Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-07-17
Miscellaneous.
The Great Earthquake Of Port Royal.
fp'm Ciamlcr- .Iaurnal

Z One of the most common popular idea.
{ connected with Jamaica is. tha, il is period!.
/ cally afflicted with earthquakes and hurr,.
I canes. whose rayages are cl the most an.
I ralllng character, and on the most extensive
scale. To this absurd impression the Gre
oles have themselves IN some degree contrib
uied for having once been visited with one
OF the most severe earthquakes on record
that which DESTROYED the flouri,hing town OF
Port Royal IN 1892 and having suffered on
the 2sth Of August. l7la. and the same day
IN l122, from an unusually destructive hur-
rIcane. they continued for more than A hum
dred and fifty wears TO impres, these fact,
upon the public mind. by observing the an
nIversarles Of these two disastrous events As
solemn fasis. IL was no, till 1867 that the
obligatory Observance Of these anniversnrie.
was rendered permissiye by the legislature.
hut If earthquakes are not so comm ON IN
Jamaica, or indeed in any of the West India
islands, as TO cause that normal dread Of
them which prevail, IN Peru and some
other countries. their occurrence is still a
sufhcIenily ordinary event 10 Justify the al
teratIon of the well known application IN
the litAny in all the Anglican churches
us :. One, Two, or perhaps Iur.v. tdET pace
annually and if unusually severe, kitchen
chimney NAV be thrown down. or an III
constructed wall Of an outside building
slightly cracked. But accidents are eN-
tremely rare and beyond a notice Of 4 few
lines in a local paper the following day, the
earthquake is forgotten almost as soon as II
is over.
No one, however, who has once expert
enced sharp shock Of earthquake, will de-
sire il. more frequent recurrence. For the
most part. these shocks occur during the
night and whether it is that the silence and
solemnity of the hour contribute 10 the un-
uleasan;ness Of the sensations which they
produce, their effect upon all living things is
of the most painful and awe inspiring de-
scripiion Just before an earth quake hap
pens, an indescribable Stiffness, easily rec
ognizahle by an experienced observer, seems
/ TO fall upon nature. The very wind appears
TO hold its breath. and with the rest OF cfea-
ton, animate and Insnimate. to wait IN ter
ror for the approaching convuI,,on- Then
comes a low and deep rolling noise, gradu
aly growing louder, till II resembles mum
Der of heavily laden wains crushing dowt
the stones on a roughly metaled road. lh'
house begins 10 rock doors tiy open. crock
ery ra,lles, furniture j. moved from IL
place and a feeling Of the most anlect an,
utter pouerlesSness and ln>ignihcanCe seize
enc, which is CLOSELY allied TO fear. ant
which is apparently shared by the lower an
ima:s as wei. as by mankind. In 4 mOmsn
all is oyer; and then. as BY a sudden in
pulse. dogs begin to bark, GOES TO crow
horses to neigh, and cattle 10 low and yo'
spring from your bed. probably to dl>cove
that YOU are feeling very sick, hsadachy an
uncomfortable. Creo!es say that the fir
shock of an earthquake seldom does dan
age Ii is the succeeding ones which the
fear. The remark appears 10 derive cor
iirmation from the story of the great earth
quake which reduced Port Royal TO ruins.
Towards the end of the seventeenth cen
tury, Port Royal was the principal town !
Jamaica, and for place of lis size. probabl
the richest spot in the world at the tim
sh-Town-or as il was then called, ;
Jago de la Nega-hal ceased TO be the clI
i,al. As for Kingston, it was but petl
village and the now populoas plains
Liguanea were barren and bare-coyere
with wild bush with few negro hu
dotted about over the wild expanse Of shru
and grass, with here and there clumps
ceQar ana OlutT tIhUti tictn; vi "uiSh
traces now remain.
Port ROYAL was founded in 1901 by Ger
eral Brayne, and was at first known by Il
: name Of Point Cagway or Casgua, a CORFU
ton probably of ca.ragua, the Indian name
the corato or great alec which overspreads Il
adiacen; Salt-Pan Hill. The little promo
, tory on which the town was built resemble
the figure of scorpion. Between lis tv
antenne lay its noble harbour, in which
thousand tall ships might, except in hurl
canes, ride in safety. Its rise had been
rapid as had been the fall of its great riy
st. Jago de la Vega. In 1861, when ii "
visited by Captain Hickeringill. its SAM
bay was covered with only about five hu
dred houses. In 1872 the number of re-
: dences had increased to eight hundred al
6fty. In 1878 its population was estimat
at nineteen hundred and seventy-sev
souls, of which three hundred and twel
we're negroes, and the remainder we
st whites. Twenty years later, when 1t v
at the height of its prosperity, the numb
+ of its houses was calculated at two thousar
V. and its population had increased to thr
thousand FIVE hundred.
IN Yet the town possessed few natural q
yantages. 1t had neither earth. wood, n
a a water. Very little Of it could boast Of ev
a solid foundation; the greater part Of
be ee being built on sand. The spit Of land
~ ~ which it stood was joined on to the co
se reef of the Palisades by mere ridge of
same unstable material. Yet on this shi
ing basis, ENLARGED and strengthen
: by piles and wharves driven into the bea
I stood the larger portion of the town. liz
we're the principal streets, the Kin
House, wheie the Governor resided,
church, and the Navy Yard. Here stc
three Of the forts which guarded it, W
I the exception Of Fort Charles and few
:. the houses on the southern side, which W
a: built on rock, all rested on the same
n certain foundation.
E. Jamsica was very proud Of Port ROYAL
sis those days. Its houses were sound, 9
stantial buildings, built Of brick, and as h
as ibe houses in London were at the sa
period. Its principal fort carried si
pieces Of ordnance. 'as good as any I
London could afford 1t exported gine