The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-11-18

command the sympathetic attention
of the world at large.
The circumstance is therefore suf-
ficiently curious TO excite some COM
ment that the veryyear that witnesses
the political advent of the 'stars and
stripes" in the Caribbean should be
made memorable by what seems to
have been at the best the second most
destructive. if not the most fatal, in
the long series. I use the qualifying
word Seems" because, owing to the
break in cable communication, the
full details are not yet known, whilst
1t must be some time before the ex-
tent of the shipping casualties are
ascertained. But even the general
facts to hand, through the always con-
servative channel OF, official dispatches,
clearly indicate that the magnitude of
the disaster approximates that of the
overwhelming visitation of 1850.
This cyclone, originating in the
neighborhood of Trinidad. swept
st. Vincent and Barbados, literally
demolishing everything in it's path,
obliterating cultivation, running
towns. villages and all buildings and
burying hundreds of the inhabitants
in the debris. Thence it passed to the
next island of ST. Lucia, where it also
wrought much damage; and. proceed
ing northward, it skirted Martinique
and Dominica, fell on Guadeloupe with
greet severity and reached a point
south of st. Kits, where it exhausted
itself at sea. For these general points
I am indebted to the United States
weather service, which has recently
established stations at various islands,
with headquarters at Jamaica. It
should be added that the head station
located the cyclone fully "a hours
ahead and sent out the necessary
warnings Taken in connection with
American interests in the West Indies,
this fact is IF invaluable significance.
Before going into details of the
present visitation, it may be well to
briefly review the hurricane history
of the West Indies. Taking them one
with another, it is no exaggeration to
say that hurricanes of one sort or an
other sweep the Caribbean sea every
year between July and October. At
least 200 have been mentioned in his
tory since colonization on a perma-
nent and systematic basis was COM
menced. OF these, however, not above
q score have been found WORTHY of
the general historians special atten-
ton. They occurred in the following
years: 1874. rs, 80 and 90; 1712, '22, '26.
80; 81 and SO; and during the present
century in 1912. '13. 10. '21 and '67.
Each one of these, and some half
dozen others that took place previous
~ or since. was marked by some spe-
cial feature, but was more or less cir
cumscribed in area. Thus in that of
1922 the awful phenomenon of the
tidal wave was first noted. At Kings
ton, Jamaica, it outdid the storm.
sweeping clear above the palisades and
inundating Port Royal. Again in 1912
the accompaniment of the earthquake
was experienced, and whilst the storm
was busy, leveling the elastic struc-
lures specially prepared as refugees ia
times of visitations from that other |
West Indian scourge series of earth |
quakes rent and shattered the massive |
stone hurricane refugees and buried |
the terrified occupants in the ruins. |
Fortunately lin a certain sense) this |
disaster was confined to Jamaica.
Within a month series of earth /
quakes completed the destruction.
and owing to the American war timely |
aid was not forthcoming. which con- /
tributed to making this one of the |