The Hawaiian gazette., 1879-11-12

A special to the New York Herald from Lon
don. dated the oath Of October says : Foil news
has been brought to The papers Of the terrible
foods that have devastated the valleys of the
MuDdo and the Segura- Rarely has a more ter
rihle story been narrated in modern times. Muir
els is bot little knoxn to travellers in Spain for
the Mediterranean steamers touch at Alicante
TO the north Of il. and al CSriagena to the south
Of it, and the capital Of The ancieut kingdom and
modern province Of Murcia stands inland on the
Segura half way between them. II lies in
PLAIN dotted with cozy farmbouses and green
with dropping palm trees. The roads that lead
TO il from Elcher run through the most tropical
portion OF The country. On Tuesday last few
people veniured into The streets during the day
lime. but in the evening there was general
movement of carriages and foot passengers TO-
ward Alameda. which stands high, aud from
which the view extends over the river aud cam.
psgns as far as the hills. Here al was life and
animation. 1t was ABOUT 10 O'Clock when The
approach OF q cold and biting wind was telt IRON
The direction Of Cartageoa
rae SKY CLnUDEp OVER
liz an instant There was gathering up of fans
and manlillas, and the crowd turned hastily
homeward and the plaza deserted. Soon
the storm was bowling over the town and amid
the streets. and tore through the houses. 1t
increased in violence every minute The rain
seemed 10 be falling in broad sheets of water
No such tempest had been seen within the
memory OF The inhabitants. Shortly after mid
night the Saichman was gong his rounds. fight
ing his way through the binding dosD-pour,
when as he passed over the bridge that leads to
the plaza. and divides the town into two por-
tions. be saw black stream OF water rushing
between the arches He found the river was
rising rapidly. Ii had already overlooked the
banks, and Was stealtbiy climbing over the stone
parapet which protects the frontage. The
watchman knew that no time was 10 be lost
He hurried 10 the clock tower, watch gives Gig
mails OF IRE and other catastruphes TO the dwell.
lers by The waterSide and set the bell in motion.
The note OF warning Eas heard above the noise
of the storm. Instantly lbe inhabitants rushed
into Tie streets; few Of them had time to do
more than TO snatch up little clothing. Down
the main street rushed the frightened women.
Bands OF svartby gitanos sasrmed from the
gyp>ies' quarters peasants In their blue velvet
jackets stood helplessiy in the principal prone
nEdes, too frightened TO heed
TER VIOLENCE OF IRE STORM.
The Authorities at once proceeded 10 organize
assistance for that part o; the town. When the
day hroke the Mexicans almost forgot the bor-
rors of the night they gaze1 on the plain,
which The day before had been lovely tropical
garden. As far as the eye could reach there
WIS seen level expanse Of waller, and not few
human bodies were floating in the Iurbid tide.
The villages and farms all shared the same fate
No intelligence could De obtained from The sur
vivors as The roads were impossible. The line
OF the railway for miles was destroyed and the
ielegraphs had ceased TO exist. While the towns
men were waiting for news from the country
the scenes Of distress we're piteons TO behold
Fla Alta, Tore and Mendaermas we're heaps Of
ruins. Benisjoin. Lorca and Carravaca suffered
no less damage than the ether villages Of the
plain. As for the hamleis of the Vega they
contained nothing but ruins Of buildings aud dead
bodies. Within foriy-eight hours loo corpses
had been brought IN, and laid by l42 others,
which bad been taken from the riverside houses
In many paris Of Vega The stencil was so great
that ueither The civil guards nor the authorities
thought il prudent 10 sIIempt az
EXPLORATION FOR VICTIMS.
The dead were placed side by side 10 building
set spart for the purpose. Ar day long rela-
tises of those that were missing thronged the
house OF death, striving TO recognize familiar
face. Some Of the richer classes had already
made preparations for burial. and masked men
were hurrying along the streets and boys beariug
crosses and flags with religious inscriptions Il
was ss though the plague had visited the town
Never had Murcis sRd the valleys known such
disaster since the foods of 1851 and 1902 at
Alicante, the chief commercial port OF Valencia
The whole plain Ia covered with raging water,
which forms lake nearly thirty leagues in ex-
tent Ia 6ue, the amount of damsge is as follows
The villages of Monduermas. Fra Alta, Tore.
Aguerra, AIcanturilla and Largs have been swept
away. Murcia. 0riehuela, Lorea and Almeira
have been partly flooded. Ten thousand inhabi-
tanis and 100 families are destitute. The loss
of property exceeds fifty million francs The loss
of life is AT Larca. 100; at ,Orihuela. so; st
Mnrcia, more than 1000 These are the lates,
Official returns bat il is feared that he total loss