The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-09-24
The HAYTI HURRICANE.
Great Damage 10 Propersy-Many Lives
Lost.

UHCaA .fO 1-E0peTty-Mdny Lives
Lost.
NEW YORK, Sept. 23.-Further particulars
OF the harricane at Hayti show great damage
to property and considerable loss of life At
Jaqueto several warehouses were swept to sea,
with their contents Several buildings and the
public hall were demolished. Two wharves
were swept away and five vessels were wrecked,
including the Dominion frigate Czama, the
batque Helen and ship Serpent.
At Aux Cages four hundred and thirty-four
houses were destroyed by the tornado in less
than three hours. The Gamean BRIDGE mill
tary headquarters, court house, school house
arsenal ana prison were destroyed, and all the
roads were filled with broken trees and debris.
Several lives were lost and many persons
wounded. The towns of Torbsck and Port
Salut also had several houses destroyed aud
every garden washed away.
At st. Louis and Cavaillon the tornado tore
houses to pieces, and the sea rushed into the
market place, swee ping away men, women and
children, and leaving only four houses stand
ing. The loss of life is unknown, as no one is
left to help the wounjed or bury the dead
Five bodies have been found
At Aquin only 40 houses remain, the rest
having beeh swept away.
At Jerenne 20 houses were swept out to sea
and dashed to pieces. The wharf and Fort
Thelemoque were also destroyed.
At CoraIlle forty houses were destroyed aud
the American schooner Warden was lost. but
the crew were saved.
The distress in the country is fearful, as the
crops and roads are entirely destroyed. The
government was going to send vessel from
Fort au Prince with food to the southern part
of the land. Letters to business houses in this
city state that the destruction of the coffee
crop is almost complete, as wall as most other
property.
A Jacme letter says that half million
pounds of wool were swept away there The
loss at Jacmel is over $50, 600.
CaDtain GOrnell of the rnshin P,ha,,o
which arrived from Trinidad ION Saturday, re-
ports the hurricane at that place the most
severe for the past forty years, the barometer
falling to 20 o. the lowest ever known on the
island. Ships, steamers, lighters and other
craft were swept ashore from their anchors,
and the coast was strewn with fragments of
wrecks and merchandise from the lighters.
Seven lighter-loads of cargo had just been
taken from his vessel, when he saw the storm
approaching and he took his vessel to sea for
safety. After the storm had subsidized he re-
turned and found that the seven lighters had
been wrecked and their cargoes destroyed. The
remainder of the steamers cargo, consisting of
-four. refined sugar and fancy goods, was land
ed in safety. The hurricane began about 7
p. m, Sunday, September 1. The night was
intensely dark, and the storm began its work
by tearing limbs from trees, titles and chimney
from houses, and carrying the debris like SO
much paper in every direction. The people
fearing to go in the streets, went to the lower
-~SN'S
out the storm, unless driven out by the destruc-
ti0n of their homes. The hurricane continued
without cessation until about o'clock the fol-
lowing morning, when it abated only to return
with greater fury an hour after. The second
storm, however, lasted about fifteen mi nutes
only. When the hurricane had subsidized there
was not vessel of any kind to be seen in the
harbor which was not badly wrecked The
schooner May Morn. from this city, lay upon
the beach (she was foated off after ward); the
Harbor Masters steam launch was sunk; sew
eral lighters were ashore, their cargoes being
along the beach, and a foreign brig
had lost all OF her upper spars. Houses, ware |
houses. bridges, causeways, etc., were com. |
pletely demolished. Several large trees were |
blown down, and had crushed in a portion of |
the post.office and Colonial Bank buildings.
Whole plantations were swept over by The |
wind, and in the interior of the island much |
damage has been done to cocoa cultivation |
through the falling of the cocoa shelter trees |
,he bois immor,elles. At San Antonio, on |
Chief-J ustice Needham's estate, 1000 cocoa
rees were destroyed in this manner. The
government officials at Port ,u- Prince are
iak!ng measures for immediate relief, and |
nave asked an appropriation of $25, 900 by the
Assembly. A vessel-of-war has been dis
patched to the stricken localities with prcv:-
lions.