5?F'"''w'ww
THE RED CLOUD CHIEF.
U
'P
ttt
f AS THE GOMORRAH -OF THE WEST.
Fort Royal Erased From the Earth By an Act of
the Almighty.
(Kingston, Jamaica, Correspondence.)
Hcncath the bluo waters of the har
t'or of this iiaint old town lies burled
a city which was once tin seat ct
wealth and profligacy and nil their at
tendant train of evils. In one awful
moment tho earth gaped.thp scan open
ed to tctelvo the palaces of licentious
ness and closed above them, and .1,000
luckless mortals. Today, when tho
watcra of tho bay are still and shining
In the tropical huh, the sailors may
lean over the sides of their skiffs, and,
peering down through the azure depths
see the fishes swimming In and out of
tho arches of the old cathedral, the
sharks movliiR Inzlly among tho Rreat
lialacos, and tho sea moss twining
around the windows through which
tho music and sour of tho revelers
were drifting when the fearful visita
tion came and wiped the city from tho
loco of the earth. Two hundred jears
nave passed since that June day when
l'ort Hoyal disappeared Into tho sea.
Thrco other cities bulldcd upon Its site
liavi. boon destroyed by lire and hurri
cane and earthquake. Tho avenging
power which descended upon h
stricken city seemed to pursue It oven
after its thousands had fr.und watery
graves in tho bay, which now shimmers
so placidly except when tho fearful ty
phoons sweep over It anil lash Its wat
ers to mad revels.
It was June 7, 1C92. Port Hoval lay
sweltering under the heat of a tropical
summer. Built rtipon a tongue of laud
extended Into the ocean. It was swept
by breezes which brought with them
lltxlo relief from the direct rays oi
the sun. Tho harbor was filled with
shipping from every port in tho world,
for Port lloyal was a placo of wealth
and luxury. Great Britain's men-of-wnr
lay in tho ofting with their sails
furled and their men reveliiiR nshoro
In tho city. Spanish buccaneers, lad
en to the guards with stolen wealth.
Bilks, jewels and gold, the spoil (if
Mexico and Central America, swung
at anchor, anil their dark-browed crows
slept or lounged lazily about the decks
while thoir masters Joined tho festiv
ities ashore. In the houses and pal
aces of tho city there was revelry and
'3jffiffiig
THIS IS POUT HOYAL. THE CITY OF' SIN, SUNK FROM
STILL DOYS.
Tito Sly Old Cliupa or 00 Went Swim
ming TiiRetlior.
Neither of these old ehap3 Is under
60, yet each Is a living example of tho
fact that men aro only boys giown tall,
tsaya tho Detroit Freo Press. Thoy
llvo a few blocks apart on Brush street
and have been chimin over since they
were toddlers. Tho othor evoning, Just
after sunset, the ono living farther out
cnnie strolling by tho hoiiBe of tho oth
er, keeping a keen lookout fiom tho
corner of his eyo for his comrade.
(When he was sighted, trying to keep
cool in a hammock stretched undor an
npplo tree, tho man on tho uldownlk
Sield up his hand and began making
nballstlc signs with his fingers, whllo
Tie walked on his toes and pressed a
'finger of his othor hand on his lips to
.enjoin Bllunco. Tho old gentleman un
der tho tren was puzzled for a minute.
Then ho sprung from his hammock
-with youthful aelllty. gave a sweep of
Ms arm that niotnnd his crony to
ho alle behind tho barn, -md naU,
"Blamed If I don't," as ha stealthily
entered Us huwm by tho Kitchen door.
feasting and drinking, for tho pirates
of tho Spanish main spent freely what
they sccuied so easily. Gold was as
common ns copper Is today. Tho tod
dlers In tho streets, when thoy held out
baby hands for alms to tho paKsers
b, wero lowardod with a gold piece
cr two.
Another Cnmorrali.
