Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-06-09
THE WIND OF DEATH.
OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE
KILLED BY A TORNADO.
just Before the Waters Sweep
Over the City Submerging the
Highest Buildings-A 4
Terrible Scene.

MARsE1LLEs, May 31.-Mails
which have just arrived from
Mauritius confirm the state
ment that 1000 person were killed
and 1000 injured in the recent
: hurricane. The hurricane was
preceded by a violent magnetic
: disturbance. The sea rose nine
feet, the highest level since the
cyclone of 1918.
Scarcely house in the colony
escaped damage. Many churches
and public buildings were Destroy
ed. The fine church of the
Immaculate Conception is in
ruins. The cathedral, however,
by a strange chance, escaped.
The dead include a large number
of leading inhabitants. Fearful
sights were witnessed in the
streets. One factory collapsed,
killing 200 inmates. One-half of
the sugar crop was destroyed.
The planters losses are incalcul-
able. A special relief loan of
| 100000 will be obtained from tha
imperial government, to be repaid
in twenty-five years.
During the whole summer the
weather in Mauritius was
universally hot. On April 9th,
two days prior to the hurricane,
the heat was dreadful. This, to-
gether with the roar of the surf on
the coral reefs, which was heard
for miles inland, indicated that
something unusual was about to
happen.
On Friday, the 29th, the day
broke stormy, yet there was no
thought of very serious results. {
Business men went to Port Louis.
leaving their >families
IN the counts, 49,
fIha observatory repor
5as sita7al @oeiii aa oniy >
duration.
The t;esi -,.u.ation OF trouble
Tas ne aou-airIyai 9i ralls 10
be r,.tag - '@'e WIRES.
Suddenly 81 aoout noon there was
heard a furious kissing and then
the pent-up storm broke, rushing
upon the town from the northwest.
For ninety minutes a terrible
tornado ragged, accompanied by
deluge of rain. Buildings col
lapsed, roofs were blown off and
trees uprooted. The barometer
fell one inch and then suddenly
began to rise: the wind settled,
the blue sky and sun appeared and
many people went cut, believing
that all danger was passed. The
more experienced, however,
predicted that the worst was to
come. The sea had already
surrounded and made an island of
the chief buildings.
At 3 o'clock, without warming,
the wind burst upon the town
again in ten-fold violence from
directly opposite quarters. Its
velocity was 120 miles an hour,
and it's fury was maintained for
two hours. Each blast was worse
than the former, filling the people
with terror.
The center of the storm was
directly over Port Lewis. Ats
o'clock the weather was again
calm, except for an occasional
gust and the people were enabled
to 60 out to see the work of
destruction.
Fires then broke out in the
eastern suburbs and destroyed
what the wind had spared. A
survivor says that the whole
desolation in Labourdonnais
street was caused by a single
deadly blast. Six occupants of
houses there rushed abont with.
piercing shrieks to meet death or.
torture, or escaped being crushed
under ruins of their homes only to
be manned bv flying debris, and
then to lie huddled togther until
rescue was possible.
No matter how completely one
does his duty he can never get it
off his hands. Ones
duty is job that he can never
finish.