New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-06

THE BANANA. COFFEE, COCOANUT AND OTHER CROPS
OF SOME COASTS RUINED-THE ISLAND IN NEED
OF FoOD-A TERRIBLE RECORD OF DISASTER.
The steamer Ethel Cane from Jamaica. which
came INTO port yesterday. brought fuier details OF the
calamity which bfe that island on the night Of the h
of August II appears the cyclone. which OF
furious character began its havoc the northern side
Of the island az It. AIMS Bay It shifted TO Port
Antonio on the northeastern side, and then
70 the southeastern coast. whence f. travelled
westward. II lasted from p. m. Of Wednesday
to a. III. Of Thursday. The 19th. The wind
Increased in velocity IN hours from two three
niles an hour 70 eighty miles aad thc barometer fell
from % 95s on tue l. Ii TO 2s.9Jl on the Ism.
A night approached the day Of the di.aster the
wind fresneled and became violent until It developed
ntO tho terrible hurricane that has visited the
island for upward of twenty years. scarcely anything
material Wis able 70 withs and the force Of the wind
Public buildings demolished in an instant. The
debris WAS whirled high into the air and
couvcyed to great distance from the
structure 70 which il originally belonged. AT Raetown,
for instance sheet OF iron roofing. gnins upward
OF half a ton. was lifted height OF fifty feet rolled
up like a stick of cinnamon and was carried distance
OF 80 feet from the building which had covered
coanu groves entirely swept away, and the fruit
crops IN tho places visited by the storm
were entirely destroyed. Plantations from which
the Eew-York market largely supplied with trop-
they were for years come.
Thc fury Of the hurricane med to reach its height
AZ Kingston. but the whole OF the east end " tie
island has been desolat,d.
Wherever the cyclone struck. the plantations were
completely desoated Looking In and from Port An
tonic II ID said for distance OF nftcen
OF twenty miles and in the whole OF that space not
growing plant. cocOanut breadfruit, banana, cane
corn stalk or yam vine, has been left Tho coffee
bushes are torn and stripped OF their berries;
Thousands OF cocoanut trees have been blown
down on single plantations. Ghe cyclone levcled un
dreds OF houses and churches The reports show that In
81 George Disrioi Portland l3l houses were wrecked
az Yats fty nine houses In Bath District fity houses;
In the Parish OF st. Catherine every church and many
houses; at Newcastle twenty houses and along
about 200 miles OF the coast. At Kingston the damage
done is estimated at $500 OO0 aad the total OF loss
BY the cyclone is appalling
FRUIT TRADE ALMOST RUINED.
A gentleman In Port Antonio writes as follows
TO the Colonial Secretary at Kingston 1t IL
much TO be feared that this hurricane will have most
casmtous effect the fruit trade, which must inev-
itIbly come TO a standst for year or more and may
probably never again brought to It's present
isng state Apart from the element OF uncertainty,
which the stoppage now will introduce. there has al
re- adv been some talk the masters and shpOwn-
ers OF revviug the trade with TruIillo, Ruatan, and
other places In Central America, which broken OF
rsw years back by disaster there similar 70 what we
have now to ament and which will offer ouly fess-
ble an opportunity and reason for It's resumption and
regret to have to record that the principal shipper
here has already had telegraph TO the merchants
America To cease sending their vessels."
so widespread have been the destruction Of the Coffee