Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-24
THE KINGSTON VISITATION.

According to observations made after
the Kingston earthquake, the stricken
city is sinking under the waves. That
was the fate of Port Royal, situated
opposite Kingston. which was destroyed
In 1892 1t appears that the lime rock
upon which the foundations of the city
rested, had been undermined by the
sea. and that, as a consequence, Kings
ton was destroyed when the under
mined stratum broke.
A description OF the destruction OF
Port Royal based upon the account
of an eyewitness is still preserved, 1t
is quoted by contributor to the New
York Evening Post, and Is interesting
reading at this time. Under date Of
August Q. 1892, the old record says:
Yesterday the lords of the admiralty
received an express from Plymouth,
brought by a sloop from Jamaica, that
on the 9TH of June last. about II I'm the
morning, Il sudden earthquake hapned
In that island which in minutes
overturn'd and swallowed up 3 parts
of the buildings of Port Royal with
all the fortIflcations; viz. forts James
and Carlisle, sunk some fathoms un-
der water: forts Charles, Rupert. Nor
gans. Lyme, and late new Lyme built
OF S guns behind the church, SHATTERED
TO pieces and part sunk, so that the
guns are In danger OF being lost, where
by The harbour will scarce be any more
serylceablc. the tops of the houses be-
ing sunk under the water, and nigh
20O0 souls persisted therein; and most
or the houses standing are one story
under water, and daily falling, soc that
tho trhOlp rnNNt become Mninha HIT
able, The swan frigat then careering
tcareeningl In the harbour dasht all 10
pieces II likewise extended It's dread
full effects thro' the whole country. The
council daily sits ON shipboard TO pre-
vent what they can OF robberies, and
for the decision of differences occa-
stoned by these distractions. az also 20
consider Of convenient harbour Sc,
tor building new towne
On tho lsth of August, the same
year. the record again takes up the
story OF the disaster;
I'VE have this further account from
Jamaica OF the terrible earthquake
there. which IN less than 3 minutes
laid levell the greatest part of the
houses IN Port Royal, and destroyed
most OF the Inhabitants, The letter
saycs, | cannot sufficiently represent
the terrible circumstances that attend
ed It; the earth swelled with a dismal
humming noises the houses fell, the
earth opened IN many places. the
graves gave up some OF their dead, the
tomb stones ratled together; at last the
earth sunk below the water ana the
sea overwhelmed great numbers OF
people, whose shreiks and groanes
made lamentable eccho; tho earth
opened both behind and before me
within foot OF my feet, and that place
on which stood trombled exceedingly,
the water Immediately boyled w upon
the opening OF the earth, but II pleased
God 10 preserve me by the help OF o
brick wall and shed, which sunk me IN
80 low In the earth that | could not
reach the top OF Il, from thence /
got TO the top OF high house. and
walked upon the timbers and rafters
of broken houses till ships boate took
me I'M the mountains are mserably
shattered, the rocks are broken, tho
houses all the Island over are laid NAT,
excepting some few, as ! can hear Of"
From the time Of the destruction Of