Griggs courier., 1898-09-22
SWEPT By 4 HURRICANE.
Death and Destruction Caused BY
a Violent Storm In the Dan
ish West Indies.
HUNDREDS Of LIVES REPORTED LOST.
Thousand. Of Persons Left Homeless
and I'm a starving Condition.
Kingston, the Capital City of st.
Vincent, Destroy yed-Brief DescriD-
tion Of the Stricken Islands.

! ST. Thomas, Danish West Indies, Sept.
15.-According to the latest reports
from ST. Lucia the storm which broke
upon the island Sunday night developed
almost unprecedented violence. being
accompanied by tidal wave. and tre-
! mendous rains. Numerous landslldes
were caused, and many houses, bridges
and cocoa estates have been destroyed.
| AT least 12 lives have been lost Guada-
loupe, the French island in the Lee
| ward group. has experienced very
| heavy weather. Nineteen deaths are
reported. and there have been destruc-
! tive landslides.
| The Capital City Ruined.
| a boat from the Island of St. Vincent,
! hundred miles west of Barbados. ar
rived Wednesday at the Island of Gren-
ada, and reports that st. Vincent has
experienced the most violent and de-
structive cyclone ever known there.
Kingston. the capital of st. Vincent, is
totally destroyed. 1t is estimated that
500 lives nave been lost in that island.
and that 10000 people are homeless.
The bodies of the dead are being buried
in trenches. Thousands are starving
or being fed at the public expense.
London, Sept, l5.-Advices were re-
cciyed here late Wednesday night say
ing that terrible hurricane has swept
over Barbados. in the Windward
group of the Lesser Antilles. Two hum
dred persons have been killed and thou
sands rendered homeless.
The stricken Islands.
The isia..s swept by Sundays hurricane
are the western picket posts OF France ana
the British empire in the Atlantic. Barba-
does, lying to the eastward Of the Wind
ward islands, is the headquarters for the
British troops in the West Indies. Here
are located some of the largest barracks.
Great Britain's smaller Atlantic posses
sions. Although having an area of only
I 166 square miles, 1t is we'll settled. with
population Of $4,000. 1t has governor
general, with an executive council. and
legislature elected by the people. Educa-
ton Is under care of the government and
there are more than 200 public schools and
college. Practically the entire island
! is under cultivation. 100000 acres out of
| 106.470 being devoted to agriculture. Sugar
| is the staple product Of the island. and
there are 466 sugar works in operation. with
| Is rum distilleries In the fishing industry
go boats are employed.
Guadalupe. where 10 deaths are reported
| French possession with an area Of 6Ss
| square miles and population of 10000.
| It's chief city is Pointe-a-Pitre. with 1900
Inhabitants. The island is administ cred by
| governor and an elective council and Is
represented in the home assembly by
senator and two deputies.
| st. Vincent. where the storm seems to
| have caused the greatest loss to life and
property, is one of the Windward group
and is British possession. Its capital and
chief city is Kingstown. with population.
| Of 4.5O0 The population Of the entire is-
land is 1900. Of whom but 2.400 are white,
| the others being mixture of negro and
| native races. Its chief products. like the
| other islands of the West Indies. are sugar.
| molasses and rum. The government pays
much attention to education and supports
| IS schools.
San Lucia. another British island. where
II lives were lost. is the largest and most
picturesque Of the Windward group. It
has 233 square miles and a population Of
$500. 1t is largely covered with noun
tains and dense forests. The chief city is
Castries. with a population of 1000.