Women nttlied In silks and laeen
which cost human blood In tho making
and the stealing lounged on luxurious
divans close to the open windows of
tho houses and drank deep draughts
with their patamours. I.lcenso ran
riot. 1 hero was no virtue. For years
every one In the placo had been grow
ing richer and with the wealth came
tho deslro for ease and pleasuio which
saps a people's strength. No one work
ed, for money wuh brought to every
one In the plrato ships which roamed
tho seas only to capture a cargo hiiIII
elent to t-. achate a few weeks of pleas
ure and feasting and drunkenness at
l'ort Hoyal. From Peru and Mexico
.came boat loads of gold and silicon
stuffs and other treasure and with the
arrival of every pirate tho bacchana
lian revels redoubled in license and
depravity. Tho people lounged to
church, but It was only a mo.-kery of
worship. They wero drunk with their
prosperity and Insane with their long
ing for tho pleasures of the table ami
the wine cup.
On that fated day when the ven
fieanco which overtook Sodom and Go
morrah descended upon Port Hoyal the
revelry was at Its height, when there
came a sound like the great crack of
doom, tho earth trembled and tho half
drunken reveler" rushed from the
houses in dismay. Tho gicat cathedral
recked and Its tower trembled u mo
ment, and, while tho people were ask
ing one another, white-lipped and ter
rified, what manner of thing was hap
pening, th cearth gaped open liko a
great Jaw and closed with thousands
In its maw, catchlnR many half way
In the frightful opening and holding
them, crushed and broken, with their
helpless nrmn extended toward tho
heaven they hnd so long forgotten.
When ho went slowly through tho back
yard as though ha had nothing specjul
on his mind, his coat-tails bulged sus
piciously nnd his eyo?; had a glint oT
mischief. Tho two saluted In whis
pers, slipped around hnlf a block to
get a car, sidled and talked under
their breaths until they reached a well
known point up tho river, and thoro
went hi swimming, diving, whooping,
swimming doggie nnd turning turtles
as nearly possible like thoy had dono
half a century before. They dried
their scant hair carofully, stowed tho
soap and towels out of sight and reach
od homo propared to prevaricate If
quo3tloucd. Next day they shook
hands, carried thomsolves moro erect
and congratulated each other tlut they
still knew their boyish tricks.
A Bird' Tool.
Blrda cannot open tho foot when tho
leg is bout; that Ik the reason thoy do
not fall off their perchci.. If .you
watch a ben walking, you will notlw
that it closes Its toes ns It raises ltd
foot, and opens them as It touches the
ground,
Scarce had this occui red, when, with a
mighty roar, the whole city bcan to
slide down Into tho ocean.
In vain the afrlghted people began to
lice to the high land beyond tho city.
They wero caught and engulfed bo
fore they had taken a score of steps.
Hundreds were overtaken by the rls
Iiir Hood r.s they sat at the tables with
their wine half drunk, and their food
half eaten, their thoughts half spoken.
Praying, bcrcamlng, and blaspheming
tho power which had visited Its writh
upon them, the harlots and pirates of
the city were hurried Into tho ocean In
the very houses In which they sat. The
ships In the harbor careened and sank
one by one as tho great bclsmio distur
bance continued, drawing down In
their wake tho terror-stricken sailors
and buccaneers, who sprang overboard,
and In less than flvo minutes all tho
wickedness, nil the debauchery, ali tho
sin of the prolllgato city wore 'hidden
forever beneath tho waves.
Not long after this frlghlfur disaster
came another upon the city, which
look tho place of the one which slip
ped Into the sea. Port Hoyal was ro
bulldcd, not with Its old splendor and
magnificence, not with Its former glory
mid luxurlouEiicss, but as n seaport
city, and In 1703, a few years after It
bad assumed tho proportions of a city,
It was entirely destroyed by fire. Again
It was built up, but tho avenging power
was not yet sated, for a hurrlcano
swept the greater portion of tho town
Into the ocean In 17122. Almost a hun
dred years later, when tho city had
once more risen on Its old Bite, It was
laid In ashes onco more, in 1 815. Re
peated destructions have left nothing
of the city as It once was, but in 1880
a hurrlcuno destructive to llfo nnd
property swept over tho city and onco
moro partially destroyed it.
