The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-24
JarnaIchn "Reminiscences.

To Editor of the Journal and Courier:
 The recent terrible earthquake in Kingston, with its horrifying conse- quences, which has enlisted the sym pathies of the whole world, brings vividly to mind the winter of '96, which we spent on the island, We had q protracted and very turbulent voyage, which, the captain himself admitted as we neared port, was rougher than he had ever known before. One neyerto- be-forgotten afternoon stands out clearly and distinctly in my memory.
 It was on the sixth day of our voyage, when we went on deck for the first time. Never was a day more beauti- full Never water and sky bluer! We were sailing over summer seas into the golden, glowing west. It required no stretch of the imagination to believe we were sailing into the port of heaven itself Why, beyond that rosy splendor one could actually see the pearly gates Will heaven ever again unfold
 its glories to our mortal vision, won der. Our stomachs were reinforced
 with nourishing food, after six days of nothingness, and we were at peace with ourselves, and all the universe besides Care had hidden it's hydra head for the time being, and we were content to sail on and on, without question or thought of what the nor
 row had in store for us in the strange, new world to which we were journey ing. It was enough simply to exist.
 At Port Antonio a customs officer with the significant H, Nj. s. on his cap came on board our steamer, He was a very agreeable and well-informed black gentleman, and looked immaculate in clothing of spotless white. As we near ed Port Royal he pointed out different objects of interest, and gave us a lit- tie description of the place. As every one knows Port Royal stretches its long protecting arm before Kingston, thus forming a natural breakwater for one of the most impregnable harbors in the world. Torpedoes are submerged here for the destruction of alien ves- sells in time of war. As we sailed by the Palisades, fringed with their bor- ders of royal palms, there was nothing to Indicate the tragedy of centuries ago, A few children were playing in the shade of umbrageous trees. Aside
 from this there were no signs of ac. tivity to be seen. And yet, at one time, Port Royal was very important and prosperous town. The officer told us that 1t was destroyed by an earth
 quake in 1892, when whole streets with their inhabitants were swallowed up by the opening of the earth" and how one Lewis Galdy, after being buried,
 was thrown into the sea by another shock, where he was miracoulously pre-
 served by "the providence of God" and saved from drowning. He lived many years afterward, honored and respected by all. He was buried at Green Bay. where his tomb can be seen. Then he went on to tell us how on very clear and calm days the spire of the sub- merged church of St. Anne can be dis tinctly seen lying fathoms deep beneath the blue waters. In vain we strained our eyes striving to discern this fab ulous spire, but either our eyes were too short-sighted, or our imaginations too weak. After the earthquake Port Royal was rebuilt, but in eleven years was again destroyed, almost entirely by fire. Twenty years later 1t was again devastated by fire, and as late as 1916, it was still again swept by fire, since which time it has ceased to be com mercial center. and is now of no im- portance except as a naval and mili- tary station.
 Kingston, with its red-roofed build