Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-05-16

largest"
Mr.. Meigs visited the San Louis on
the second day after the fire. The peo-
Pile there told him that the fire seemed
to them to start nj point about four
miles southwest of them. Within thirty
minutes after first seen 10 the windNard
the fire was upon the San Louis in y
solid torrent of flame, famed by gale
Of wind, which howled through the ele-
waited plateau at Il rate far exceeding
that experienced by Mr., Meigs and his
host 1T the san Ricardo. In mo
ment the vast mast OF flames
and smoke passed through the very
large sugar mill, the men working in it
barely escaping with their lives. The
immense quarters occupied by the 400
slaves, which were surrounded by a
stone wall. were reduced to ashes The
openings in the large hospital for the
sick belonging to the estate happened
to be closed, and the fire rushed by the
building with such velocity that it was
not burned. Between 500 and 400 hogs
belonging to the plantation slaves We're
destroyed with the pens III which they
were kept. CarcaSses Of burned mules
and oxen were scattered about when Mr..
Meigs saw the place, and turkey-huzzardS
were feeding upon them. Nota stick of
the timber of the great "purging" or SUI
gar-cleansing house was left. A large
frame building used rs Workshop,
containing two Steam-englnes, n wind
mill, ETC., escaped, although the flames
passed within four feet of the weather.
boards of the building. At the san Bias
estate, FIVE miles east OF the san Louis,
nearly everything was destroyed but the
negro quarters, aud the owners dwelling
which were of stone. and ahutted
against wall facing the track OF the
flames. The roofs were matched and
eight or ten feeD above the wall, but
such was the fearful rapidity with
which the gale carried the flame along
that, although coming up 10 the wall,
not spark dropped on the roofs. The
flames struck this wall with such force
that they were thrown high in the air,
and the wind hurled them over and be-
yond the buildings. This will serve to
give some idea OF the terrible velocity
ofthis "whirl wind of fire. rs Mr.. Meigs
APPLY calls it. The fields of growing
sugar-cane were, of course, utterly de-
stroyed. "rhe cane was Literally burned
to below the ground" said Mr.. Meigs.
While he WAS ut the ruins OF the San
Louis plantation he met number of
gentleman who-owned distant sugar es-
tates, and obtained information from
them of the destruction of forty mine
other plantations bv the fearful contla-
grafton he had witnessed. Mr.. Meigs
left the San Ricardo plantation for Hal
vana and home on April p, four days
after the fire. He had at that time
heard of tilty-seven different sugar es-
tates which had suffered in the great
fire. On the way to HAVANA he met Il
merchant of the latter city, an active
intelligent business man, who knew the
region in which the fire occurred, ana
who knew the value OF sugar estates.
The two comrared notes" and Mr.
Meigs asked the HAVANA merchant
what he considered the loss would
amount to. The loss will easily reach
500, 100000" answered the merchant
Il can only guess at it" said Mr.
Meigs, "but think that 800, 900 600 is
All 6StIuldSt lulNil NltlIil lut ludIk.
At HAVANA Mr.. Meigs learned Of
eleven additional estates destroyed,
bringing the total up to sixty-eight.
The furthest point eastward which Mr..
Meigs heard from was Sagua Lagranda,
about 100 miles from HAVANA. A
gentleman from that place told him
that everything had been swept away
in that section.
The TX 1ri0mpho, q newspaper in
Havana" said Mr.. Meigs to the re-
porter, recorded tile names of eleven
estates as having been damaged by fire.
That was all there was Of il, and that
shows how the censorship of the gov
eminent prevents the press from giving
any news. | wrote an account Of the
fire just after it occurred, and sent it to
friend in New York. But | did not
dare to mail it to him openly. | knew
the government would never let the
news of such calamities 90 ont of the
country. So ] sent the letter under
cover to n friend in Havana, asking MIN
not To mail it, but to see that 1t was put
on board the steamer for New York lust
Mt the moment she sailed My friend
did SO, and the letter reached its desti.
nation"
"What will be the effect of such an
enormous loss upon the sugar trade r
the reporter asked.
That cannot be told yet" was the
answer, for the wide extent of the fire
is not known. / notice that the sugar
market is firm. But, as | told you, the
Cuban government does not permit
such news to get abroad"
a coRREsP oNDENT Of the Cincinnati