, 1891-09-09
THE HURRICANEIN MARTINIQUE.

The island Of Martinique has been swept by
the fercest an most disastrous cyclone which
has ever burst upon these islands. All the ele.
ments seemed to combine to wreak their fury
upon her. The wind swept irresistibIv over
her. The sea rushed in " on her. Tie eartn
heaved and surgcd 1T frequent intervals. while
over the crush md wreck beneath. the thunder
realed terrific. the lightning flashed ticrccly,
striking whatever the wind had missed anil
here and there in the midst Of the crumblng
towns, and wave-tosscd shipping, arose the
Iurid horrors Of fire.
The ruin Of Tie colony is consumm tied. The
work + destruction has ben swift, sudden and
completes The loss Of life cannot yet be com
puted Up to last Saturday evening the Off
cal reports stated the III mbcr of victims as
c~crtained to be 250. Bur it Will he weeks be
fore the full TX tent floss If lie con lie known.
The survivors are without shelter. exposed
70 the incl emency Of the weather ut this season
Of almost in cessant heavy 1aine.
The provision crops are completely DESTROYED.
The loss Of cattle must lave been immense.
Om poor neighbours are now face to face with
the added horrors of famine.
We have gathered the details which follow
principally from our valued contemporary, the
Propaga eUr, supplemented by information OBJ
taincd from private cores onderce, and the
description Of eye-witnesses.
'Ihe 18th Of August 1891 will be hence.
forward a date craven in letters of blood and
d,solation in the memory Of the inhabitants Of
Martinique, as are the 18th Of January 1889.
ana the 22nd June 1880. For on Tuesday
evening, a hurricane passed over the island
plouGhing Il furrow of death, devastation, and
ruin. 1t is only in the realisation Of the an
guish Of all, in the sentiment that we are all
in sore need Of pity, that we have sought and
found, in the depths Of our own misfortune. the
courage to Wlitr these lines within four
roofess walls. III the midst Of wreckage strewn
and piled up by the fury Of the wind, and in
describable confusion, borne down as we are
moreover, by the weight of personal grief at
the violent death Of four very near and dear
to us, who, during this fatal night, we're crush
ed to death beneath their fallen home.
On Tuesday the weather looked threatening,
there was a pretty strong breeze blowing
steadily from Nm. East. IN the afternoon the
barometer began to fall, the sky became over
cast and the force of the wind increased an
probably.
The Captain OF the Port warned c~onsignees,
shipmasters, and the Consuls of various coun-
tries, as we'll as the local authorities, of the
weather indications. But, alas! TO no purpose.
At Z o'clock it blew a gale and towards 8
o'clock the hurricane let loose its full fury upon
the port and town. During the two hours that
the cyclone lasted the whole population of the
island was in terror and CONSERVATION in in
slant fear of death. The roofs crumbling. the
~wreckage hurled about with the violence of
grape-shot, the shocks of earthquake, the bare
walls rocking beneath the timbers launched
as if from catapults against them, with a dull
ominous sound, the lurid glare of fire. the
deadly bowling of the raging blast: to stand
amidst all this, straining in one convulsive
clasp with instant death impending the
trembling loved ones whom reason has aban-