The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-02-04

Sr. THOMAS, Jan. l3.-Nevs hes jusl
arrived II the terrible Aoods o. ~ III.
and Of St. Kits. By which 800 livss
have bsen lost. property 70 the extest
OF $25e. $50. and the whole islsad
vsstsd. The land swssps mp from tn
shore. slowly at drst. through . rich
and cultivsaad soil. and then mousta
abruptly 70 the central mass, the rug
ged pesk vhsfsee 10 knvwu By he mans
Of Mount 1issry. The elevation Of thia
summit il nearly four thousaod feet.
and it overhangs the broken ~alls Of an
old esaaer-the lest remnant Of an in
ner cose that hss ~ voGAe1 avuy.
The assntain II elstbea With psstufs
and woodland. and ct ito skizts. il the
rich valley Of BasseesrEs. il the arable
poetieu Of the islsnd, which is 0aialy
devoted b suGas. The island iessN u
twenty three mslss lsag. ove milss
broad. snd covers On area a sixty sevea
squsre miles. @
Tbe foods oscnssod - 0us1sy hsk
The tsmperassrs had bssa anusaally
high fse Tie tioe 81 yeae. he winds
were blowing from the south Of easly
morning. Toward aoon they changed
to the northeast. and the temporakure
fell suddeuly. The streams o. the
mountain side rapidly became torrents.
COnvsrGing into . gulch at the foot Of
Mount Misery. they rase froas their
channels end poured down upon the
arabic lsnd in . resistless stream. The
inhabitsuts were q once A.vs - thsig
danger. Thsse wss gsnsrAl stampede
toward the coat. Blseks and whites.
natives ssd Roslish. eli made les The
nearest posnt Of safety. The torrent
rolled on into the town VI Bassstssru.
among the newly built housss snd pub
lie ediaces. carrying with it roefs. trees.
timbGrs and branches Of trees. Land
slides sddsd to the tsrrors Of the scene.
Sugar 6slds we're les4lsd to. .Ahs ground
or sora up = s,aasa. 1sep S1lliss we're
washed IN the road. sugar housss and
dwelling houses were borne bodily
away, aud the waters ruahsd hea1long
to the sea with their freight of drown.
ed cattle and struggling human beings.
The whole poIuiation Ut the islsud
does not exceed twenty. Ave thousand.
and IT shsss two hasdrsd psriahsd end
many sf the rest wsre nade Aomeless.
People huddled together on the roofs.
Wild with terror. The authorities went
iwredistely to work to relieve the dis
trsss. Bot the task wss too great fur
them. Large quantities Of provisions
and all the sugar rsady for shipment
has been swept away. Earnest sppeals
have been made for help. st. Kitts
has knoWn 20 suoh cslsoitv sinco l719.
whsu . tsrrible hurrioaoe peasly de-
stroyed the islsnd But oo July 2 1851,
oil the hasiness portioni a BdelstssIs
and most af the churches end dwSil-
ings were destroyed BY DIRE. and 6vs
lives lost. A movemsot 10 being sst On
foot for the relief of the devastated isl.
and.
CSt. Christopher. Or Sc. Kit&s, was
settled By English ce!ooists under Sir
Themas Warner 10 1929. wss bele a2esf.'
ward hy the English cad 1rsn6h. Ind
dnally was ceded to Great Britain By
shs Trssty Of Versailles in 1883. In
1879 il jsised the confedersties Of the
Leswsrd Islsnds. the Legislature Of
which site 1t st. johns. Antisus. and
Bssasteses IL alternate yeases L baloeg4
% 0sat Britain. spd 10 gosesoe& by
. pre8de1G. a Executive Ceanoi9 Ap/
pointed By the Grown. aud . Lsgisls.
tive Assembly. half Of whose ms0bsss
are elected. II 1850 The impesss were
valued at ED6, ,7l2; exposts. 1222. 712 ]