A HURRICANE AT MAURITIUS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1680, 9 July 1879, Page 3

A HURRICANE AT MAURITIUS.

Captain Edward Miles, master of the barque Thurso, belonging to Mr C. W. Turner, supplies the . following account of the hurricane encountered by the Thurso a day after leaving Port Louis for Lyttelton. Captain Miles' letter is under date of Port Louis, April Ist, three days after his retnrn , to that port with the Thnrso for repairs, her foremast and main-topmast having been cut away • dnring the hurricane:— The Thurso left Mauritius for Lyttelton March j 19th, with a cargo of 600 tons of sugar, ship being lightly laden, as she carries when loaded 725 tons. On the following day the wind increased to a hurricane f romS.E. ,the ship then noar Bonrbon.on a j dead lee shore. The 2tst—Hurricane still increasing : and barometer falling. The cargo shifted, and the ship was thrown on her beam ends. Cut away the fore-topmast, which took with it the foremast and all above belonging to it. This eased the ship very much, but before she righted had to cut away the main-topmast. The night of the 21st was dreadful, the barometer still going down, down; I thought it would never stop falling. At 8 a.m., 22nd, the centre passed, and the wind suddenly shifted from SE. to N.E. At this time it was something frightful, the wind roaring and the sea completely covering the ship, the clouds appearing so low that they appeared to touch the masts. Although drawing towards noon it was almost dark. Have been ij two hurricanes previously, but neither of them at all compared with this, and the ship must certainly have foundered had she been deeply laden. The morning of the 23rd was little better. At daylight the jibboom was found hanging under the bows. The spars adrift on tho deck had knocked away the main winch and tho chain locker pipe, and so a quantity of water had found its way among the sugar. The hole was at once covered as secnrely as possible, and though the sea still broke over the vessel but little more water found its way to the cargo. Before night, had succeeded in catting away the wreck of the jibboom. On the 21th, although still blowing a hurricane, it was less severe, and on the 25th it had moderated to a gale. Made sail on the 2Gth, and boro up for Mauritius under jury most, arriving on the 29th, ten days from port, the hurricane having lasted six days. Of three vessels which parted from their anchors at tho bell buoy and drove to sea only one has returned, her foremast and mainmast gone. Tho other two are believed to have foundered with all hands. They have been away thirteen days to-day (April Ist). One is an Italian barque deeply laden with guano, and it is thought she has gone to pieces ; the other is a Dutch schooner in ballast. It is shingle ballast, and is supposed to have shifted, capsizing her. Both are given up as lost. There is also much anxiety about tho barque Otago, that sailed for Sydney, deeply laden, a few hours after the Thurso. She must have been near the centre. The harbor here has suffered severely. Every vessel in it drove, although moored with four anchors and cables, and having everything down from aloft. One ship sank at her moorings, another drove ashore. Tho mail steamer stranded, and one vessel was dismasted in the harbor. Several collided, and incurred serious damage. Ashore, the damage is scarcely less fearful. Several lives were lost, houses blown down, bridges swept away, and trees which have stood the test of many hurricanes, are torn up. The force of tho wind recorded at the observatory was 110 miles per hour, and is considerably greater than any previously recorded here. In a foot note, dated April 2nd, Captain Miles reports:—Two more dismasted vessels have just been towed iu, and two others are in the offing, making altogether eight dismantled vessels in port.