The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-01-17
A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
200 Lives Lost and s25O,OoO Destroyed

A dispatch from St, Thomas, January Nth.
says:-News has just arrived OF terrible floods
on the Island of St. Kits, by which 200 lives
have been lost, properly to the extent OF
S250,00O destroyed and the whole island
wasted, The land sweeps up from the shore,
slowly at first, through rich, fertile and cul-
tiyated soil, and then mounts abruptly to-
ward the eenlIgl mass, the rugged peak
whereof Is known by the name Of MI. Misery,
The elevation Of the summit is nearly four
thousand feet, and il oYerhangs the broken
walls Of an old crster--the last remnant of an
inner cone that has been washed away. The
mountain is clothed with pasture aud wood
land, and at its skirts, in the rich Valley oil
Basssierre, is the arabic portion Of the island,
which Is mainly devoted to sugar. The is
land itself, known as tho Smother of An.
TILES, is twenty-three miles long, i've milea
broad, and covers m area OF sixty seven
square miles.
The floods occarred on Sunday last. The
! temperature had been unusually high for the
lime of year. The winds were blowing from
the south al early morning. Toward noon
they changed 10 The northessl, and the TEN.
I perature fell suddenly. The streams on thi
mountain side rapidly became torrents Con
yergins into gllrh 81 the foot Of Mt Misery
| they rose from thsls narrow channels ane
poured down upon the arabic land in q resist
less stream. The inhabitants we're at once
alive 10 their danger. There was a general
vas terrible. Blacks and whites, natives and
Rnghsh, Ell made for the nearest point Of
safety.
The torrent rolled on into the town o.
Basseterre, among the newly built houses and
public edihces, carrying with Il roof.Irees
timbers and branches Of trees Land.slipl
added 10 the terrors Of the scene. Sagas
fields were leyelled to the ground or torn ~
in masses, deep gullies were washed in th'
roads, sugar houses and dwelling places wers
borne bodily away, and the waters rushee
headloEg TO the sea with their freight oil
drowned cattle and struggling hnman beings
The scene was pitifal The whole popula
ton Of the island does not exceed twenty fiv'
thousand, and Of these two hundred perishsd
aud many Of the rest were homeless. People
buddled together on the roofs, wild with ter
ror. The authorities went Immediately L
work 10 relieve ibe distress But the tasl
waa Too great for them. Large quantities D
provisions and oil the sugar reAdy for ship
Inent has been swept away. Earnest appeal,
have been made Tor help. s.. kits hal
known no such calamity since iT22, when I
terrific hurricane nearly destroyed tho ISLAND
On July 3, 1867, Basseterre was destroyed
by Ere, all the business portion Of the towl
and most Of the churches and dwellings re
duned 10 ashes, and five lives lost St. Chris
TOPPER, on 81. Kits, was settled by Engliai
eolonisis, under Sir Thomas Warner, in l62s
was held Afterwards by the English and French
and finally was ceded to Great Britain by TIA
Treaty Of Versailles IN 1888. 10 1872 /
joined the confederation Of the Leeward is
lands, the Legislature Of which alta at St
Johns, Antigua and Basselefre in alternat,
years. Il belongs 10 Great Britain, and Il
governed By persistent, an executive coun
ell appreciated BY the crown and Legislative
assembly, half Of whose members are elected