Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-11-24
NJ | S C L L l. A N Y
From The ". o. Picayunc, Nor. Z.
MIR. KENDALL,s LETTERS
FROM THE ARMY.

EDITORIAL coRREsPoSDEScE OF THE PIcAYUNE.
CITY OF MEXICO, Oct. g. IS47
An earthquakei we have had an earthquake =
Between the hours of and s yesterday morning,
and when all nature was huShed in Il sIlIlness most
profound, suddenly the earth began to rock with
strange and most fearful motion. am living III
the house Of Pena Pena, the headquarters of Gen.
Worth, Immediately in front of the beautiful ala
media, and the first intmation we had of the dread
CONFUSION was the violent slamming of the doors
accompanied by furious jngling of the glass pen
dants attached 10 a chandelier hanging and swing
ing from the ceiling of the room. Soon our beds
commenced rocking, something after tho manner of
ship becalmed al the close of storm, and then
came the shrieks of innumerabe women and chill
dren driven, halfdressed arghted into the streets
the dreaded tenlblor, the Mexicans call it, was
upon u.s. Most strange and impressive was the
scene disclosed from the front windows as reenp
and staggering approached and opened them
to walk steady was impossible, violent were the
upheavings aud oscillations Of the mighty earth-
The tops OF the large trees in the alameda were
Swaying, the water In the reservoirs was OloW-
ing to and fro, the walls around us were cracking
and gaping aSunder, the wide street in front was
crowded with women and children as well as men,
screaming and praying, and crossing themselves in
the extremity of their fright, while our own SOL
dlers were Keeling unsteadily in their midst, aston
ished and awe stricken at the strange commotion.
The sentines halted upon their rounds, uncertain
and not knowing what TO do-the caliejons, or mar
row lanes, continued to pour forth their hundreds of
aifrghcd inhabitants, all seeking the refuge of The
wider streets and open squares, lest their hou-
SEES might totter and tumble upon their heads, while
on Blended knees they confessed their aloud and
earnestly petitioned forgiveness ere it was yet too
late. wounded officer in our house, bed ridden
and apparently unable 10 move since the hard fought
battle OF Ell Moline, came hobbiing hurriedly from
his room, driven thence by the cracking of the
I walls and the Sirauue tumult from ,yithout The
stiffness of the morning profound had been the re-
pose of nature, but added to the general feeling of
wonder and of awe-of CONSERVATION perhaps
should term it, fear caught from the actions and
countenances OF those native here and to the man
nor born,' those Graded and rocked amid com,no-
tions of kindred nature. The domes and steepleS
of the innumerablc churches and converts reeleC
like drunken men--the lakes hard by rolled their
sluggish waters as though moved by an elemental
strife from above instead OF the earth in which they
are nestled i'll her travail. An officer i'm The
street, about to mount his horse at the commence
ment Of the commoton, suddenly found the anima
receding from him. Astonished, he enqured Of
soldier close by the cause ; but the man was as ig
norant as himself The puddles in the streets-fo
there had been a severe shower the night before
spread themselves and disappeared upon the pave
ment, SO great was the motion, while the trees ii
the alameda continued to lash their huge tops as
swayed by unseen yet a-powerlul hands. Th
shock lasted over two mnutes-perhaps SHOULD
say succession of shocks, for the oscillatory motto
Of the earth at short intervals became calm-whil
the whole scene impressed every wit
the might, the majesty, and the manifold power
I the Most High.
But if the streets and open ways presented spec
tace most impressive, dOUbly awful the eflet
produced among the wounded men in the differer
hospitals Unconscious of the cause of the strann
q comnotion, filed with approximations which ev,
, attack with ten-fOd force the disabled and the il
. firm, and dreading results from phenomenon tho
j must have deemed akin to the supernatural, tt
poor fellows rose and hobbled from their cols-rer
bling and stricken by deep awe, yet not KNOWN
n whittier TO fly. The armless hurried hither al
thither, the legless hobbled about in all direction
while the bed ridden the PROSTATE, and the utter
helpless, panc-stricken and Responding, earnest
prayed and petitoned not TO be left unprotected
not to be deserted in an extremity which their ign
rance made painfully terrifying. But by and
the earth became relieved Of her mighty throes, {
staggering steeples resumed their quiet the afIgl
ed inhabitants rose thankful from their knees, {
sentinels recommended their TOuIlds-the fury Of I
dreaded tenlbLor was spent.
But to leave, for the present, this subject, and
offer few remarks upon the army and its p
deeds II is still difficult to account for the E
that we are still here. here in the great capital
49, Mexico-not the $4,000 paper men Of the Uni'
nd but what is left Of tho 10000 real men by VIII
the work Of subjugation has been accomplished
Tho whole seems like dream, even TO those W