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256 THE ATMOSPHERE AND METEOROLOGY. in forests. In 1681, a vessel from Antigua was carried up the rocks three yards above the highest tides, and remained like a bridge between two points of rock. In 1825, at the time ofthe great hurricane of Guadaloupe, the vessels which were in the road of Basse Terre disappeared, and one of the captains happily escaping, recounted how his brig had been seized by the hurricane and lifted out of the water, so that he had, so to speak, " been shipwrecked in the air." Broken furniture, and a quantity of ruins from the houses of Guadaloupe, were transported to Montserrat over an arm of the sea fifty miles wide. From the mountains of St. Thomas the immense black whirlwind was seen from afar to pass across the sea and over the islands of Porto Rico and Santa Cruz. The most terrible cyclone of modern times is probably that of the 10th of October, 1780, which has been specially named "the great hurricane." Starting from Barbados, where neither trees nor dwellings were left standing, it caused an English fleet anchored off St. Lucia to disappear, and completely ravaged this island, where 6000 persons were crushed under the ruins. After this, the whirlwind, tending toward Martinique, enveloped a convoy of French transports, and sunk more than forty ships carrying 4000 soldiers; on land, the towns of St. Pierre and other places were completely razed by the wind, and 9000 persons perished there. More to the north, Dominique, St. Eustatius, St. Vincent, and Porto Rico were likewise devastated, and most of the vessels which were on the path of the cyclone foundered, with all their crews. Beyond Porto Rico the tempest bent to the north-east, toward the Bermudas, and though its violence had gradually diminished, it sunk several English war ships returning to Europe. At Barbados, where the cyclone had commenced its terrible spiral, the wind was unchained with such* fury, that the inhabitants hidden in the cellars did not hear their houses falling above their heads; they did not even feel the shocks of earthquake which, according to Rodney, accompanied the storm. The rage of man was arrested before that of nature. The Ffench and English were then at war, and all the ships which the sea swallowed up were laden with soldiers seeking to destroy one another. At the sight of such ruin the hatred of the survivors was calmed. The governor of Martinique caused the English sailors, who had become his prisoners in consequence of the great shipwreck, to be set at liberty, declaring that in the common danger all men should feel as brothers.
Title | The ocean, atmosphere, and life |
Creator | Reclus, Elisée |
Publisher | Harper |
Place of Publication | New York |
Date | 1873 |
Language | eng |
Type | Books/Pamphlets |
Title | 00000281 |
Type | Books/Pamphlets |
Transcript | 256 THE ATMOSPHERE AND METEOROLOGY. in forests. In 1681, a vessel from Antigua was carried up the rocks three yards above the highest tides, and remained like a bridge between two points of rock. In 1825, at the time ofthe great hurricane of Guadaloupe, the vessels which were in the road of Basse Terre disappeared, and one of the captains happily escaping, recounted how his brig had been seized by the hurricane and lifted out of the water, so that he had, so to speak, " been shipwrecked in the air." Broken furniture, and a quantity of ruins from the houses of Guadaloupe, were transported to Montserrat over an arm of the sea fifty miles wide. From the mountains of St. Thomas the immense black whirlwind was seen from afar to pass across the sea and over the islands of Porto Rico and Santa Cruz. The most terrible cyclone of modern times is probably that of the 10th of October, 1780, which has been specially named "the great hurricane." Starting from Barbados, where neither trees nor dwellings were left standing, it caused an English fleet anchored off St. Lucia to disappear, and completely ravaged this island, where 6000 persons were crushed under the ruins. After this, the whirlwind, tending toward Martinique, enveloped a convoy of French transports, and sunk more than forty ships carrying 4000 soldiers; on land, the towns of St. Pierre and other places were completely razed by the wind, and 9000 persons perished there. More to the north, Dominique, St. Eustatius, St. Vincent, and Porto Rico were likewise devastated, and most of the vessels which were on the path of the cyclone foundered, with all their crews. Beyond Porto Rico the tempest bent to the north-east, toward the Bermudas, and though its violence had gradually diminished, it sunk several English war ships returning to Europe. At Barbados, where the cyclone had commenced its terrible spiral, the wind was unchained with such* fury, that the inhabitants hidden in the cellars did not hear their houses falling above their heads; they did not even feel the shocks of earthquake which, according to Rodney, accompanied the storm. The rage of man was arrested before that of nature. The Ffench and English were then at war, and all the ships which the sea swallowed up were laden with soldiers seeking to destroy one another. At the sight of such ruin the hatred of the survivors was calmed. The governor of Martinique caused the English sailors, who had become his prisoners in consequence of the great shipwreck, to be set at liberty, declaring that in the common danger all men should feel as brothers. |
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