The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-14
ST. VINCENT LEFT SPRlGLESS.
NO SIGN OF ANIMAL OR VEGETA-
BILE LIFE SURVIVED THE STORM


The Island Now Desert the Whole
Tropical Landscape Having Been
Wiped out by wind and Water.
The Governor of the Windward Is
lands Has Sent out an Appeal for
Seeds and Roots in Order to Re-
store Cultivation.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.
Kingston. Jamaica. Nov. 2.-The results
of calm investigation have proved conclu-
sively that so far from being exaggerated
the first reports Of the destruction
wrought by the cyclone at ST. Vincent
were rather short OF the actual facts.
The island was literally swept absolutely
bare of vegetation, the experience of 1850
being repeated, but the full extent OF the
devastation was not at first realized, ow-
ing to the difficulty of communication
through the destruction of the roads and
the coastal shipping.
The Governor of the Windward Islands
has now sent out an appeal 10 the neigh
boring islands stating the facts and asking
that roots. slips and seeds Of potatoes,
GdSodNds SdAAS, HCdH anu OtAlNA NNRio4ilAG
plants be forwarded as soon passble to
enable cultivation to be restored.
His excellency declares in a brief but
significant descriptive paragraph that the
whole aspect of the Landscape has been
changed. Instead of the pervading green
common to all tropical prospects, it is
now a uniform dirty brown color, only
relieved by long white poles-the decapita-
ted columns of palm and cocoanut trees.
Nothing In the way of vegetation escaped
the sweep of the wind and the subsequent
securing out by the deluge Of water. and
the island is practically desert Perhaps
the most impressive, feature, he adds is
the absolute stiffness that prevails, not
only through the absence of the familiar
rustic of vegetation as the trade wind
sweeps over it, but also because of the
absence of animal and even insect life.
Birds, lizards, beetles, snakes, and in fact
every form of animal life seems to have
been blown away or drowned out.
The immediate result of this on the pop
ulation is most disastrous Already sew
eral hundred deaths have occurred from
exposure and privation, and diseases com
mon to low vitality are rapidly develop
ing among the people, principally In the
form Of ulcers. At present about 5000
men are employed on the reconstruction
of roads and other public works, but these
represent only the eighth of the popula
ton, and the others have to be provided
for by the distribution of daily doles OF
food as this comes in. But the quantity is
barely sufficient to keep them alive, con-
ssting of a few biscuits, a handful of rice
and a small piece of salt meat or fish.
Owing 10 the complete destruction Of veg
citation there is not even any fuel to be
found, and many have TO eat their allow
ance raw, which tends to augment the
| sickness.
tourist who visited the island writes
to say that amid this fearful state of af-
| fairs one feature particularly struck him.
| That was the devotion of the distressed
| people to their families and relations. As
| an illustration ne cites the case of an old
man whom he met limping along with
/ bandaged feet. He was taking two bis
| cults and a little -four and rice TO his
sisters sick children in the noun
tains. This had been all the
allowance his appeal had elected, except
| two other biscuits which he had eaten.
| On the way he stopped occasionally to
| gather small chips Of wood and dry grass
| with which to cook the flour and rice,
for which he was very thankful, but ex-
| pressed much anxiety as to whether he
would procure any matches wherewith to
make fire. On the correspondent handing
| him a box of matches his gratitude was
| unbounded.
The correspondent adds that he was
| through the recent Indian famine and
| spent year in connection with the re-
| lief work. and he had seen heartrending
| scenes there but nothing to approach the
distress wrought by the hurricane in St.
! Vincent.
The conditions prove how great is the
capacity for endurance Of the human
| frame, for unless he had witnessed ii, he
| could not have believed that a population
| could suffer so much and yet live. He
| feels convinced that the British public
| does not realize the magnitude Of the dis
| aster otherwise their contributions to the
relief fund would not have been so made
| quate Fifty thousand pounds would not
! go far in relieving ST. Vincent alone; and
| yet the subscriptions for the three islands
| promise to fall short of that amount
broke THREE RECORDS.