Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1835-06-11
EARrHouAKE IN chill.

DREADFUL EAkrHouAKE IN CHILL.
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| a. Sooceasina ~ earthquakes, vhtck took
Ipsaes = chm = H. 3otk of Feb, ~ which
- ea1hss a. cssespeioa and Tslcahuasa were
Iess6oyed, toGstAR with Q great uanber of
smaller towns. Tie number Of lives Ioss, 90
fsr - sscesssi.sd. VI 4 o. 500; but Il was
supposed the actual member wa much great
er.
vnon ruE ngw BeDgonp oAHErvE-
Tho ship Coral, Captain Wh,tte..
arrived II this port ON Saturday even
ings bringing IN account Of . most
distressing earthquake in and about the
city Of Conception, in Chill. She lefl
the port Of Talcahuana 6th Of March.
Tho 6nt and most disastrous shock,
occurred on the 10Th Of February. OF
the large town Of Conccptioa not .
building was left standing. Talcahua-
IA, and eve small villages in the mar.
Dor, were destroyed. After the frst
shock. tho vessels in the bay were all
left aground; but soon the sea rushed
on in great rollers. and rising twenty
hve or thirty feet completely overflow
ed the land, sweeping away the ruins.
Many persons were saved from untimc-
ly death by the active crew of the
Coral. The shocks continued (thrce
or four every day. up 10 the time the
ship left. On the lid, large portion
OF the island Of Caracana. nj the mouth
OF the bay, was swallowed up. The
9th OF March, il was stated there, that
from twenty-five to thirty towns, be-
sides many small villages between Con-
cePton and the Cordilleras, were
scenes OF complete ruin. From four
to five hundred lives were lost lust in
that section Of country. but the extent
OF the suffering is not yet known;
probably thrice that number have been
buried i1 the ruins.
The condition Of the people who
formerly inhabited spacious and conve-
nient dwellings, where now not even
brick Is LETT 10 mark the spot, is one Of
the utmost suffering. The poor people
who lived in the country IN small reed
huts have suffered but little. Their
houses withstood the shocks, and TO
them is preserved roof Cor shelter
Those who fed TO the hills, erected
little shantees, on the spots of land
least broken up, and were compelled
to De constantly at work procuring the
food necessary to satisfy hunger.
The scene during the first shock was
appalling. The trembling Of every
thing around-the boiling Of the sea,
as when water is heated over a fire
the earth opening wide. giving forth
the most terrific means, and laboring
with internal fres-buildings tottering
IN every direction-and now whole
blocks OF brick dwellings rock from
their foundation. In their fall they
meet others, and all, as if locked in
death, sink, with a tremendous crash.
into the gaping earth, leaving no trace
OF their existence save memory and
the smoke and ashes which arise from
the confusion. The scene was one of
thrilling and awful sublimity.
|. When the first intimation of the
breaking up Of the couvulsed earth was
received by the inhabitants of the CT
ties and towns, they, struck with hor-
ror, ran into the middle of the wide
streets and knelt in fervent PRAYER To
God to save them from threatening de-
struction. Our informant who was
among the number, says that he saw
families run from their doors, and Just
as they LEFT their thresholds. their build
ings, mostly Of brick, came tumbling
down after them. II is a most fortu-
nate thing for the people of the coun-
Try, that the shock came at midday
He'd it taken place in the middle hour
OF the night they would have been
compelled to fee for safety without
even the one suit Of clothing they now
have, making their sufferings much
greater.
It's matter Of history, that between
the years 1870 and 1854, FIVE great
earthquakes occurred in Chill. That
on the 18th March, 1857, DESTROYED
great part Of the capital; that of June
10. 1870. drove the sea against the CT
ty Of Conception. and overthrow its
walls; and that Of May, 1851, COM
pletety destroyed that city, which was
again inundated by the sea, and lev
elied with the ground eli the foriresses
and villages lying between lat. - and
10 south. The shocks continued at
intervals more than month. Not an
individual human life, however, was
lost on this occasion except some m
valids, who were drowned in Concep-
ton. In l74I, Conception was rebuilt
on the north side Of the river Biob,.
about league from the sea.
The subjoined letter from gentIe-
man at Taleahuana. received At the
Exchange News Roop, contains the
following interesting particulars:
"TALcAHUAEA, nAacH I, 1895.
"On the morning Of Friday, the 10Th
OF February, 1885. about twenty mi
nutes past I O'Clock. We were visited