Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-08

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Royal. the I'D December, 1873 aged eighty
years. He was born in France but came
to settle in this island. where he was
swallowed up in the great Earthquake in
the year 1852 and by the providence of
God was by another shock thrown into
the sea and miraculously eScaped by
swimming until a boat took him UP. lie
lived many years afterward in great rep
uta tion. beloved by all that knew him
and much lamented a his deSr.l.
The whole island feit the shock of
that earthquake, il was said. CHAINS
of hills were riven asunder, new chan
nels formed for the rivers. mountains
dissolved with mighty crash, hurying
alive the people of adjacent valleys:
whole settlements sank into the bowels
of the earth. plantations were removed
en- maSse. and all the sugar works were
destroyed. In fact. the whole outline
of the island was drawn afreSh and
the elevation of the surface was con-
siderably diminished" This is not the
only catastrophe of the sort recorded
i'll Jamaica'S annals, either, as some
fifty years later the town of Savanna
la Mar, in the parish of WeStmoreland.
was swept by tidal wave during Il
fierce hurricane and mot vestige of
man, beast or habtatiOn left behind
MementoS of the Port Royal disaster
were kept on view in the Jamaica in
Stitute at Kingston. notable among
which was the bell that hung in the
church that was eugulfed or submerged
by the earthquake and subsequently
recovered by divers.
city AbandOned.
The town of Port Royal was aban-
doned by the survivors, who settled on
the north shore of the harDOr. more
than 200 years ago. and thus Kingston
was founded by chance, as it We're
and without an original intention OF
huildiEg Il city on its site. With sucll
an islands resources at command No
wonder Sqat Kingston prospered in
spite of Il somewhat unhealthful lOca
ton and Notwithstanding frequent
| threateuings from the French. In il
self its history is not eventful, hut
| tradition has not failed to preserve tn,
| account of ROdney's triumphant entry
into its harbor in 1872. trailing nine
| captured hattleShpS after him us the
| trophies OF his great sea fight with IL
| Grasse. by which England became mis-
treSs of the seas in very fact.
Though little more than 40 miles il
| length by fifty in breadth at its wild
est part and with an area of abou
| 1000 square miles. Jamaica can hoaS
of mountains truly continental i'll alti
tude AMI confguration. What glorious
| memories belong To one who has climb
ed Blue mountain peak. 1000 feet high
or even assembled To Newcastle or (
Cinchona gardens In the coffee conn
| try, Who can ever forget, once hay
Ing seen them himself. the quiet beau
ty of the "Wag Water the "Boca dc
| Aqua" the foam fiecked sheets o
| Roaring River falls. the fragrant p
mento groves of st Anne's. the dens
forests clothing inland hills and va
leys. the silver sanded beaches of man
Il bay. embosOmed within abrupt head
lands hung with vines:
. In the center OF Kingston. Parad
garden, a square containing some te
acres. afforded somewhat cool rt
treat from the glare and heat of tn
streets. planted as 1t was with pr,
fusion of tropical trees \ fountai
sent forth Il cooling spray. the waite
falling into Il basin containing attra'
tive aquatic plants Water. crysti
clear and pure, came down to Kingsto
from the hills. for jamaica fully SUI
tains its original reputation as Il Ian
of springs and streams \Orthwe:
of the Parade stood one Of the two cit
markets. the Jubilee. while the othe
the Victoria. was ut the foot of Kin
. street. These markets We're alwal
we'll supplied. for if there is anythir
the native enjoys more than attendir
, church it is going TO market Fro
plantations and "proviSion grounds
many miles distant. these humble 70
! come in with donkey loads of veget
bles and fruits, which they display
> the markets. desiring nothing else thu
to secure Il prompt purchaser for the
produce The huge loads that the n
gro women carry on their heads SUI
| pass belief unless one has seen the
| Stridlng down the nill rOauS WIN tue
. burdens. The men are usually disdai
full of burden bearing and if there is
donkey in the family as well as w
man the former carries the man on
:, back and the latter the load of produ
on her head In these markets mig
be seen displayed all the fruits f
which tropical Jamaica is famous.
The markets We're of superior co
struction. with iron pillars, iron 70
u and cement floors and foundations. I
l. Victoria market alone cost to buiI
with the land it stands on. more th
/. Some Good buildings.
l. While the structures of kingSt
d The Health Of