The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-12-26
A SUNKEN CITY.

= WV M III
In the beautiful harbor of Kingston,
Jamaica, few fathoms under water.
sleeps the sunllen city of Port Royal,
which was destroyed by an earthquake
in 1892. On cloudless, still day,
when the surface of the sea is perfect
ly smooth, the ruins of. the phantom
city may be plainly seen in the depths
of the transparent water.
The spire of the Old cathedral is the
most prominent object. In the clear
water you can see the fishes lazily
4 swimming in and out among the ruined
/ turrets, more suggestive of owls and
bats than of the finny inhabitants of
the sea. Occasionally glimpses can be
had of the ruins of other buildings
buildings which for more than two CEN
/ turtles have kept their CHASTITY secrets
and will keep them until the end OF
4 time.
Down there, in that peaceful depth.
lie the bones of three thousand men.
women and children. carried down into
the sea with their homes on that awful
June day in 1892. An earthquake. sud
denly and without warming. smote The
prohigate city of Port Royal. which
sid into the sea. The waters openad
and swallowed it up, and there, beneath
the silent waves. was hidden the wick
edness and debauchery of a community
described by historians as being almost
without parallel.
After the earthquake the town was
rebuilt, only to be completely DESTROY
ed by fire in 1903 On August % 1900
II was swept into the sea by a burri-
cane 1t was once more reconstructed
nut again, in 1915, it was reduced n
ashes' and as recently as 1880 il was
visited by another hurricane Everv
life 'S -
The city of Port Royal was original
~ oullt upon a narrow strip of land
extending out into the sea. which a.
counts for its strange disapnearance
at the time of the earthquake Lilo
the mousse of the foolishman of Biblical
lore, which was builded upon the Sand
II literally slid into the water whom
the earthquake shock came.
Previous to that fateful 7th dav ~
June, 1872 Port Royal had been known
as the finest town in the West Trdies
and the richest spot in the world " II
was as 1t now is, British COLONY but
thefe was little either in it's govern
ment or its customs of British morat
lty, We are told that it was a nlace
OF luxurious debauchery; that in thar
excuses the colonists rivaled the nror.
ligates Of ancient Rome.
Bu2caneering and piracy wero roo
osnlAeu industries The treasure sbins
OF Spain were legitimate prev Tbo
rlches of Mexico and Peru were leviad
upon and the people of Jamaic, ,,ona
literally rolling in wealth and snIerdo.
wee and debauchery held SWAY pan
chanalian revels which miobt me-
shame the dwellers in the Orient were
OF nightly occurrence. There Was No
virtue was no
ana like the crack Of doom caro tho
earthquake. The thunder of ~ ~ ~
ments sounded in the ears of ~ ~ e'9
.esS reyeiers' The earth onened -
s, assures, and closed again NE he
.ne Jaws OF mighty trap Ana Il
eloSlhg 1t gripped many of its yiot,,aa
~ the middle, leaving their bonds
above ground Then came tho ae..7
,.,l grinding noise of the citv bnnt
upon Its foundations Of sand san, ~ 49,
~ me caressing embrace of the Coz
, mnicn forever closed upon its wictad
secrets. "eep us dread
~ ne shock came close on to midday
NY. ne alr was hot and sultry. rho s,.n
49, without cloud A great stim.
as SEEMED TO hover over the citv ana
men men without warning. the earth tna anu
hone. men and women left their
to moo. ana ana ran into the streets onlv
~ ~ nleet death in the bowels of eo r
III 'ne hidden recesses of the sea a@' ~
In his Annals of Jamaica - ,,,
Gu IN 1873 Rev. George Wilson g pr,n
the snrr rOn a letter written by one Of
DAYS after 0' % rector-vtwo or three
p ay1 ., a' se,, the disaster, which Is ,n
After | had ho