Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-07-05
a Terrible Chinese Cyclone
BUILDINGS RAzED AND LIVES DESTROYED BY
THE THOUSAND.

hNlAblNAth hALtD AND LIVES DLh1EO1 ~
THE THOUSAND.
tCanton Letter (April ig to Hong Kong Press.l
Passing over the Shameen settlement the
storm crossed the canal to the city carrying
away in its course the balustrading of the
East bridge. A native police station oppO-
site was also completely destroyed. The
storm leveled all the houses in its course,
making clean sweep for II width Of about
GOO feet. The mortality has been variously
estimated at from 5000 TO 10000, and prob
ably the latter number is nearer the mark.
Nine thousand houses, speaking in round
numbers, are known to have been destroyed,
and although many of the inmates had notice
Of the impending disaster by hearing the
noise caused by other houses falling and
made their escape, there were other cases in
which great numbers of people were killed by
the fall Of single house. For instance there
was an eating house in which 80 assistants
We're engaged In this house there were at
the time over 100 people taking refreshments,
and none, either assistants or guests, are
known to have escaped. In another case ~
persons We're killed by the destruction of a
family house. There was also great destruc-
ton Of boats and life on the water.
Allowing therefore, for there being no one
in many of the houses at the time of the fall
and on the other hand allowing for there be-
ing great numbers in some Of those that fell
it is probably below the average to estimate
the loss of life at one to each house that fell
and 1000 lives on the water. In most of the
houses blown down, fire was probably being
used, either for cooking or other purposes
and Kerosene is now so universally burned
and stored in Chinese houses that it would
have been no cause of surprise had the con-
tlagrations been much more extensive than
they were. As to the clearing away of the
dead bodies, the Chinese authorities seem to
have acted with most commendable prompti-
tudc. Almost Immediately after the catastrO-
pine orders for 1000 collins were issued by the
Oi Yuk Tong hospital, and up to the time the
steamer left yesterday afternoon, 1000 bodies
had been recovered from the ruins and bur
led without delay. The work of clearing
away the debris was proceeding rapidly, but
the stencil in some places was unmistakable
evidence that there were dead bodies still to
be extricated
The violence of the wind for the few min
utes it lasted was as great as that of the Sc
verest typhoOn. Granite blocks were lifted
from their places and hurled n considerable
distance thick trees snapped in twain like
twigs; roofs were lifted bodily and boats car
ried far on TO the shore. In one case small
boat was actual blown on to the roof of a
house in the tenth ward. row of houses
all brothels but one, forming one side of a
short lane in the city, were the scene of one
notable cataastrophe. The other side of the
lane is formed by the side wall of the Nam
Cheong temple which is some 30 feet high
This wall gave way with the force of the tor
nado, and fell crashing in upon the opposite
houses, the inmates Of which, about 100 in
number. were all killed, most of them being
crushed to death, and the remainder suifocat-
ed.
There were no means Of exit at the back
and no one attempted to dig the bodies out of
the ruins. The narrow creek is still partially
choked up with the debris, consisting of
broken boats and other wreckage in which
are numbers of dead bodies. In too many in
stances whole families have been crushed to
death in one boat. The supply of collins is
nearly exhausted. and the undertakers are
now, l am told charging double price. The
villages of Pah Hin Hook and Pah Hook
Tang two or three miles to the north, outside
the walls, were caught in the storm and suf-
fered great damage. many dwelling houses
and other buildings being destroyed and num-
bers of lives lost. The village across the wa
ter opposite to Shamenn came in for Its share
of the disaster also, being partially destroyed.
hear that though the whirlwind did not ef-
feet so much damage Mt Fatshan as in this
port it has made severe havoc. 1t is stated
by Chinese who have come from there that
not less than POO houses have been laid pros
trate. while about half the boats have been
wrecked The loss of life is put down at sew
eral hundred. A passage-boat coming down
from Fatshau to this city was, when II short
distance of. caught in the tornado and in
stantly capszed. About 20 of the passengers
were drowned. The tornado. it appears,
came from a direction quite contrary TO that
in which the clouds had been travelling imme-
diately preceding it.