The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-17 00:00:00

FIFTEEN THOUSAND LIVES LOST!

We have now received full information of the
total destruction, on March 20, by earthquake, of one, if
not three, populous cities of the Argentine republic—
namely, Mendoss, Ban Juan, aml flan Luis. The former
has certainly been destroyed, and very few of its population
of 15,000 souls have escaped to tell the fearful tale. The
news was sent by telegraph to Valpar.uao, and was con.
timed by the subsequent arrival of • mail courier from the
ruined city.

The latter stated that he arrived at Hendon on the
merging of the 20th ; that at half•peat eight p.m. a brie
but excessively violent shock of earthquake, lasting but
six or eight seconds, destroyed every building, public and
private, is the city, and that the number who
were enabled to escape was very limited. The streets
being narrow, the buildings high, and the inhabitants totally
unused to such rhenomerm, were paralysed with terror, and
neglected to seek refuge in the open courts of their dwell•
Pigs until too late. The postmaster was buried beneath the
ruins of the post-office, the governor was missing; and,
when asked why he brought no certificate that the mails
were lost, the messenger replied, " There was no one left
to write it, nor materials to write with."
The aspect presented by the city after the first shock was
terrific. Hoarse subterranean thunders deafened the air,
mimes of all kinds rushed frantically through the open
spools howling, the earth opened and vomited forth floods
of water, while, to crown the scene of honor, flumes burst
from the ruins and consumed nearly the entire business
portion of the city, with its dead, its dying, and its wounded.

On the 28th a number of letters were reoeived at Valpa-
raiso and at Santiago, by relatives and friends of Chileans
residing in Mendoza, but the hope until then entertained,
that the earlier accounts were exaggerated, soon gave
way to the dreadful certainty th►t the calamity had not
yet been painted in colours sufficiently vivid. The earth
still continued to tremble, the few walls that bad milted
the first shock one by one fell, until now no vestige of •
building remains. The mountain roads are in a most dan-
gerous condition, not only on account of the huge masses of
rock that have already fallen and obstructed the road, but
because the vibration of the earth is still hurling them down
from the heights above into the valleys. .

The °ouches, or natives of the surrounding country, has.
toned to the spot, not to assist the needy or aid in rescuing
the wounded from a lingering death, but to seek for plun-
der among the smoking ruins, and to snatch the little saved
from the wretched survivors. One gentleman writing from
thence, afterdescribing these horrors., says :—" I believe that
in a few days we shall hare no other law here than that of
the poignard."

The Prison wee destroyed : out of 100 inmates 92 pe-
rished. The remaining eight, who were already hardened
villains, formed themselves into ► band of freebooters, and
bad gone, it was supposed, to the mountain passes, to is•
tercept and rob the parties sent from Chili for the relief of
the sufferers. One woman was found robbed and mar
dared by the roadside. She was recognised as one wbo was
on her way to Mendoza to see her family. They too bad all
perished on the 20th.
In the Jesuit church there was preaching that night. The
Nervicee had just concluded, and the congregation was about
dispersing, when the shock came. The few who had
reached the pl►aa were saved, but the walls end roof of the
building fell inward with a crash, and priest and penitelt
together were hurried into eternity. - _

The latest advice' from Mendorat represent the suffer•
lug to be extreme, there being neither food, clothing, nor
shelter for the survivors, everything being buried beneath
the ruins. They also state that Sea Juan and San Luis, two
other populous cities of the Confederation, have shared •
like fate, the Son Juan river having, after the shock, left
its bed, and swept over the town, utterly destroying whit
the earthquake had spared. This news is nut, however,
fully confirmed.
As soon an the disastrous news was rendered beyond
question, the government and private individuals vied with
one another in energetic efforts to send immediate relief to
their suffering brethren. Without waiting for the comple-
tion of the work, on the 30th a party of physicians sod
others left for the scene of the disaster, hearing medicines,
food, and clothing, and accompanied by a small body of
treFe.
The gloom and terror spread thronghont the republic of
Chili by this awful calamity may he imagined. " situated
upon an eminently volcanic region," says a letter from Va.
panics, " we have constant evidence of the insecurity of oor
tenure of existence. Separated but by a chain of mountain's
from the scene of destruction, and taught by sad experience
the frightful and irresistible force of the unheralded ear"-
storm. we retire each night with • feeling of terrible in-
security. The coed ban been frequently visited in past
years by, earthquakes. Chi/lan has been twice dastard
Concepcion mace ; while Valparaiso, Santiago, and Copal*
have suffered /severely. No amount of human foresight. D 0
precaution avails against the mysterious visitor, who coma
at dawn, at noonday, or at midnight, and, in a few second',,
levels to the ground the proudest monuments of human doll.