HURRICANE AT SAMOA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 336, 26 September 1879, Page 11

HURRICANE AT SAMOA.

A coerkspondent wilting to the Augsburg Allgemeine JZkUung from Apia, the port on the northern side of Opolu. the middle island of the bamoan gioup, gives an account of the mischief wrought by a hurricane wbich swept over those islands on May 4 and following days Some days previously he had wrkten an account of the S7n n Ir nSC ft ll \ and holdins out blilliailt Pro-spects both foi the islanders and the Goiman settlers from the development of trade and mutual intercourse. But the storm he says, bas destroyed ww P ft vi 10PeS f th ° LISaQd 1 S - AhUOSt c ™y«*«« the hutsofthenat.Ves weie swept away, and most of the plantations destroyed. Almost all the bread-fruit trees have been uprooted, and, as the supply of flour which has been saved is limited, there are fears of a famine. Even the wore solidly-constructed buildings (many ot them of stone) of the foreign consulates of the Government, and of the missionary societies were levelled by the stoim. There were warnings of the approaching nurricane in the enormous waves and the furious surf which came driving in on the shore. On the third day the correspondent ventured out and viewed the scene from an eminence. As far as he could see the ocean was one mass of seething foam. In every direction wreck and devastation met his eyes, But the natives bjth men and women, were already at work, trying to save whai they could, standing up to their waists in water ; even the children were b.isy rescuing cocoa-nuts, fruits, &c. He complains that they also of th? t i a PI )r °P riate all the y could find among the ruins ot the stores and warehouses of the European settlers. All the bridges had been earned away, so that communication was difficult It was impossible yet to estimate the damage ; but the correspondent thinks the European houses who have business relations with Samoa rep ) t S \ 6aVy At the time ° f Wriling DO loss of llfe had been