The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-05-18

Indff tbe clear plue ssNfs OF iur tAr
ibbcsn see sleeps the snokeu city oi Port
Royal, spd lssIly rocking on The waves 10
red buoy which marks the spot ~here
The old ci,y's cathedral ssrk and where
the spie stiil reaches up nearly TO the
surface
!, The traveller Who Visits the capital OF
Jsmsics shonld pray Tor clear weather,
without Wind. When the water OF the
hsrbor 10 rpfh,d by bte,zss. the hidden
city - obscursd irom sisw. Bat 90 .
eloudless clear dsy, when the surface OF
the sea is perfectly smooth. The runs OF
the phsptom city may be plainly seen 10
The depths OF The tr .nspsrent water
Tue spire OF the old cathedral is the
mott prominent object ln the clear
water yoa can see the fishes zily swim
ming 10 md out among the ruine tarretr,
more sueg, stivs OF owls and bats than the
6nny Inhabitants oil the hes. Occasionally
elimpses cen be bad Of the ruins OF other
buildings buildings which ior more than
tvo centuries have kept their shsstly sec
rets snd will keep them until the end Of
time.
Down there 10 that peaceful depth lie
the bon OF 3 900 men, women and cbil
dreo, carried down into the sea with their
homes 90 that awful Ju day 10 1892
An esrlhausks suddenly snl without
warming smo,s the prthissts city OF Port
Royal, which slid into The sea, The wa
ttrs opened and swsllowed it up. and
there beneath the silent waves was hidden
the debsucLtry OF = community described
by historians IS being almost without
parallel.
The tutvivors said it was the vepgesnce
OF God and likened 1t to the destruction
OF Sodom aud domoirAh. Aud 10 ve'y
truth the history OF the city seems to show
the uncessing wrath Of Divine power
From the richest city OF its time IT has
dwiuded into in ,igpihcance. until now /,
is q most wretched place. used only as .
naval station. Disaster after disaster has
overtsksn 1t.
Alter the earthquake the town was re
built, OF ly to be o. mpl,t ly destroyed by
FIRE 10 1903 On August %, l122, i. was
swept Tito the sea by hurricane. 1t
was once more reconstructed. but agsin'
10 1915 IL was red uced to ashes, and as re
Gently ss 1880 1t was visited by another
hurricane Every disast,r wa attended
by gre loss OF life.
The city OF Port Roysl was originally
built uyoI narrow strip Of land e1tend
log GU into the sea, which accounts for
its ctr nge disappearance ct the time OF
the esr hqu.ke. Ike the house Ct the
foolish man Of Biblical lore. which wss
builded upon the sand, it literally slid 10
to the water when ths earthquake shook
o me.
Previous TO that isteful 7ih day Of June
1902, Port Royal bad been known IS "the
finest town in the West Indies aud the
rlches. spot 10 the world. II wac as II
now is, . British colony. but there was
lit.loin its government or its customs
Of British morality. We are told that it
was . place OF luxurious debsuchery, that
10 their excesses the colouists fivaled the
proHigst.s OF ancient Rome.
Buccaneering and piracy we're recogniz
cd industries. The treasure shirs Of
Spain were legitimate prey. The riches
Of Mexico and Peru were levied upon, snd
the people OF Jamaica we're literally rol
ling 10 wealth and splendor. Vice srd de
baucbery held sway. Bicohsnslisu revels
which nisLt Pot 10 shame the dwellers in
the orient were OF nightly occurrence.
There was no viftue.
Aud like the crack OF doom came the
The thunder OF the elements
go nded 10 the ears of the heedless revel
ers. The esrih opened in great assures
aud clo ed again like the IVA Of mi shty
tray, and 10 closing it gripped m'ny OF its
victims 10 the middle, leaving their hands
above ground. Then came the awiul sid
ior, grinding noise IS the city. built upon
Il. foundation OF sand, sank into the c.ress
ing embrace OF the ses, which forever
closed upon its wickedness and will for
ever keep 1t, dread secrets.
The shock came close on 20 MONDAY.
The sun WAS hot aud sultry. Ihs sky
vas without = cloud. A prest stiffness
sec med 10 hover over the city, and then,
without warning. the rth trembled
Men and women left their houses sId ran
ioto the streets. only to meet death 10 the
bowels Of the esith or 10 the hidden re ,
oesses OF the ses.
In his ''Annsls Of Jsmsics,' published
10 1928. Rev. q G,orge Wilson Bridges
aaotes from letter written BY one OF the J.,
. rector, two or three days after /,
The disss or. which 10 10 part ss follows. |;
After l bad been ct church reading,
which old every dsy sioce | wss rector
Of this place, 10 keep up some show Of re
|igiou, and was gone to place hsrd by
lhe church, where the merchants meet.
md where the president Of The council
wss, Who came toto my company and en- ;.
Rssed me 10 take . glass OF wormwood
siue asa shet before dinntr. he being my
very good friend. stsid with bin, uroa !
= hich be lighted . pipe oi tobacco. before
bet wss out found the gfcund 70 ling
nd moving uoter my fest. upon which !
'si auto Liu. Lord, si', whss 10 thstf' !
Be replied being . very grave man; IL 10
70 esrsbq ssks. Be- no. sifsid; II will soop
,e over" !,
Despite the presidents assurance, be dis