Morning journal and courier., 1892-05-21
THE mAURITIUs HURRICANE.

Twelve Hundred Persons Thought to Have Perish of the
 Worst Fears About the Disaster-A
 College and Twcnty-four Churches
 Blown Down in Port Louis-Many
 Vessels Badly Damaged.
 LONDON, May 20.-Baron de Worms, parliamentary secretary of the colonial of, flee, read telegram in the house of com mons this afternoon fully confirming the terrible disaster caused by hurricane at Mauritiua. The dispatch said that one third of the capital city, Port Louis, was destroyed. Among the buildings wrecked were the Royal college and twenty four churches. Many sugar mills in the coun- try were completely demolished, and the valuable machinery employed in the grind ing of the cane and in boiling the product, vacuum pans, centrifugals, etc., were bad ly damaged.
 In this dispatch the first estimate of the loss of life was given. It is known, says the dispatch, that in the city of Port Louis alone 600 persons were killed. In the va- rious country districts thus far heard from 300 persons lost their lives, and these fig ures are more than likely to be added to when news is received from the remote districts in the mountains. ct is believed that when the death roll is completed it will be found that over l 200 persons were killed in this the most dreadful of all the hurricanes that have visited the island.
 The hospitals in Port Louis were filled to overfowing with the injured and tents were erected on the hospital grounds to odafa fhnca xuhnoa ininriaa da- manded instant attention. Nearly every house in the city had one or more of its inmates under treatment, and physicians worked day and night to alleviate the pains of the wounded.
 In Port Louis alone 1000 persons were injured. There was no loss of life among the British troops stationed on the island. Though large part of the crops was de- stroyed, no famine is apprehended. The government, which is under the direction of Sir Charles Lees, has, however, taken measures to relieve the distress that pre- vails in every direction.
 Advices from Msuritius gay that the devastation caused by the recent hurricane was enormous. The people have not yet recovered from the shock of the losses in hicted upon them. All the crops have suf- fered. and some of them are completely ruined. The hurricane was accompanied by one of the heaviest rain storms known in those attitudes, beating the foliage from the trees and dsshing birds helpless to the ground. Streamlets became roaring tor rents. The waters spread over the coun- try, and in some cases growing crops were carried bodily into the sea. It is thought that many persons lost their lives in these floods.
 The greater part of the fatalities were among the laboring classes, Africans, Hin dus, Chinese and Malagassys, who do much of the work on the plantations.
 Among the vessels at Port Louis which were damaged is the British bark William Wilson. During the height of the storm she broke from her cables and struck against another vessel that was also adrift. Her bulwarks were carried away, her mainmast was sprung and she sustained further damage. Among the steamers in Port Louis harbor was the Albion, Brit ish vessel from Bombay. She had steam up when the hurricane broke and attempt ed to ride her anchor with the assistance of her engines. The gale blew with such frightful velocity that the cables were finally slipped and she headed out into the open sea- She had terrible experience, but rode out the storm with no further loss than the loss of her niainmast.