No. 332.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.
Port au Prince, September 21, 1875. (Received October 11.)
Sir: I have the honor to report that a hurricane accompanied with an unusual fall of rain visited this island on the 11th and 12th instant, and caused some considerable injury to persons and property along the southern peninsula of Hayti. It was particularly strong in the localities of Jeremie, Aux Cayes, and Jacmel. At the former place it drove the sea in upon the town, destroyed several small residences, wrecked three vessels there in port, one English and two Haytian, flooded the plains in the vicinity of Grand Rivierè, and caused the loss of human life. The town of Aux Cayes was in like manner flooded, and the harbor was made so rough that injury was done to the vessels in port, and the staunch steamer “Andes” of the Atlas line from New York was obliged to remain there under the careful watchfulness of her captain and crew for four days. Jacmel, the richest agricultural section of Hayti, was particularly unfortunate. There, all vessels in port were disabled, except that one American schooner and one French bark rode out the storm, the wharf was uprooted, the prison was almost destroyed, the crof of plantains, a chief article of food among Haytian country-people, was to a great extent blown down, and the loss of human life was also occasioned. Happily the injury to the coffee crof was not severe. It is thought here that the storm must have been powerful in the track of its course on the sea, and we tremble when we think of news which may yet reach us of its devastations in these seas and on the ocean.
I am, &c.,