A Later C'utantropli.
In his "Annals of Jamaica," pub
lished In 1S2S, Rev. George Wilson
Bridges quotes from a letter written by
one of the survivors a rector two or
three days after tho disaster, which 13,
In part, as follows:
THE PACE 01-' THE EARTH BY THE
An Adronturo In ?S Jungle.
Tho moon has a curious trick of
changing objecta Into something qulto
unllko themselves In nppearunco. In
ono instance such a transformation
nearly cost tho life of a British soldier.
He thus rclatos tho incldont: My
company had be'en ordered into tho
Deshur district to break up tho Da
colts, who had become very trouble
some. We arrived there In the night,
stormed a band of tho robbers by moon
light, killed or captured a round dozen
of them, and chased the rest into the
jungle. Some of us followed on foot
among the reeds nnd bushes, but soon
got tlrod of this useless business, and
wero quite willing to stop and turn
back at the sound of the recall. Our
hospital steward, n native, and a good
ono, was by my Bide. My canteen hnd
been emptied on the march, and I was
parched w.'th tho thirst that follow
fighting. Something among tho bushes
glistening on the ground like water,
caught my eye. "It's a stagnant pool
loll by the rains, but It will serve to
wet ray throat," I said, nnd was for
throwing myself on tUo ground to
"After I had been nt church reading,
which I did every day miico I was rec
tor of this placo, to keep up some s.iow
of religion, and was gono to a placo
hard by tho church, where tho mer
chants mrct, nnd whore tho president
of the council was, who catno Into my
company nnd engaged mo to take n
glass of wormwood whip as n whet be
fore dinner, ho being my very good
friend, 1 stayed with him, upon which
ho lighted a plpo of tobacco, which he
was pretty long In taking, and not be
ing willing to leave him before It wnB
out, this determined me from going to
dinner to one Captain Hodon's, whither
1 was Invited, whoso house, upon Uie
first concussion, sunk Into the eaith
and then Into the sea with his wife and
family ami some that wero eomo :o
dine with him. Had I been thorn 1
would have been lost. Hut to return
to the president anil the pipe of tobac
co, llefore that was out 1 found the
ground rolling and moving under my
feet, upon which I said unto him:
Lord, sir, what Is that?' Ho replied,
being a very grave mair 'It Is nn
earthquake. Ho not ufinld; It will
soon be over.' "
Hut he disappeared and was never
heard of again. Continuing, tho rector
wrote- "I made toward Morgun's fort,
because I thought to bo there securest
from fulling houses, but as I was fil
ing I saw tho earth open ami swallow
up a multitude of people, nnd the sen
mounting In upon them over tho forti
fications. Moreover, tho huge and
famous burying ground was destroyed
and the sea washed away tho carcasses.
Tho harbor was covered with dead bod
ies, floating up and down."
Kingston now stands close to whore
Port Hoyal, the old town of revelry and
vice, onco stood. The ships In tho
linrbor lloat over the houses, which
slipped Into the Hon, and fur, far bo
low their keels Ho the Imprisoned peo
ple who wore swept away, with vain
prayers for mercy upon their lips. Tho
spire of the cathedral Is most promi
nent of the ruins hero In tho clear wa
ter, as It hud raised itH taper linger
toward heaven, high above the other
buildings. Close to It lie the fleets of
Spain and England, sunk In thu fearful
hurricanes which swept these plnrid
waters, with the coral fast forming on
their masts and hulls. In their shadow
lurk the sea monsters of these wntors,
plnylng about the doorways and ease
ments of tho houses nnd shops, where
vlco onco held Bway. No man has over
ponetrated to the depths whero the
phantom city lle3, to cxploro Its se
crets, two centuries old, nnd all that
can be learned of tho sunken town If
gleaned by peering Into tho transparent
waters on a bright day when tho wind
does not rulllo the surface of tho ban
bor.
