The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-08-05
TIE THO GREATEST STORMS ON RE
COED.

The IL 0st terrible storm which has, per-
haps, ever occurred, is that which has been
called the Great Storm. 1t occurred, or
rather It's worst effects were experienced,
on October 10, 1880. Generated probably
IN MD d-Atiant'c, not far from the equator,
II was hret felt ia Barbados, where trees
and houses were blown down. At Martin
lque the storm overlook a French transport
neet, and entirely destroyed II. There
| we're forty vessels, conveying four thou
sand soldiers, and the Governor of Martiu-
lque reported their fate to the French Gov
| ernment in three words-" The vessels
| Disappeared" Nine thousand persons per-
| Ished at Martinique, and one Thousand at
| ST. Pierre, where not house was left
| standing. st. Domingo, S.. Vincent, st.
Eustache, and Porto Rico were next visited
| and devastated, while scarcely a single yes
sci near this part OF the cyclones track
was fl )at on Octob ber 11sh. AT Port Royal,
the cathedral, seven churches and fourteen
hundred honses were blown down, and ak
teen hundred sick and wounded persons
were buried beneath the ruins of the hos
pital. At the Bermudas fifty British ships |
we're driven ashore, two line of battle ships |
went down at sea, and twenty two thou |
sand persons perished. PeThaPs the most |
remarkable effects of the stoI IN in this DOR
tion Of it's course were those experienced |
in the Lseward IslaoGs. The hurricane
drove twelve pOuuder cannon a distan o
OF four huhdTed feet. Those VINO lived In
the governmepC building took efuge in the
ce ntrs.l art, where circu!ar walls, nearly a
yard thick, seemed to f,rd promise Of
safety. But at 1880 O'Clock the wind had
broken d0wn paits of these walls, and
lifted OF the roof. AS il great II iooj4, a
common terror preserves peace among aui-
mails which usually war upun each other,
SO 0UrInS the great storm human passions
were for the time quelled by the fierce war
of the elements. Among the ships de-
L..
war ships. Twenty five sailors wuo sur
vivec sarreodered themselves prisoners to
the Marquis Of Bouille, the Governor of
the Island, but be sent them to ST.. Lucie,
writing to the English Governor Of that
island that she was unwilling to retain as
prisoners men who bad fallen into his hands
during disaster from which 30 many had
suffered" The great storm of 1880 must (
not be confouuded with the storm remem-
bered for SO many years in Great Britain as
the great storm. The latter occurred on ,
November 2G, 1908, and it's worst effects
Were exDerienced not as usual in the tropics,
but in Western Europe. The great tenn
pest of November, 1908, the only tempest
which, in our latitude, says Macaulsy, has
eQua!led the rage Of a tropical hurricane, ]
had left a dreadful recollection on the
minds of all men. No other tempest was
sver in this country the tec lsiOn of Par
liamen tary address or of a public fast.
Whole fleets had been cast away. Large
mansions had been blown down. One pre-
late had been buried beneath the ruins of
Of his palace. London aud Bristol had
the appearances of cities just
sacked. Hundreds of antilles were still in
The PROSTATE trunks of large
trees, aud the ruins of houses still attested,
IN ali the southern countries, the fury of the
blast. But Macaulay strangely omts to
mention one of the most striking events
,onnected with the storm-the destruction
of the Eddystcne Lighthouse. Wlnstanley,
architect of the first EddysEone Light l
l0use, was confident that 1T could resist
,he tieTcest storm which ever blew, and ex- {
pressed q hope that he might be in it when
such storm ragged. Ga November Goth he
arrived with party of men who were en-
gagged to repair the building. The great
torn soon after began 80 blow, and ragged
throughout the nignt. On the morning of :
he 9Th no trace of the lighthouse was to
10 seen. =