The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1900-10-15


Rosenberg school. house is a m ass OF
wreckage. The high-school build
ing is an empty she'll. Every church
in the city, with one or two possible
exceptions, is mass Of ruins.
These devastating hurricanes are
frequent on the Cult and the ad-
jacent waters OF the Atlantic during
the months from July TO October.
They mark the beginning OF the
rainy season. In total OF 355 that
have been observed, AZ have occurr-
ed in July, &c. in August, 80 in Sep
TENDER, and SO in October. They
begin in the Atlantic and pursue
westerly course until they reach
latitude 20 degrees north, when they
take northerly direction, and gen.
orally skirt along the Atlantic coast
OF North America 1t is seldom
that they reach the coast Of the
inland, but when they do they
cause terrible destruction OF life
and property. In 1910 there was a
devastating storm that visited
Adams County in Mississippi, kill
ing BIZ people, injurng 100 others,
and destroying $l.260,OOO worth Of
property, In 1883 Mississippi was
visited by storm of unusual severi-
ty that left record of 81 deaths,
200 injured, and 100 buildings de.
stroyed. The next year there was
an unprecedented series of lorna
does covering the States OF North
and South Carolina, Mississippi,
Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Ken
tncky, and Illinois After ten
o'clock on the morning of February
9th there we're 60 of these storms
spread over this territory, and the
record was 800 deaths, $500 injured,
and 10000 buildings destroyed In
1898 storm on the gulf coast OF
Louisiana resulted in the death OF
1000 people and an immense de.
struction of property. In 1896 a
cyclone that visited St. Louis caused
500 deaths and injured 1000 people.
Terrible as this list OF disasters is
there is none OF them that will com.
pare with the Galveston horror in
ferocity or in the destruction OF life
and property.
Even when the list is broadened
out and disasters caused otherwise
than by food are included, the pre-.
eminence of the Galveston catas-
trophe remains. The Chicago fire
OF 1871 startled the whole world
and caused loss OF $200,000,000
worth OF property. Yet the loss Of
life was comparatively light, and
only part of the city was destroy
ed. The Charleston earthquake Of
1886 caused only 81 deaths and de.
stroyed only 100000 worth Of
property. The Seattle fire OF 1889
destroyed but $l1000,000 worth Of
property. The Louisville cyclone
in 1890 caused 800 deaths, and dur
ing the same year a cyclone near
ST. Paul caused 500 deaths and de-
stroyed $20,000,000 worth OF pro.
perty.
The Johnstown food in 1889 was
regarded as most terrible disaster.
Conemaugh Lake, 275 feet above
the level OF Johnstown, had been
used as a reservoir for the Pennsyl-
vania Canal, but was not then in
use. About o'clock in the after
noon OF May 3lst, the dam broke
and all attempts to stop the flow OF
the water were futile. The flood
was half mile in width and nearly
40 feet in height, and swept every
thing before it. The deaths num-
bered 5000 and the destruction Of
property amounted to 100000.
The hurricane that visited Puerto
Rico last year, causing such desola-
ton, resulted in 1000 deaths and the
destruction OF Sl5,0O0,000 worth OF
property.