Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-20

of the beautiful island; and though there
have been since then many minor SILVER
ings Of the earth's crust in Jamaica, and
more than one convulsion which altered
the topography. there has never until now
been an earthquake that could shake King
sbon from its seat, or make It feel that Il,
like the vanished Port Royal, depended
for existence upon the unknown powers
that Turk beneath the voluptuous graces Of
its outward aspect. 1t has felt their long
deferred vengeance at last, and 1t is hard
to picture that soft-featured and gracious
city the wilderness of ruin and death
which a few minutes OF blind and ruth
less fury have made OF It.
The city lay at the margin Of the widest
plain in the island, which comes with a
gradual slope to the sea from the base OF
the mountains which have at that point
withdrawn some miles inland, instead Of
pressing forward as elsewhere to cool their
green garments in the waves. The chief
street saunters along parallel with the
shore, and from 1t shorter ways branch out
toward the hills. Several of these pass
beyond the city limits and find their way
by winding courses into the heart of the
mountains.
Rich In History.
The city Of Kingston is rich in history,
dating almost from the time that Chris
TOPPER Columbus first set eyes upon what
he considered was an integral part Of the
great East indies.
It was founded by a handful of sturdy
refugees who had lost their all through the
destruction Of Port Royal in 1892, at that
I time the chief city in all the Antilles.
Within the land-locked harbor just back
Of old Port Royal, Henry Morgan, thar
whom no flercer pirate ever roved the
seas, used to have rendezvous after voy'
ages over the Spanish main. Here too, II
was that he paid off his DULLES in pieces
of eight and Glove the skull OF many an un-
fortunate who dared take umbrage at the
small barter that was handed him for his
| life of pillage and murder.
| IT was from the harbor of Kingston 81
| today that this same buccaneer performed
that marvellous feat of daring wherein h'
and his crew stole up under the guns Of
the fort that frowned the heights of Por
Royal and, cutting the cables of one Of
His Brittanic Majestey's frigates, let !
! drift to sea while the crew slept. Wher
| the crew awoke 1t was to find the murder
| Gus pirate and his crew in charge, th'
| matches battened down, and every motheri
son of His Majesty's sailors prisoners.
See City Beneath Sea.
| Today the visitor to the island of ia
maica may, as he gazes into the pellucit
waters of the bay, see mystic city crumb
ling away, the fish playing through tn
| belCries OF church spire on one hand o.
swimming leisurely through what was ono
the habitation of man.
It was in 1852 that the first earthquake
known to Jamaicas history shook into tn
sea the city Of Port Royal. 1t was thel
the first financial city Of the Antilles. IN
| shock came in June. There were In tn
city at that time probably 5000 persons
The shock came at midday.
Before many of the thousands who wer
in the market place could get to place o
safety, all that was rich or good Of Por
! Royal slipped silently into the sea. Sucl
as could get away gathered at what Is nov
| the outskirts of Port Royal-Kingston
| Here they camped and worked until the!
had reared themselves another city faire
and greater and richer than their oil
home
In 1872, again in 1874 and for the thir'
| time in 1851 the city was swept by hurTi
| canes that tore warehouses and dwelling
from their foundations and hurled then
like chafr for many miles; but there wa
city-enough to give men a new courage I
rebuild and a new desire to beautify.
On the night Of February 8. 1892, Ar
devastated the city. When half the plac
had been destroyed the winds shifted an
the rest was saved. The loss was estimate
at about $2,5OO.OOO.
! Thirteen years later a huge tidal wav
swept into the city. There were those VIII
declared that when the wave began 1t
onward sweep they heard the bells in tn
belfries of the submerged Port Roya
cathedral toll their warnings.
After the wave had swept again int
the sea there went with It 1000 homes
! while upon the shores were strewn 1C
ships A thousand people were drowned.
! Cholera scOurge Kills 10000.
After the flood came fre-this in 1St
when beginning no man knew how, fame
seemed to burst forth in several parts o
the city at once. For three days mel
women and children worked with desperat
vigor in vain effort to save their homes
Little by little the fire ate dwelling afte
dwelling and warehouse after warehouse
until there was left but half the city ss
fringe to a smouldering pyre OF many
hope and lifes effort. The loss footed u
tl5 10000.
In 1850 the scourge Of cholera was lai
upon the people. No pen can tell III
story OF Kingston during that scourg
Forsaken of the world. cast OF as thin
, unclean. It wept over its dead alone an
buried them at the rate OF several thoI
! sands q day until they had been raise
on the hill. far from habitations OF ma
5000 new mounds OF clay. OF minor di
asters there were many.
Il