The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-09-15

GbOut Two NtLlc tlitA IL Il ltiitQ
that the poorer classes have an era
of suffering before them. The plant
ers are left with shattered and de-
stroyed crops, and the fishermen
have had their houses blown away
and their smacks sunk. At the
markets in the towns persons come
with empty hands, and traffic is
limited to an Interchange Of stories
which are sobbingly told. There is
literally no business going on any
where, except the work Of restoring
10 some sort of shape the distorted
and shattered dwellings and wreck
ed edifices. In many of the towns
the Government Offices and build
ings suffered much, and the clerks
are unable to transact business. In
short, the wall which comes from
Jamaica through the newspapers is
one Of genuine and profound dis
tress.
\ gentleman, writing from Port
Antonio, makes the following state
ment:
| am writing to you from the
midst Of a scene of desolation which
it is impossible to describe, and
which no language can exaggerate.
On the 18th inst, a hurricane burst
over this district, and moved down
the fruits of the earth as if the angel
Of death had passed through the
land with his scythe. Looking from
my house inland, lean see a distance
of II or % miles, and ] can conf
IDENTIFY assert that, in the whole of
that space, there Is not left a grow
ing plant, not a banana, not a cane,
not a cornstalk or a yam vine, and
where the coffee trees are not up
rooted or broken short of, the ber-
ries have been swept from the
branches as completely as if picked
by the hand. About
noon on Wednesday, the 18th inst,
the wind which had been blowing
strong during all the morning and
the previous day began to assume
an angry tone, and by : o'clock the
gale had increased to full hurricane
strength. + About
s o'clock p. m. the people from the
neighborhood, whose houses had
been blown over their land, began
to flock to me for protection, and by
9 o'clock ! had 81 black people
men. women and children-drench-
ed with rain and trembling with
fright, huddled together in my din
ing-room. Between 9 and 10 o'clock,
my front door, which | had taken
the precaution to strengthen by
mailing battens across it, blew clean
out of its frame hinges, lock, bolts
and all giving way. This was for
me the supreme moment of danger
it being perfectly certain that if
the door could not be put back into
It's place the roof could not hold out
many minutes. Fortunately for me,
! had been prompt in giving refuge
to the destitute, and, rallying togeth-
er the men OF the party, the door
was, by sheer muscular force, driven
back into It's place, where | man
aged to secure 1t with buttresses OBJ
tanned from the destruction of my
own bed and the parlor sofa. At
1920 a. m. | received the last OF the
refugccs-an old man and woman,
with Young lad-who were drag
gcd through a window, more dead
than alive from exposure andtcror.
The wind about this time changed
to the southwest, but the hurricane
had spent its fury and all damage to
the house was past But the full
realization Of what the country and
the people had suffered was reserved
for the morning, and | am not
ashamed to confess that when ]
looked out upon the desolate aspect
OF the country, | burst into Il flood
of hystemcal tears. As far as the
eye could reach it was one waste
bowling wilderness cultivated and
uncultivated land alike were
as smooth as if any army of aX and
cutlass men had passed through
them, cutting down tall trees and
little shrubs with Unsparing impair
tiality. An old woman who works
in my kitchen, and who was form
erly a slave on this property, put ii
in this forcible way: Looking down
/ toward the Rio Grande, which the
day before she could not have seen
on account Of the intervening tim
ber, she exclaimed to herself, Hi,
God Almighty weed clean, fort
The worst part OF
all is that the people will have nc
food for the next u months.
have Just been waited upon by q
deputation OF four black men, all oi
them small proprietors of the better
/ class, able to read and write, and
/ they assured me that after the food
which had been blown to the ground
had been consumed-that is to say
in about two weeks time-the peo.
pie will be entirely destitute. for the
next II or Is months. They have
asked me To prepare a petition tc
the Governor on their behalf, and
have promised them to do so on
their providing me with reliable in.
formation OF the actual position OF
affairs in the district. One man
Richard Smith, who had over l.
acres in cultivation in vans, ban
anas, and coffee, informed me that
he had Just returned from his field
and that it was "as smooth as tn,
palm Of his hand, not a yestige o
anything remaining.
-
~ as Billions and Iy Nerves Wer,
Quite Unstrung."
SHERIDAN, y. Y, Jan. Is. 1876.
DR. ~ VI. EENgER Fredonia. y. Y.
DEAR RI have been on. OF
4 health for three months. Was bilious. my
/ eyes and complexion being yellow and m,
nerves were quite unstung. Had lost m,
appetite my mouth tasted bad. my heac
+ was stopped up and felt duh and heavy anf
/ J bad lost luy ambition. have now takei
one bottle Of your Blood and Liver Remedy
and Nerve Tonic and feel entirely cured.
Yours truly.
y. y. WHITAKER.
DR.. femer's Blood and Liver Rem.
edY and Neryc Tonic mav wnll IN