The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-08-24
Cur 0to.
A Great Hurricane.

TREAT HURRICANE,
The recent terrible wind storms in Con-
necIicut, Washington, and in this and
neighboring States, viii lend additional
interest to the following account of sim
liar wind storm, taken from Camille Flam-
marion's Atmosphere -
The most terrible cyclone of modern
times is probably that which occurred on
October 10, 1880, which has been special
ly called the Great Hurricane, and which
seems to have embodied all the horrible
scenes that attend phenomenon of this
kind. Starting from Barbados, where
trees and houses were all blown down, it
ingulfed an English feet anchored before
St. Lucie, and then ravaged the whole of
that island, where six thousand persons
were buried beneath the ruins. From
thence it Travelled to Martinique, overlook
French transport feet and sunk forty
ships conveying 1000 soldiers "The yes
sels disappeared. Such is the Iaconic
language in which the Governor reported
this disaster. Farther North, st. Domin-
go, st. Vincent, st. Eustiche, and Porto
Rico were also devastated, and most of the
vessels that were sailing in the track of the
cyclone were lost, with all on board. Be-
yond Porto Rico the tempest turned north
east, toward Bermuda, and though its
violence gradually decreased, it neverthe-
less sunk. several English vessels. This
hurricane was quite as destructive inland.
Nine thousand persons perished in Marti-
nique, and n thousand at St. Pierre, where
not single house was left outstanding, for
the sea rose to height of twenty-five feet,
and one hundred and fifty houses that
were built along the shores were engulfed.
At Port Royal, the Cathedral, seven
churches and 400 houses were blown
down; 1000 sick and wounded were buried
beneath the ruins of the hospital At st.
Eustaehe seven vessels were dashed to
pieces against the rocks, and of the nine
teen which lifted their anchors and sailed
to sea, only one returned. At St. Lucie
the strongest buildings were torn up from
their foundations; cannon was hurled TO
distance of more than 80 yards, and men,
as well as animals, were were lifted of
their feet and carried several yards. The
sea rose so high that it destroyed the fort
and dorye a vessel against the hospital
with such force as to stave in the walls of
that building Of the six hundred houses
at Kingstown, in the island of St. Vim
cent, fourteen alone remained intact, and
the French frigate Junou was lost. In
the Leeward Islands the inhabitants of
the Government Palace took refuge in the
centre of the building during the height
of the storm, thinking that the immense
thickness of the walls (nearly a yard) and
their circular shape would preserve them
from the fury of the wind At halfpast
IL they were Obliged to repair to the eel
lar, as the wind had penetrated everywhere
and lifted off the roof The water rising
there to the height of more than a yard,
they were. driven into the battery and
protected themselves behind cannons-
some of which were driven from their
places by the force of wind The hurri-
cane was so violent that, seconded by the
sea, it carried twelve-poundera distance
of more than four hundred feet. (This
cannon was, it must be supposed, upon its
carriage, which had wheels BY the
light of day the country looked as it does
in midwater, there was not n single leaf,
or even branch remaining upon the trees.
Human passions are quelled in presence OF
such war of the elements. When the
Ldurier and the Andromede were lost at
Martinique the Marquis de Bouille set at
liberty the ive-and-twenty English sailors
who had survived the shipwreck, writing
to the Governor of ST. Lucie that he was
unwilling to retain prisoners men who had
fallen into his hands during disaster to
which every one was liable