The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-08-21
DEATH IN A CYCLONE
Fully Sixty Lives Sacrificed at
Martinique.
sTUPENDoUs DAMAGE 10 SHIPPING

The Greatest Disaster That Has
Overtaken Martinique Since 1917.
Plantations and Forests Utterly De-
stroyed by tho Force of the Wind.
Fears of Volcanic Disturbances.
PARIS, Aug. 21.-A cable has been re-
ceived here confirming the brief dis
patch to the effect that all vessels at
Martinique were lost during the terrible
hurricane there on Tuesday night. Fort
de France and st. Pierre, Martinique,
are important ports of the Lesser An
titles.
According to the latest dispatches
eight French vessels are among the
wrecks. The scenes in the harhors
when the hurricane struck the shipping
can be easily imagined. Some Of the
vessels appear to have been carried bod
lily up the beach by the fearful wind
and waves, others foundered at their
anchorage, and others still alongside
their wharyes.
The damage done to shipping and
property may safely be classed as stu
pendous. About two -tfths of the island
was under cultivation and the mountain
slopes were covered with forests. All
the cultivation and all the forests in the
path of the hurricane appear to have
been swept away.
Fully Sixty Deaths.
The calamity is the most severe that
has visited Martinique since 1917. The
disaster is said to be equal to the famous
cyclone which swept over the Island of
Antigua in 1871. So far as can be
learned there have been nearly, if not
quite, sixty deaths as a result of ths
hurricanes visitation; but it will be
some time before the full extent of the
disaster is known.
At Fort de France alone there have
been twelve lives lost, and in both Fort
de France and st, Pierre, to say nothing
of the country districts, there have
been large pumbers of people injured.
At st. Pierre five persons are known
to have killed, but it is feared that this
number does not represent the entire
loss of life in the capital.
At Francois there have been sixteen
people killed and large numbers injured,
and at Riviere Pilote there have been
two or more deaths, and so on from all
parts of the island comes the tale of
woe and desolation.
La Trinite sends in the list of its dead
at ten and numbers of more or less in
| jured.
The latest report received at st. Pierre
| from Lamentin shows that the hurri.
cane counts ten victims in that place
alone, in addition to large number OF
injured.
Plantations Utterly Destroyed
The numerous sugar, coffee, cotton
and cocoa plantations which have felt
the force of the tornado seem to have
been utterly destroyed. Houses and
barns, storehouses and stables, have
been crushed out of existence, and a
considerable period must elapse before
the island RECEIVERS from its terrible Wis
itation.
AS there are six extinct volcanoes on
the island, and people are always to a
certain degree apprehensive of an out
break from them, reports We're spread
tha5 the volcanoes were showing signs
of renewed life, and that they, with the
hurricane, would complete the destruc-
ton of the island.
One of the features of the hurricane
was the oppressive stiffness which
marked the approach of the gale and the
signs of alarm and uneasincss mani
Tested by the birds and animals OH the
island
The governor and the priyy council,
assisted by the colonial council, are do
ing everything possible to relieve dis
tress.
As the reports from the various sec
tions reach St. Pierre, it becomes evil
dent that the extent OF the hurricanes
deVastations has not been much exag-
geratcd. Destruction Of property and
loss of life are reported from all parts Of
the coast.