Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-03-15
A SOUTH SEA CYCLONE.
The Fiji Islands Devastated by Terrific

The Fill Islands Devastated by a Terrific
Storm-Appearanc After the Blow.
Victoria, b. c., March 14-Particu-
lars by the Australian mail of a terri
bic hurricane which swept over the
Fiji Islands a few weeks ago and the
first effects Of which were still q topic
of interesting discussion when the
MirrOwa touched at Suva. 1t was in
this storm that several large vessels
came 10 grief with lamentable loss Of
life and buildings in Suva, the capital
of Fiji, suffered very severely. The
town is comparatively in debris, hay
ing been the centre OF the hurricane.
Most of the damage appears TO have
been done about o'clock in the morn
ing of February T, when the force Of
wind was terrific. The hurricane was
accompanied by a fearful driving rain,
penetrating everything. The storm
continued until o'clock Monday
afternoon and then gradually Gained
down.
During the lull some ventured out
TO see the extent o. the damage done
The town was stripped Of foliage and
on every hand were houses with YER
andas blown down, roofs half OF, bare
walls standing or damage Of some
other form apparent The most seri-
Gus reports of damage came from
plantations IN the group, which has
suffered terribly. The cOcOanut plan
tations will take fully five years TO re-
cover, and banana plantations have
been totally ruined. The past year
had been such a thoroughly successful
one that business people were looking
forward 10 a few years prosperity,
cOcoanut plantations having only re-
Gently recovered from past blows.
This is reported TO be the most seri-
Gus hurricane the group has had for
years.
The Island of Tayeuni on which
most of the European planters have
settled, has been swept from top TO
bottom.
The Union Steamship Company's
Osau had q miraculous escape. She
was shipping sugar at Vulna Point,
where there is absolutely no shelter.
When the hurricane had blown over
she had driited many miles and got
among the most dangerous patch Of
reefs in the group known as the Ring
gold reefs. where the smallest inter-
insular steamer would not go in the
broadcast daylight
The food supply Of the people is now
almost entirely destroyed and the eff
fects which must surely follow such a
storm are famine. disease, and, too
often death. The government of the
Fiji are fully aware of this danger,
and has voted money TO meet the more
immediate necessities of the case. but
this will certainly not prove sufficient.
BY far the largest number of natives
belong TO the Methodist Church of this
colony and missionary societies are
taking steps to give relief.
A correspondent says: The cyclone
travelled from east to west. developed
around an axis against the sun. We
had the last blast about p. m. Sun
day. Though then il blew a gale Of
almost hurricane in force all night. it
seemed TO be calm compared with the
fearful reality of the cyclone. On Mon
day morning all houses in the native
town were leveled Nearly all the zoo
cottages were down or lurched down
or torn away. The whole place had
lust the appearance of having been
bombarded for weeks past by all the
fleets on earth or sea. the ground being
strewn with nuts looking like cannon
balls. only no cannonading could have
caused the devastation which was
evorvWhere