ANGRY CREATOR
drink, but tho steward pulled mo back
"Nay, sahib, stay! Lend mo your
sword for a moment!" ho said. Ho
took my sword, and lightly Htlrrcd tho
pool with Its point. .From tho middle
of tho pool a cobra's hooded head
arose, and there came the sound of lt
hateful hiss. With a sweep of tho
sword the stoward cut tho reptile's head
off, and at once what had seemed to
mo a water pool became tho writhing
colls of a serpent that had been fully
six feet In length. "That was your
pool, sahib," tho steward gravely said:
"It Is well that you paused before at
tempting to drink from It."
One Wnjr of Looking at It.
"It has been oponly assorted," ax
elalmed one cltlzon, "that that politi
cian nccepts money for hla Influence."
"Well," replied Senator Gorghuin, "ho
isn't to blumo for that. If people
choose to advertise his business for
nothing ho can't help It." Washing
ton Star,
Three pints of liquid a day are suf
ficient for the average adult.
Carrie
The Telegraph Girl
X A A'
A ROMANCE OF THE C'CROKEE STRIP.
A A' A
By Captain Jack Crawford
nun roLT scour."
(Continued.)
...! 1.1 I I . ..I -.!. If-.! .....
mm iiiths Mi'ii aiui sue i-uiicu inu
Fred! Ilor hciolsm fanned yet blight
er the Unman of loo In my heart, and
I felt that her lnuguage Indicated that
she held mo In mine than oullnnry re
gard. Were I dealing with fiction l would
write u lurid description of a deBporato
conflict between tho sheriff's posse and
the outlaws, but as I am dealing In ac
tual experiences, and tho story will, no
doubt, bo rend by many acquainted
with tho fncts, I must ndhero closely to
tho linos of truth. Tho special stopped
about a mllo north or tho stntlon to al
low the posse to dlBcmbnrk, and, by ad
vancing noiselessly, suriound the depot
and capture tho robbers; but. alas, for
the wcll-lnid plan, tho nolso of tho tiuln
was heard, and fenrlng a trap, the
scoundrels, leuvhig mo a parting curso,
hnstened from tho olllce, mounted their
hon.es, which had been scoured near by,
and mntlo their escape befoie n shot was
tiled.
A few months Inter, whllo on leave
of absence granted me from tho hand
somo stntlon given mo hi a beautiful
Kansas town, a telegram was handed
to mo as I stooil In tho parlor of Mrs,
Rankin's pretty cottage homo In Ar
kansas City. 1 tend It and handed It
to tho little woman dressed In bridal
lobes who stood nt my side. Then tho
chief train dispatcher read It aloud to
tho nssembled guests. It ran as fol
lows: Topckn, Kan., May 10, 18
Mr. and Mis. Fred Saunders, Arkansas
City.
All tho olllclnla of tho Santa Fo com
pany Join In warmest congratulations,
with tho slncero prayer that the now
lives you to-day begin mny never be
shadowed by n cloud of care. Whllo we
regret tho loss of the valued services
our llttlo heroine of Red Rock, wo
glean satisfaction from the fact that wo
will yet hold her husband, and will
also feel that Bhe, too, Is a cherished
member of tho great Santa Fo family.
Mny tho sun of true happiness over II
lumlno your lives.
(Signed) R. B. GEMMELL.
Supt. of Telegraph.
"I am commissioned," ndded tho dis
patcher, "to place these two envelopes
among tho gifts from loving friends on
this table. They bear slight tokens of
appreciation of valuablo services from
thoSantn Fo Company and from the
Wolls-Fnrgo Express Company."
