN
CHINA-FULL DETAILS.
SAM FpANcIsCo

SAN Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 8.
A Hong Kong paper of September 26,
just received, says: 1t is our painful duty
to record the most appalling disaster that
ever occurred in this country. A typhoon
of unprecedented violence ragged through
ont the colony on Tuesday night and We'd
nesday morning. Not single ship escaped
unchanged, and the casualties and loss of
life exceed anything ever before placed up
on record. This city, after the occurrence,
had been besieged. In all directions were
seen roofless and shattered houses and
crumblipg walls roads strewn right and
left with debris, and the wreck of boats
and trees, some of gigantic size, torn mp by
the roots. All business has been suspend
colony. The Press of October says !:
The loss at Hong Kong and Macao is not
less than 5000 lives. Vessels arriving re-
port meeting dead bodies long distance
before reaching port, and corpses are daily
washed ashore in various parts of the ia
land. The damage done to property is
larger than anticipated. In Hong Kong
ton of vessels, buildings, and general
merchandise, will reach $5,0O0,00O. The
steamer Alaska, which was blown ashore
at Aberdeen, has not yet been got off. The
boats of the Spanish steamer Albay were
lifted above the masts by the typhoon and
Camo UOWu WIFI u CTdsus
correspondent at Macao writes that
the typhoon was of the most terrific char
acter. Early on Wednesday the tidal wave
broke on the shore with awful violence,
sweeping everything before it. When the
tempest was at it's height, fires broke out in
six different places, maliciously caused by
pirates for spoils. The church at Stanton
and large humber of houses in the neigh
borhoOd were completely burned down.
Many people lost rything they had, and
were rendered homeless. Macao was laid
in ruins, and the misery thus entailed upon
hundreds of its residents is fearful, while
the loss of life was enormous. 1t is COM
puted that over 10000 lives we're lost in
Macao alone. Four days after, the efiluvia
arising from the thousands of decomposing
bodies was 30 great that the soldiers re-
volted and refused to bury any more bo-
! dies. The governor, fearing that plague
would follow-if the bodies were not dis
posed of, ordered them to be burned ;
1000 bodies we're cremated, the troops
first covering the corpses with tar and then
setting the heap on fire.
| The loss of life around and in the vici-
nifty of Hong Kong will exceed 1000. A
large number of Europeans are among the
killed. The whole number of lives lost
will number over 10000 souls. The am
cunt of property destroyed goes far into
the millions. A slight shock of earthquake
was experienced at the same time as the
tidal wave aud typhoon. The United
States steamer Alaska was moored on the
Aberdeen side of the islands. After get
ting to her wharf on the 22d, the storm burst
with terrible fury. Her new hawsers part
ed like threads. She dragged her anchors
and struck on the opposite shore with heI
living freight. She was carried bow on
to the rocks with terrific force, at first
pounding greatly. then listing to starboard
and resting quietly. Aberdeen is almost
| ra1r 1not nd fl,nl II 10 foo fri
ly damaged. An attempt to float the AL
aska on the 9th of September failed, but
the captain is sanguine of getting her of
ultimately. The vessel is not damaged.