Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-08
AoNnuRAs.
Tire Experience Of Correspondent in a
Hurricane.


Letter In New Orleans Times-Democratl
Al about A:30 A. NJ. Felipe reused me
out Of troubled sleep 10 inform me thaI
all was ready for starting. Alter nearly
breakfast on brown crude sugar and some.
what ancient and bard bread, we s.arss 80
forward on another journey OF at least 10
miles more, purposcd 10 skirt the grand
Paw or Gulf % Fonseca nS near rs possihle,
and reach Chinandega, Nicaragua, by the
way az Cboiuteca. Az the road was very
Lad and the mountain paths extremely
slippery and dangerous, could not expect
10 reach Cholutoca In less than TWO aho
hall or three days.
AZ the sun rose In the heavens II assumed
an ominous reddish hue. while bv A. NJ.
,hc brat was almost uncomfortable. The
Guide was frightened. and declared we
would soon experience either heavy
wInd.storm or an earthquake. Upon beng
questioned, he declared
IN Favor OF AN EARTHQUAKE.
while | wished for hurricane. We
must hurry and get 10 the plains, where
The trees are small and the lightning .ess
dangerous.v he said, as we pushed Tor
ward. and by . p. N. could sec the wide
nlojn ahead ai us from the mcun,ain-t0p
we were crossing about league beyond.
As we gradually descended little narrow
valleys became frequent. | TO iced huu'
drods OF magnificent tropic cedar.trees,
huge frondose ceibas, grand mahoganies,
and thick, wide-sprcadIng amarii.os, while
numerous other gigantic treca, whose
boucbs were laden with beautiful orchids
Of diverse kinds and colors, and whose
hinge trunk. were closely ontwlncd In the
deadly embrace OF thick, clustering vines,
Iiyollcd I'm size and height the statclicst
celhqs or ccdars.
We had ri least hall r league 10 90, when
Feline. now thoroughly frightened, point
ed 10 an ugly black cloud that was rapidly
rising on the southern horizon and spread
ing over the sky. :" Hurry forward, sir
he shouted. 1T will soon he dark ~
night. and the wind will be upon us before
we can reach the plain" He beat tine pack
mule until he urged II into tr0t. while |
spurred the tanks OF the poor animal. |
rode until nv bOoi-heel was red with blood.
Onward we went, while hoarse, murmur-
ing, grooming sound, which 'gradually
crew louder and louder, w5s'bornc u our
cars from the direction OF the south.
AZ length we reached the plain. Hun
drcds OF frightened cattle dashed 70 and
fro several herds Of deer scanpcred here
and there over The plain, numerous sheep
and goats croUched beneath the thick M
dcrgrowth, whiIe.myrlads OF rabbits DARED
from hole TO hoic, and numbers OF gray md
red SQUIRRELS. some OF the latter almost rs
large as 0 half-grCWn cat. sprang from
branch 10 branch and from tree TO tree.
We advanced about 800 yards into The
plain, when Felipe, with a lon2-drawn
sigh OF relief, said: "We are now COM
paratiyely safe. colonel, thank God" and
then he quickly stationed rs under the lee
OF thick growth OF underbrush.
Nearer and nearer came the rumblinG,
grooming sound. while the thick, black
cloud mounted higher and higher, and the
light stratas Of vapOrsh clouds underneath
flew over our heads,
TWISTING, TURNING, AND TwINrNG
rs though torn by some terrible unseen
ROVER. Then the wind-StOrm burst upon
Us. The mules crouchcd down rs close -
they could get TO the earth; the believing
cattle followed suit, while Felipe and
threw ourselves fiat upon the ground.
partially arose, however, to watch the
effect q tie hurricane upon the forest we
had Just passed through. The scene wa9
terrific. The huge trees bent before tue
terrible force Of the gale; their thick
branches waved wildly about, end in mlny
cases were fercely torn from the parent
trunks. Every once and awhile a loud
report, like the sound OF = cannon, was
heard, and then | knew that some tall
monarch OF the forest had fallen prone to
the earth, or that dead tree had snapped
in two.
The wind-squal lasted an hour and
twenty minutes, and was succeed by one
of the most tremendous ranials | bad ever
witnessed. II could not be called rain, for
the water descended in solid bOGy, aud
fairly beat us back t. the earth when we
ATTEMPTED 10 rise. In less than an hour
the vast plain was transformed into a lake,
while from the sides OF the mountains the
the water descended in numerous red,
muddy torrents, which added their volume
to the mass that had already collected on
the plain.
During all tbs time the thunder peals
were loud and continuous, while the light
ming Clashes were so frequent that the Whole
armament formed
A GRAND ELECTRIC DISPLAY.
The eyes could not endure the sharp
glare, and | buried my face I'm my hands.
The minutes seemed hours, and the hours
weeks; and when the lightning, thunder.
and rain ceased, almost as suddenly as they
had come upon us, | thought the gale must
have beaten upon Us for many hours. The
storm-wind and rain-laSicd Just two and
a half hours.
After some difficulty we got our mules
upon their feet and urged them forward
through the mud, slime, and water. Ny
mule was unable TO move with me on his
back. so / dismounted and assisted Felipe
TO drive tie exhausted animals forward.
In four hours We managed TO get across
that terrible plain, and at 1880 p. VI. we I'M
sadded and unpacked the mules aud threw
ourselves upon the damp ground, and thus
passed another most miserable night.
IL daybrcak next morning we again
pushed forward. On all sides | saw fallen
trees, broken branches, and other signs Of
The devastation caused by the gale OF the
previous afternoon, which ! aftcrward As.
ccrtained had cut clear swath of about
five miles wide, across Honduras, in a
northorly direction.
At9A. NJ. the rain again began to fall in
floods, and the mountain paths became very
slippery anu dangerous. | dism0unted
three or iour times and attempted TO walk,
hut my foot soles were smooth, and after
several narrow escapes from slipping down
the mountain sides | concluded II was
safer 10 trust TO the mule. At length We
reached narrow pass about $50 feet deep
and a mile long, where the rocky path was
absolutely dangerous. Felipe advised me
TO stop and wait until the rain ceased and
the sun lad had time to dry the rocks. But
| could not afford to lose time, so would
not listen to any delay.
We had not gone far before noticed thai
my mules nerves were entirely unstrung,
and that the animal was too frightened to
proceed with safety. But | spurrel her
forward and kept firm rein on her. At
every step her knees seemed about to give
way. At last she stopped still, a shudder-
ing tremble pervaded her whole frame,
and she tottereG TO and fro for minute.
At this spot the path was slippery rock,
and was not more than IS inches wide.
As the mule Swsyed grasped thick root
with both my hands and swung myself
lightly ont Of the saddle, when the animal,
with wild cry OF fright and distress,
TOPPLED OVER THE PRECIPICE,
and disappeared down the steep barranca-