The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-03
WEST INDIAN oALAMITIEs.
The Flood Of st. kits and Volcanic
Eruption I'm Dominica.

Eruption In Dominica.
The Kingston (Jamaica) Budget Of
January 10th contains rather meager de-
tails of the disasters at St. Kits and
Dominica. The following dispatch is
printed in regard to the former:
ST. KITS, Jan. 16.-The Voice of the
People publishes the following "The
calamity which on Sunday night, or
rather early on Monday morning, befell
the inhabitants of Bosseterre, is, we be-
lieve, unexampled in the history of the
West Indies. About II onSunday night
it began to rain, and between
l and on Monday morning ii ap-
pears that an extensive water-spout,
which had drifted over the island, was
tapped by contact with either the Mon
Hill or Canada Hill, or perhaps both.
The amount Of water thus liberated,
coming down with terrific violence, lit
orally denuded Shadwell of any chance
of crop, while we understand Canada,
the property of Mr.. Wade, has suffered
in like degree, the intermediate district
being also punished very seriously, so
much so that the deluge which appears
| to have fallen about mile or less above
the town, came down through the various
water courses with which it is intersected
in huge column, sweeping away houses
and carrying hundreds Of lives as well as
thousands of pounds worth Of property
to the sea-"
The Budget adds: "Further news from
St. Kits, though not Of a later date than
that received by telegraph, says that
churches and chapels were destroyed in
the town of Basseterre by the foods, and
that more than 260 houses in that place
were washed away. Eighty dead bodies
had been found. The Treasury and Post
office had both been damaged, and the
business Of the latter establishment was
being carried on in the Courthouse. The
stores in the town were all more or less
injured and their contents destroyed.
Great suffering was caused among the
poorer classes"
OF the Dominica occurrence the fol-
lowing account is copied from the St.
Thomas Tidante:
"On Sunday the 4th inst, at about 9
a. M, heavy fall of rain commenced.
which lasted for several hours. About
two hours after the commencement OF
the rain heavy dark cloud suddenly
spread over the entire town, causing al
most total darkness and for about a
quarter of an hour there was perfect
deluge of rain and ashes. The Roseau
River became much swollen, flooding a
greater portion of the town, carrying
away cattle and houses. The cause of
this disaster is a volcanic eruption
at the Boiling Lake, the lands in the
vicinity Of which have been covered with
lava. This lake is situated some thirty
miles from the town Of Roseau. The
River Point Mulatre has been filed up
and its course turned, by which several
estates have been flooded. 1t is quite a
fortunate circumstance that there was
such heavy fall of rain at the time Of
the occurrence, or, it is thought, the en-
tire town OF Roseau would have been de-
stroyed by fire. 1t is rather curious,
however, that there was not the slightest
oscillation of the earth, which would
have led one to suppose that an erup-
ton had occurred. The loss in
property is reported. to be very
heavy" Dominica is situated south
of Guadaloupe, and north Of Martin
ique, between 150 2V and 15/ 450 Of north
latitude, and 61.16' and 61.310 Of west
longitude, and it is the largest of the
Leeward Islands. It's name is due to the
fact of its discovery by Columbus on
Sunday, the date being November Sd,
1893. 1t became British possession by
conquest in 1850. The island is 20 miles
long and about 16 miles broad, contain
ing many high and rugged mountains
some of which are volcanoes and dis
charge quantities Of burning sulphur. A
popularity of the country is its large
number Of springs Of hot water, many
of which are said to possess medicina
properties; the Boiling Lake referred te
is one of these.