Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-06-11
From the New York Evening Star.
DREADFUL EARTHo Jake.

tlernan who was an eye witness Of this terrible
catastrophe, describes it as follows:
1.-THE morning Of the 10th was clear and Sc
rene, but II will prove ever memorable day
81 The miserable people inhabiting the bor-
der hills in this vicinity. The first shock com
ocnced at 20 minutes past ii o'clock, snd lasted
with but slight iDtcrmssion for AZ minutes, caus'
ing The hills and valleys to rise and fall like the
waves Of the ocean. During the continuance OF
H., first shock, which was macu .le enst severe,
expected to be destroyed every moment-it
was almost impossible 10 keep upright.
Talcahuana is completely demolished the
buiIdipgs were not only shaken down, but the
ruins Of houses, stores, &c, were completely
swept away afterwards by the sea. which reti-
red about fifteen minutes after the first shock,
leaving the shipping entirely dry. at anchor in the
harbor-it came in again in about two minutes,
the height Of 25 feet above the usual mark, over
whelming the whole place. Men, women and
children fed for the mountains, but many were
oyertaken and swept to the ocean by the receding
waves, which completed the entire destruction
Of The town. depriving hundreds Of people Of
their second gariaents-many who were in good
circumstances now entirely destitute. Fur
niture of all kinds was carried away with the
houses; not even leaving yestige 10 inform the
owner Of tho situation OF his former residence
IL would require an eye witness to be made &C
quaintcd with the complete destruction OF the
town by this awful calamity.
Conception, a city containing about 20 900 in
habitants is one complete heap OF ruins-the hou-
scs being chiefly built Of brick. There is not one
solitary building left standing within the limits
! of the city, and for leagues around. The shock
came from southeast direction, and in its way
| destroyed everything A number OF small towns
| have been heard from-Chlian. Salea, Arma-
| deau, Lingus, Evans, Peusal, St.Carlos, Valiay a
and Armyla were destroyed.
| The number of lives lost could not be correctly
! asccrtained A new cathedral, building in con
| ception, buried twenty workmen in its iuins.--
| There were but two American ships IN the har-
| Dor Of Talcahuana at the time, besides the Co.
| ral-the Milton and the Nile A small schooner
was driven from her anchoring and drifted over
| the town.
| The New Bedford Gazette describes the dread :
| full catastrophe in the following manner.
"The shocks continued. (three or four every
day, } up 10 the time the ship left. On the 22d,
a large portion of the island Of Caracana, at the
mouth Of the bay, was swallowed up. The 9th
of March, il W as stated there, that from % to 30
towns, besides many small villages between Con
| ception and the Cordillcras, were scenes Of com
| plete ruin From four to five hundred lives
were lost Just in that section of country-but the
| extent Of the suffering is not yet known-prob-
| ably thrice that number have been buried in the
ruins,
| Tho condition Of the people who formerly in
| habted spacious and comfortable dwellings,
where now not even brick is left TO mark the
| spot, is one ofextreme suffering. The poor peo-
|
but little. Their houses withstood the shocks,
| and to them is reserved a roof for shelter
Those who fled 10 the hills, erected little shan
tees, on the spots Of land least broken up, and
were compelled to be constantly at work procu
ring the food necessary to satisfy hunger.
The scene during the first shock was appalling
| The trembling Of every thing around the boil
| ing of the sea, when water is heated over a
| frc-the earth opening wide, giving forth the
most terrific moaus, and laboring with internal
/ n.,.II tafs..r Il e.
and whole blocks of brick dwellings rock to
| their foundations. In their fall they meet others
and all as if locked in death, sink with tremen-
dous crash, into the gaping earth, leaving no
] trace oil existence save memory, and the smoke
| which arise from the confusion. The scene was
| one of thrilling and awful subliu,ity.
When the first intimation of the breaking up OF
| the convused earth vas received by the inhab-
itants of the cities and towns, they, struck with
| horror, ran into the middle OF the wide streets
and knelt in fervent prayer to God to them
| from threatening destruction. Our informant
! who was among the number, says he saw fami =
lies from their doors, and Just they left the
| thresholds their buildings mostly Of brick came
tumbling down after them. 1t is most fortunate
thing for the people of the country, that the
shock came at mid day. Had il taken place at
the middle hour of night, they would have been
compelled TO flee for safety without even the one
suit OF clothes they now have, making their suf-
ferings much greater.
IL is Oh history, between inc
years 1920 and 1852, five great earthquakes
occurred in Chill. That on the 18th of March,
1867, destroyed great part of the capital that
on the 18th Of June 1880, drove the against
Conception, and overthrow its walls and that on
the 10Th Of May 1851, completely destroyed that
city, which was again inundated by the sea, and
levelled with the ground all the fortresses and
villages lying between lat. "a and 40 south. The
shocks continued at intervals more than inonth.
Not an individual human life, however, was lost
on this occasion, except some invalids who were
drowned In Conception. In 1851 Conception was
rebuilt ON the north side ofthe river Bobio, about
a league from the sea.
The subjoined letter from gentleman at Tai
cahuana, received at the Exchange News Room,
contains interesting particulars:
TALcABUANA, March l, 1895.
On the morning of Friday the. Goth Februa-
ry, 1850, about 20 minutes past III o'clock, we
Were visited by one of the most awful earth
quakes ever experienced by the oldest inhabi
tants of this place. The morning was calm and
serene, and will prove ever memorable date
TO the many miserable souls, who fled to and are
now lnhabiting the barren hills The first shock
lasted about four minutes and a half, causing
the mountains and valleys to roll like the waves
oil the sea; during the severity of the first shock
(which was so great that person could scarcel,
keep upright,)I looked around for moment TO
meet my fate, but am spared TO be thankful, and
may consider myself one of tn e fortunate in ma
king my escape from the falling, but now pros
trate ruins. Talcahuana, the port of Conception,
is completely demolished. 1t was not only sha-
ken down, but the fragments Of stores, houses,
&c. were afterwards swept away by the sea,
which retired about fifteen minutes after the first
shock, leaving the shipping at anchor in the har.
Dor entirely dry. II came in rising above the
level, overwhelming the whole place Men,
women, and children fled to the mountains, but
many were overtaken and swept to the ocean BY
the returning wave, which completed the des-
truction OF the town, depriving hundreds of fam
illes OF second garment, many of whom were
IN good circumstances, but are now destitute
Furniture oil all kinds was swept with the hou-
ses, not even leaving vcstige to confirm the
owner Of the situatonof his former habitation;
and 1t would require an eye witness 10 be convn-
ced OF the immense devastation il has caused"
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
An interesting account Of tnis muni fcant osto