, 1898-09-28

sures for the relief of the 81 fferers by the
storm. He convened u meeting of the Lee
gis AZURE on the l4ih lust, t. deal with the
matter and his Speech on that occasion
(primted elsewhere) shows that he fully
} realisrs the gravity Of the situation. The
Vestries throughout the island are doing all
that is h%umanly possible TO alleviate the
sufferings of he homeless and starving peo-
pie. Food dolrs are Icing given, and sleep.
ing accommodating las been provided by
utilizing the school houses for the pur-
purpose. AMI here il is right that mention
should be made of the spver"l kind and chart
table acts performed by private individuals
during this period of sorrow and distress. The
planters threw open Their store rooms and
fed the starving negroes. I~.attiea and gentle.
men in every district of the island via with
each other in working for sweet Chnrity's
sake. The half famisIed men women and
children were cared for and attended and
every effort made to alleviate their suffering
condition. The social barriers we're. in the
face of the great calamity which had b%efullen
the island, broken down for the time being.
and fair hands readily and gladly ministered
to The necessities of the field labourers. The
lesson herein conveyed should not be lost
upon the people when their present distr 8 is
over.
Relief, however, of a more substantial cha
racter. s. 9. grants fov assisting to rebuild tue
ruined habitatiOns of the labOurers will fol-
low later on. The Legislature have voted
$4,000 for this purpose snd it is expected
that all application will be made to the I'm.
perinl Government for u Hurricane Loan.
The Condition of the Planters.
Whilst provision is being made for bringing
relief to The poorer classes. the planters ale
in sore need of assistance in another form
The buildings on the estates have been serI-
onsly damaged and the question now is.
How are these buildings 10 be replaced ?
Another thing is this. The Colonial Bank
which advances money to carry On the cul-
tivAtion of the estates refuses to lend more
money than can be repaid by the crop to be
rcaped next year. The crop, it is said, can
not possibly satisfy the amount already bor-
rOwed on it. Where then is the money to
come from 10 reap the next crop and carry ON
the cultivation for 1899? This is the situa-
ton which the planters have to face, and q
serious one it is loo. That the Government
are alive to it is evidenced Ivy the fact that
the Governor has requested every owner or
person III charge If - plantation injured by
the hurricane, who is unable TO repair tie in
jury, to send in 10 him a return showing The
estimated cost OF requiring the injury done
by the hurricane. This information, it ia
s~tatei, is required for toIegrapLio commune
cation with the Secretary Of State for the
Colonies. 1t is sincerely to be hoped that
something will be done, and that Aoon, to as
sist the unfortunate planters against whom
the very elements seem disposed to war.
The Casualties.
Up to yesterday the total number Of deaths
reported at Police Headquarters was 81.
but, of course this does not represent II o
entire number. There were several pather c
scenes, and death approached many of
victims in it's most terrible form. A parry
of six persons took refuge in an unfinished
church in Upper Collymore Rock. The wind
blew in The roof and the six were in "a
moment crushed to death They We're en-
gagged praying f%eIventIy when their fate
overlook them. a poor woman during the
height Of the storm, in her fright, was
prematurely delivered of o child. The next
moment the house in which father, mother
and infant were was blown to pieces, the
inmates meeting a fearful death. It is i'm.
possible to detail all the narrowing occurren-
ces that have come to our knowledge.
Though the kindness of the Police
Authorities we are enable to publish the
following statement of the disasters which
occurred in each parish =
The total number of houses destroyed OF
dQmArn1 hU tho CkOrro 80 A AOY IA