TREMENDOUS HURRICANE AT THE MAURITIUS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 248, 18 May 1868, Page 3

TREMENDOUS HURRICANE AT THE MAURITIUS.

(Translated and abridged from the Gerneen, March 28.) The mail which'was to have sailed for Ceylon on the 11th inst., did not go till the 16th March, owing to a tremendous gale sustained on the 11th and the 12th, and the effects of which have been awful. All business has been suspended. Everyone is talking of the deplorable disaster. The valuation varies as to the extent of the reduction of the crop from fifteen to twenty-five per cent. The canes are all laid down. The factories everywhere sustained heavy damage, and somo of them were altogether blown down. Thirty thousand bags of sugar were damaged in the docks and other bonds. All the ships at anchor have more or less been victims of the

fearful hurricane. Names of the ships. —French vessels—Prefet do Mentgue, stranded, and very seriously damaged in the hull and masts; Jacques Seurin, the same; St. Joseph, the same; Sainte Anno, stranded, and heavy damages, but expected to get off; Gauge, heavy damages, lost mainmast, mizenmast, and jib-boom. English ships—Ann Eoydin, copper off, must go into dock ; Ann Lee, do ; Allum Ghier, very heavy damages, and stranded ; Beautiful Star, must go into dock ; Coinus, damaged in the rigging and copper, must go into dock ; Congune, dismasted, with other damages ; Carricks, stranded, with heavy damage in rigging and hull; Dresden, stranded, and other damage ; Edith Smith (colonial vessel), stranded, and obliged to discharge her Cargo and go into dock ; Eleanor-, stranded, and damages ; Early Morn, damages in the rigging and in her copper, must dock; Express, stranded ; Edmund Graham, stranded, and broken up, announced to be sold ; Fathe-Shau-Allum, stranded ; Henry. Ellis, stranded, with heavy damages, j must go into dock ; Glenroy, stranded ; James Aiken, stranded; Muscate, stranded; Marine, stranded, cannot be got off without discharging her cargo ; Mauritius, steamer of the Dnion Company, stranded at the entrance of, port, her getting off is considered doubtful; stranded ; Vigilant, stranded ; Eegina-, stranded; Margaretta, Prussian barque, dismasted, and otherwise injured. All the stores at Mauritius docks were blown down, or the roofs destroyed, and hence all the damage to the stocks. The streets were obstructed by rubbish. Many public buildings and offices were blown down, and many lives lost. The railway station was altogether destroyed at the Petite Eiviere. At Eeduit, the mansion of His Excellency and Lady Barkly, was the scene of a miraculous escape. Sir Henry and Lady Barkly, were sitting at a table in one of the rooms, when Sir Henry get up, followed by Lady Barkly, to consult the barometer. They had no sooner left the room than a chimney was blown down by the wind, and fell on the top of the roof. It went through the ceilings, and crushed the very table and chairs occupied only a few minutes previously by His Excellency and Lady Barkly.