La Junta tribune., 1899-02-18
A SUNkEN CITY.

IN the beautiful harbor OF Kingston,
Jamaica. few fathoms under water.
sleeps the sunken city OF Port Royal,
which was destroyed by an earthquake
in 1892. On cioudless. still day.
when the surface OF the sea is perfect
iy 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 sec the fishes lazily
swimming in and out among the ruined
turrets. more suggestive OF owls and
bats than OF the finny Inhabitants OF
the sea. Occasionally giimpses 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
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 warning. smo,e the
profiigate city of Por, Royal. which
sid into the sea. The waters opened
and swallowed 1t up. and there. beneath
the silent waves. was hidden the wick
edness and debauchery of n community
described by historians as being almost
withou, parallel.
After the earthquake the town was
rebuilt. only TO be completely destroy
ed by fire in 1903. On August 90. 1929.
It was swept into the sea by a hurri-
cane. 1t was once more reconstructed,
but again. in lsi5. i; was reduced to
ashes. and as recently as 1850 It was
visited by another hurricane. Every
disaster was attended by great loss of
life.
The city of Port Royal was original
ly built upon Il narrow strip of land
extending out into the sea. which ac-
counts for its strange disappearance
at the time OF the earthquake Like
the house of the foolishman OF Biblical
lore. which was builded upon the sand.
It literally slid into the water when
the earthquake shock came.
Previous to that fateful 7th day Of
June. 1892. Port Royal had been known
as "the finest town In the West Indies,
and the richest spot in the world" 1t
was. as II now is. British colony, but
there was little either In its govern
nf ryt tak
ity. We are told that 1t was a place
of luxurious debauchery; that in their
excuses the colonists rivaied the prof
ligates OF ancient Rome.
Buccaneering and piracy were rec
ognized industries. The treasure ships
of Spain were legitimate prey. The
riches Of Mexico and Peru were levied
upon, and the people Of Jamaica were
literally rolling in wealth and splendor.
Vice and debauchery held sway, Bac-
shame the dwellers in the Orient were
of nightly occurrence. There was no
virtue.
And like the crack Of doom came the
earthquake. The thunder OF the ele-
ments sounded in the ears of the heed
less revelers. The earth opened In
great assures. and closed again like
the jaws OF mighty trap. And In
closing 1t gripped many OF Its victims
in the middle. leaving their hands
above ground Then came the awful
sliding, grinding noise Of the city. built
upon its foundations OF sand, sank in
to the caressing embrace of the sea.
which forever closed upon its wicked
ness and will forever keep It's dread
secrets.
The shock came close on to midday.
The air was hot and sultry. The sky
was without a cloud. A great still
ness seemed to hover over the city. and
then. without warning, the earth trem-
bled. Men and women left their
houses and ran into the streets, only
to meet death in the bowels Of earth
or in the hidden recesses Of the sea.
In his annals Of jamaica" publish
ed in 1928. Rev. George Wilson Bridges
quotes from letter written BY one Of
the survivors, rector-two or three
days after the disaster. which II in
part as follows:
Afssf r had been = church reading.