Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-05-26
SWEPT BY A CYCLONE.
Terrible Loss of Life and Property
at Nautilus.


Tho Island Swept by AN Awful Hnrri-
cnne--Many Lives Lost and Much Prop
erty Destroyed--sIeagre Details of the
Disaster.
Cable advices from London, received in
Philadelphia Thursday afternoon by the
national board of marine underwriters.
state that terrible hurricane swept
Mauritirs on April Goth, wrecking many
vessels loading sugar there for Philadel-
phia, New York and Boston. Steamships,
ships, barlss and 'schooners were driven
ashore, entailing losses to the underwriters
amounting to millions of dollars.
The Island of Mauritius Is in the Indian
Ocean. and has no cable communication
with the outer world, and all kilograms of
importance have to be carried to other
ports by sailing vessels to reach London.
from where they are sent to other parts of
the world.
NOT VESSEL LEFT To CARRY THE NEWS.
The greater part of the worlds hest
sugar supply comes from Mauritius, and it
is believed that there was not a vessel left
to carry the mails to the nearest port, or
the news would have reached here sooner.
1t is thought that the meagre advices re-
ceived were given by vessel which only
touched there, bound to some other port.
The cablegram says that the British
steamships Amaranth and Gladiator,
were driven against the shore and sunk.
The iron ships Leander, Queen Scots,
Eurydice and Sierra Parma were also
wrecked The banks Isaac Il. Skoefeld,
Aconagua Princess Wilhelmine, William
Wilson, 0aklands, Strathspere and the
schooner Paula $. were all stranded by the
furious sweep of wind, and will likely be
total wrecks.
cARGoEs, TOO, MUST BE MADE GOOD.
II is not only the value of the vessels
which the marine companies must pay for,
but The cargoes of sugar, indigo and spices,
which will run the losses up to many mil
lions of dollars Several large 'cargoes
have recently been purchased for rcfiners
in this city and insured by the home COM
panies on their account.
! Other vessels stranded are the British
steamer Pontokotu. the mballa. the bark
| William Wilson, steamer Oakland and the
schooner Paula. All these we're slightly
damaged.
TERRIBLE Loss OF LIFE.
| 1t is believed that the loss of life was APP
| palling, as the western half of the city of
| Port Louis, the capital was devastated. A
| large number of persons were caught in
| the falling houses and crushed to DEATH
while Others lost their lives by being
struck by flying debris.
The exact number of dead is not known.
| itNtiy tlort lS DelilR iluue ny tne autlOri
| ties to alleviate the suffering. The govern or
has issued orders for military tents to be
| distributed to shelter the homeless, and
food is being issued to those who have lost
everything by the storm.
| Half of the crops Of sugar, rice, coffee
and pepper have been utterly ruined and
the loss in this direction is extremely
| heavy.
LoNpoN, May 2O.-Baron De Worms,
| parliamentary Sacrptnry of tina colony
Office, read n telegram in the house Of
commons this afternoon, fully confirming
| the terrible disaster at Mauritius, many
facts concerning which were told in these
dispatches of Yesterday and this morning
The dispatch read by Baron De Worms,
said that one-third Of the capital city, Port
Louis, was destroyed. Among the build
ings wrecked were the Royal College and
"A churches. Many sugar mills in the
| country were completely demolished and
| the valuable machinery employed in the
| grinding of the cane and in the boiling
| the product the vacuum pans, &C., were
badly damaged
| loss OF life was given. 1t is known, says
the dispatch, that in the city of Port Louis
alone 600 persons were killed. In the vari-
| Gus country districts this far heard from
| 800 persons lost their lives and these
| figures are more than likely to be added to
| when news Is received from the remote
districts in the mountains. 1t is believed
that when the death roll is complete il
will be found that over 200 persons were
killed.
The hospitals in Port Louis were filled
to overlooking with the injured, and tents
were erected on the hospital grounds to
accommodate those whose injuries de-
| manded instant attention. Nearly every
| house in the city had ono or more of its
inmates under treatment, and the ply
sicians suffered greatly from the constant
calls made upon them.
In Port Louis alone 1000 persons were
reported injured. There was no loss Of
life among the British troops stationed on
the island. Though u large part of the
crops were destroyed, no famine is ex-
pected. The government, which is under
| the direction oil Sir Charles Cameron Lees
have taken measures to relieve the distress
that prevails in every direction.