There was nn envelope addressed to
Cnrrle, and ono to myself. Each con
tained a crisp, now, tincrenscd $1,000
greenbnek.
HIS LIFE'S MISTAKE.
"Why did I never marry? Well, I'll
tell you."
Tho llttlo crowd of listeners looked
Interested as Col. Wiley, tho handsome
white haired bachelor, Bottled back hi
his chair, as If to moro comfortably
relate the stoiy of his escape fram mat
rimony. "I wns very much In love, but you
would know that when I tell you Unit
she wns ns fair and lovely u ghl as
Mieso Virginia skies ever looked down
upon. A true southcrner.sho was loyal
to hor stato and wns proud to say that
hor ancestors were among tho F, F.
V.'s.
"Whllo a slender little creatine, sho
wns a splendid horsewoman, and know
every Inch of our rugged mountain
roads. Of eouine that was Just be
fore tho wnr, and I was a young chap
.hen.
"Her name was Lucy, a good, old
fashioned nanio that wo southerners
btlll cherish, nnd do not change to tho
moro nhy Luetic, us do our northern
neighbors. It doesn't matter about hor
surname; you'd all recognize It were I
to divulge, so I shall bo silent concern
ing It.
"She wns the dnughter of the house
and hnd two Inrge brothers, who look
ed upon Lucy us a moro bnby and
guarded her quite as zealously, I (list
had to win their friendship before get
ting nnywhoro near being oven a niero
acquaintance with Lucy.
When tho war broke out both
brothers wero filled with t rri'iiisl
asm of tho battlefield, and by constant
nlluBlons to their binvery, and adroit
carefully worded remarks concerning
their excellent appearance In the uni
forms of the confederate gray, I soon
won them completely over. As for
Lucy, sho regarded mo with suspicion
for some time, but sufllco to say that
when I mnrched away Into tho fire and
thunder of Shiloh a llttlo golden curl,
a locket enclosing the photograph of a
pretty girl, nnd u Bible, hor gifts, were
snugly and caiefully tucked nway In
the lining of my coat,
Lucy's brothers and I wore enlisted
in the samo regiment, and in that way
1 frcquontly heard from hor. Their
father, a strong minded, stubborn, aris
tocratic old fellow, had positively for
bl("'ien an engagement or even com
ntulcatlon of any sort, She was too
oting, he said, to havo her mind turn
ed topsy-turvy with lovo nonsense.
"Sho mndo no effort to disobey, but
Wlion sho gnve me the curl and lockot
nnd looked at mo through tears that
were Just falling from her great blue
eyes, I Mt that in the battle of hearts
I had not lo&t, nnd that In duo course
of time I'd claim the indemnity of wur
and call little Lucy my own.
"This blissful condition continued
for six months or n year. Then enran
the usual unoortn'ntles, suspicions ami
Jcnlouslps that so frequently disturb
love's young dream and bring despair
to youthful loveiB.
"It was this way: Our fhst lieuten
ant was a dashing young olllcer, as
fearless ns a young lion nnd so hand
stmio that the privates booh dubbed
him "Master Prcttyboy.' Wo wero
donning our muakels ono dny, prepar
atory to tho moi row's tight, when Mas
ter Prcttyboy eamo strolling along and
panned nrnr us, saying to Jim, Lucy'B
brother: "I iccelved a charming letter
froi.r your slater today. She sent her
love to you two boys and nflkd me to
tell hor how far you both ran at the
Drst flcht.'
"That night I went to Jim and naked
him If the lhst lieutenant nnd his sister
had long been friends.
" "They played together when ba
bies," ho imswoipil. 'Sis thinks a heap
of him.'
"That was enough. From Unit bout
my visions of sweet Lucy wero blur
red with (ho mist of Insincerity and
faithfulness. To bo sure, we wero not
engagei), but we understood, nnd our
eyes hnd usked and answered tho ques
tions which our lips wero forbidden to
speuk.
