The Express.
London, England, 1868-09-21 00:00:00

THE EARTHQUAKE AT CALL.W.

The following letters give a harrowing de-crip-
tion of the tirst_shoeio4 of the earthquake at CalLso:

CALLAO, TIMILSDAY, AL"OUST 13,

This evening, just as I was about manlier this letter for
the steamer of to-morrow morning, at about 4. o'elock.
the three most terrible and alarming shocks of
an earthquake which has visited Callao in seven
years were made manifest. For full five minutes,
the heavy, rolling, mudding sleek coot' ed,
rocking the furniture, and even the houses themselves,
with such violence that persons could hardly keep their
feet, and an instantaneous rush was made for the street.
Here the sight beggared description. All the affrighted
people kneeling and praying in the open street. crossing
themselves, and falling in deep swoons full length on the
pavement: old women kneeling with both arms upraised.
screaming and crying, the great bell of Santa ltosa ('h•.nrch
tolling and tolling, while the territie people tied in
crowds within the sacred enclosure, and the great steeple
swayed and crack,' as if every moment it would 1.01
upon and crush the affrighted ma,se4. As far as the eve
could see down the long, narrow street. the very street
itself re-e and fell in long billowy undulations, while
out in the bay, the ships tossed up and down under
the violence of the tremendous internal jar. While I
write thousands of the poor ignorant natives. Vholos,
are on foot and walking with all speed up to Lima, :not
the ears are so peeked with human beings that +pedal
train has been put on to accommodate those fleeing to
Lima. The reason of this is the absurd nunour that the
sea is coming in, and hundreds of people stand upa•n the
mole, watching the ebb and flow of the tide, and
insisting in their feat that the sea is ri-ing ail coin-
ing in. As Callao of old was destroyed, not by the
pound op ening, but by the sea uprising like a mighty
mountain and overwhelming the place and people. so the
horror and fright among the people is the second eugulph-
hug of the sea. Had the shock been as severe as it was
protracted and incessant, every building in Callao must
hare been toppled down. The weather has been very
cloudy the past few days. and the earthquake that has
just shaken the solid earth (and the nerves as well) of
Callao, is the most terrible one that has vi►itel the place
tu revels yews, and never one of such long continuance.
CALLAO, rltlfilY. 9 A.X., Averse 11, ISOS.

Last night was the most fearful night of horrors that
Pent has ever known. The sea was rising until mid-
night, and actually came iu feet over the mole, and
submerged all the lower floors of the stores and buildings
on the streets nearest the water. Ships 'Tull at anchor
broke their moorings and drifted into each other. The
American man-of-war Powhattan, lying here, was run into
by a ship, breaking the iron jib-boom of the Powbattan. aud
the Powbattan, as well as aU the Peruvian men-of-war lying
here, steamed up and went away out to sea. There
seemed to be a regular under-current of whirlpool, so
that ships went whirling round and round' Thousands
of people walked the streets all night, and this morning
the stores are closed, and Callao seems deserted. A feel-
ing of terror prevails that this may be a second St.
Thomas affair ; and if there should be another earthquake
to-day, affairs would look dangerous. Ships are torn
and buttered. and the sea at the present writing boils and
bubbles like a great whirlpool. Things look doubtful.
I write this as the mail elom..s, and have only ■ ma-
went.

,Tu QOOOll extrrma's s..)Excr.l
FRANCE.

PARLS, Herr. 21

The election in the second circumscription
of the Nievre for a deputy to the Legisla-
tive Body has resulted iu the return of
M. Bourgoiug, the government candidate,
by 13,706 votive. The total number of votes cast
wits 21,479, of which only 3,891 were recorded iu
favour of AIL Girerd, the opposition candidate.
1,877 votes were invalid.