Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-01
A HURRICANE IN CUBA.
The Rapidity of its Approach and the
Fury of its Work.

From Flag to Flag"
Suddenly all was furry and excitement to
prepare for the cyclone that even the very liz
yards knew was coming. Sledge-hammers,
axes, and immense timbers were hastily
brought inside the house. We rapidly pre-
pared to occupy and defend the three front
rooms only. Ciriaco brought in some cold
meat and bread, brandy, aqaadie'te, and pail
of water, which were deposited in a corner of
the parlor.
The rear of the house (Which was one story
in height, with walls 8 feet thick, built of
stone and cement, and with immense beams of
solid cedar sustaining the stone roof was
closely barred and secured in the strongest way
possible, There was sudden and hurried rush
into the various buildings. Chinese and me-
groes fed to their respective barracoons and
fastened themselves in. Lamo. with two white
men in our employ, and several trusty, stall
wart negroes. waited to see that all were pro-
tected, thoroughly safe as possible, barely al
lowing themselves time to rush into the house
and close the last windows. when the hurricane
broke upon US. The wind rose in great, howl
ing gusts, and swooped down and around with
tumultuous roar like the booming of cannon.
A rattle and bang. as though we were being
assaulted with batteringrams on one side the
house. and all rushed to the threatened
windows TO secure them with great solid tim
bers driven by sledge-hammers into the pol
ished floor, and forced against the massive
panels of the shutters that closed within.
rushing and a whiZzing sound. broken
into prolonged roar, admonished US that
the wind had veered, and now the opposite
windows were threatened; before they could
be properly secured, great rafting and
bowling at the door drove every one with axes.
sledge-hammers and timbers to the front of
the house. So the wind whirled round and
round. stopping at every door and window to
blow louder and more startling blast Like a
great giant battling for admission, or a beseig-
ing army attacking first on one side, then on
another, then all around at once, in the deter
mination to carry the defenses by storm. the
merciless wind fought. We knew only too well
that if it gained admission. the house would be
wrecked; one of its mighty blasts could lift the
very stone roof.
Meanwhile. except for a single candle in
corner, so shielded for fear OF sudden gusts
that it only served to make darkness visible, we
were without any light. panel a few inches
square. hung on hinges in a front shutter. was
our only means of obtaining glimpse of the
outside world, and We dared not open this
while the storm was doing its utmost. For
thirty hours we bravely and increasingly de-
Tended the besieged castle thirty hours of NOR
tai terror and incessant vigilance-before the
giant with one last. deafening howl, dimin-
ished the force of the attack. and gave us one
moments peace. Cautiously taking hurried
peeps through the little panel, while the tor
nado was whirling with fearful impetuosity
through roseate atmosphere, the very wind
seemed a tangible pink element sweeping
everything before it. Debris of every kind was
being borne upon its mighty wings. Great
sheets of metal roofing from the sugar-house
went careering along like scraps of paper;
huge palm trees whirled aloft and away like
straws. while tiles. bricks. and smaller objects
sailed with lightning rapiditv across the horizon
like notes in breeze, utterly insignificant
were they in the grasp of the mighty element
4 few holes. wrenched through the strong stone
roof of the house, gave access to the rain that
now poured down in binding floods. and we
were soon like Noah's dove-flying in vain
search of dry spot.
When at last, after thirty hours of exhaus-
tive battle and mortal alarm, our doors were
once more thrown open, the scene of desolation
was beyond all powers of description. The
bourrdless fields of waving cane, that delighted
our dyes only two days before, had entirely dis
appeared: beaten fiat down by the wind, the
rapidly descending waters rushed completely
over them. The sugar-house was wholly I'M
rooted; and for DAYS broad strips of the metal
bent as though Vulcan's hammer had beaten
them into a thousand fantastic shapes. were
brought from the fields hundreds of yards
away. Rock fences had been dashed to pieces
and the fragments strewed over the fields. The
proud army of majestic palms. that had for so
many decades stood guard of our entrance, lost
twenty of its bravest veterans. Desolation was
everywhere SuDremel