"My lovc-llfe ns lliBon calls It died
one day when the llrst lieutenant,
beaming nnd smiling, hnllcd Lucy's
brother with: 'Congratulate mo, old
boy: she sayB she'll have mo.'
"Well, tho wnr ended ns you nil hnve
perhaps heard ero this, although some
of our mosBbueks hero in tho moun
tains refuso to believe It. When Lc
surrendered I "wns thu superior oftirei
of the hnndsomo llrst llcu(cnnnt, whom
I hated and envied with equal passion.
1 camo out of tho nrmy with a cruel
wound In my shoulder, nnd It was
months before I camo back to this pnrt
of tho country, whero I had found
and loved nnd won my pretty Lucy.
"Tho old-time scenes nnd nssoclntlom
(although the war hnd brought many
grievous chungos) Bcemed to open my
emotions anew, nnd one Sunday 1 de
cided to go to her.
"I had gone perhnps half the way
when I cntno to n nwlteh on which
stood a dilapidated locomotive. Au
"I LOVE YOU. DEAR."
engineer and his assistant were on
denvorlng to polish Its nisty wheel!
nnd holler. They were discussing the
pros und eons of mntrlmony.
" 'Thoio's no use In tnlkln',' said ono;
there's mighty little sincerity hi wom
en." " "That's true," reiterated the other.
"I wont to tho wnr engaged to the
sweetest girl you ever clapped eyes on,
but when 1 came back sho wua mar
ried to n cowardly cur that nover saw
tho smoke of n miiBket.'
"So l wiib not the ' only ono, I
thought. I retraced my nteps, boarded
a train, and n month Inter wns digging
a gold mine in the Grand Canon of
Colorado.
"Ycnrs later I wan at tho depot at
Denver awaiting a train to tnke :nc
back c3t, and was much surprised to
(hid myself face to faco with Lucy's
brother Jim.
"That night wo talked over old
times as wo smoked our cigars nnd .il
memory drift back to tho exciting days
of "01. I thought of tho dnHhing Jlrst
lieutenant and cnsua'ly nsked:
" 'And whatever became of Pretty
boy?' "'Why. didn't you know?' ho re
plied. "He married my sister Kather
Ino '
"'Your sister Kntherhio?" I gasp
ed. 'I 1 nover know you hud nny sis
ter but Lucy.'
" 'She's a half-sister. My father wm
mnrrled twice, nnd Katherlno always
lived with her grandparents. Say, by
tho way,' ho added, "we thought at on
tlmo that you wero rather smitten with
Lucy."
"You can imagluo my engorness tc
reach onco more dear old Virginia.
How beautiful tho dusty old town look
ed as Jim and I sprang from tho train
und almobt ran down tho strct toward
his old home!
"Our footsteps sounded loud and
drear as we walked across tho porch
and Jim opened tho door. Jim tramp
ed along the hall shouting and laugh
ing nnd asking If tho place were de
serted. "Then his mother, bent nnd gray
and her onco beautiful faco furrowed
with lines, camo softly toward us. She
fell Into Jim's arms, sobbing ns she
did so.
" 'It was thouchtlees for mo to come
without tellln-,' you beforehand," he
said, 'I might have known It would
upset you.'
"She but sobbed the more nnd could
not speak. Then sho took Jim's hand,
nnd I following, led iib to nn upstairs
room and gently pushed tho door njnr.
" 'Sho died but au hutir ago,' the
mother said, but I heard as If in a
dream, Then going to n table sho took
up some letters, nnd, trembling nnd
sobbing, handed them ta me, tnylng an
sho did so: 'Lucy left thero. She said
thero was one for you.'
"Thero vnu but one iiheot nnd on It
but ft line or two Mmpl: 'I did not
forrt, nnd I have wilted i atlcntly. I
love you, dear.'" Chlqaso News.
m
t
i
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