THE HURRICANE IN THE WEST INDIES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 825, 1 February 1868, Page 2

THE HURRICANE IN THE WEST INDIES.

The Times City Article says :—“The extent of the loss of property and life can at present be but matter of conjecture. Of the company’s two steamers known to be totally lost—the Rhone and the Wye—the former was one of their finest vessels. .Her registered tonnage was 2738 tons, and her cost when new, about two years back, may be estimated to have been about £90,000. The Wye was their smallest vessel, her burben being only 752 tons. The other two vessels reported to be ashore—the Conway and the Derwent —were likewise comparatively small vessels, engaged in the intercolonial service, their burdens being respectively 895 and 794 tons ; and they are believed to have been in use for fifteen or twenty years. In fhese eases, therefore, the pecuniary loss will not be so severe as might at first have been apprehended. The Tyne and Solent, both of which are stated to have been dismasted, although they still remained serviceable, are among the larger class, their burden respectively being 1916 ard 1689 tons. The number of officers, engineers, and crew on board the Rhone is supposed to have been about 100, while in the Wye, perhaps the total was less than fifty. Out of these, according to a report which, it will be hoped, may yet admit of large correction, only forty were saved in all. The amount of cargo on board the Rhone would depend on the extent to which she may have received transhipments from the intercolonial steamers, but it is supposed that these could not yet have taken place on any important scale. The Solent, one of the steamers dismasted, had just come in from the Isthmus, and probably had not yet transferred her cargo, which would therefore still be safe. The Wye was lying unemployed, and there would be no loss of cargo. Of the general trading vessels, probably a considerable number were laden with coal. It is feared that, from the destruction of mercantile stores and other establishments at St. Thomas, many English houses will suffer. As the Royal Mail Company are their own insurers, the disaster has of course had a severe influence on the price of their shares.