Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-07
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE EARTHQUAKE IN CHILLI.

We have been favored Win Tie l0lloWlng Inter-
es.ns extract from letter written by Lieut.. ]. NJ.
G1LLIss, U. s. Navy, to friend in this city, dated
u. S. N. Astronomical Expedition, Santiago de
Chile, April %, 1882
'Yeu will no doubt be interested TO learn that we have
escaped unOured the earthquake which has
been experienced in Central Chill since that Of 1922 II oc
CURED the morning of the ID instant commencing at
Oh. 4su l0. time, with much violence and after Its
usual warning noise One of the blind spells to which have
been occasionally subject had left with severe headache
and had been long asleep when the rs shock startled
me- II is not easy to collect ones faculties such brief
mons and hough by habit such position was taken
abed me TO embrace in the same view my little mirror, the
pan Of water on The washsand and the opposite roofs nearly
oneha the phenomena bad passed before consciousness was
fully restored In the hope that we may some time obtain
such observations elsewhere will enable TO determine the
velocity with which the earth moves, each one has i'm
mediate recourse bis WATCH noting the second at which
every phase occurs and subsequently, comparing the watch
with chronomeer kept in residence On this occasion
Lieut. MacRae had sprung to the chronomeer at once and
escaped from his room with it, For eighteen seconds the
motion was violent Of small amplitude, starting the
walls and tiles, but breaking nothing. which can only
count for by the rapidly with which the in the surface
Of the earth were disturbed fcr may estimate by
bodily sensations the shaking during these eighteen seconds
was certainly as great ss on the 9Th Of Deee and yet
the effects were nothing IKE those chen produced As stood
watching the paintings the paper Of the opposite wall
pass across the mirror and de tiles in front dancing IKE the
Of sea- there sudden increase in the vio-
ience Of the eahstorm, and the chamcr DOORS BOXED and
locked Hsng wide Open displaying the little paor fied
with dust and rubbish AZ this time the shreks OF the peo-
pie in the street were most Distressing and the Of the Pn
up disturbing sgen. moved around most internal As
the ceiling over head Wis cracking, and the tiles falling
pdy in the patio could only find shelter under the ntel of
the outside door but at the momeat Of getting there the
wa swung awy far enough to show sky over bead at the
time pouring down mass Of rubbish which nearly
blinded me- The motion was now one of oscillation rapid
and abrupt continuing for twenty Eve seconds (un'il Oh
4sm 5s after which the agitation gradually subsidized, and
at 6h 4s 3ss neasuraby ceased say neasuraby; for,
like tensey drawn cord suddenly struck the vibration Of
the earth con,ised for nearly hours aerwa, without
any internsson whatever and have the recorded times
of egea separate earthquakes between the great shock and
midnight besides host lesser Ones and similar vibration
TO that in the morning The last was from 6h. Som. to
sh 30m r. NJ when the surface of mercury Fever still
enough give image for than five ten minutes at
time Up this date they have not ceased there having
been from one ye six shocks Of email violence every day,
keeping up the excitement and CONSERVATION among al classes
of society.
ssOn ascending Santa Lucia Immediately, found that
the rocky had been broken between the castle
and the observatory, leaving creviee which Lieut. Mac
Rae traced than sixty feet The piers supporting the
meridian circle composed Of three blocks each secured
together by hydraulic cement and set with the material
on base which the native Porphyy The joint TO
the upper blocks of the pier opened the block
doubt rocked and the whole pier probably moved to the
SOUTH throwing all the miconee out Of focus No injury
done the instrument none to the equatorial nor was
the clock stopped though every other in the city was At
the house mountain barometer thrown from the wah
broken; mercury tossed out Of cup used
of the standard, (Hasses construction until the
face was Ia inch below rim. These the only inju-
es we have received though the necessity Of moving from
the house, of its unsa. condition, will entail
pense Individually well to the expedition whose
diminishing funds can badly bear it.
In the vicinity the destruction Of property has been very
great house having escaped without in walls loss
of parapets and tiles to very great extent Every arch in
the Cathedral has been sprung, and the keystones settled
rendering probable that this immense stone ed6ce-thee
hundred and fifty feet ong-must be taken down. Near by,
the central cupoa and portion of the wall of the old palace
have been taken down keep them from falling suddenly
and destroying f, and it is improbable number Of
houses in the vicinity will share the fate. Having
Cured during daylight three lives only reported have
been lost, though the number Of those gravey wounded
amounts to twenty or thirty. l.a .as.3#
Villages to the westward Of severely
injured Tampa and Rencas close by, and Curacay and
Casa Blanca the road Valparaiso have suffered lament
ably Of their populations amounting to $4,000 souls,
principally poor full third have been thrown of their
dwellings, and still look panic-struck the ruins At VAL
paraso too the less has been severefoy odd houses in
the Almandra having been totally destroyed whilst the in
jury property is estimated st from quarter of million to
millions of dollars. South of the river Maypo and north
Of the Province Of Santiago, the soke though remarkable
Of little violence, except in isolated localities which it
would lenghen this letter much tell you Of From the
we have only two reports One by the captain of
ship who twenty miles west of Valparaiso and who was
be bad struck unknown rock, until after arrival the
time convinced him ,ha, it have been an earthquake
and the other BY the of vessel thirty miles north OF the
port who heard noises like the discharges Of guns in
naval engagement, but felt no shock.
"The instrument for measuring the direction and compare
tive violence Of earthquakes brought with having failed
record any Of those previously occurring in December last
caused pendulum nine feet inches long be made with
lis lead ball. and fine silver wire suspendng the pendu-
lum from tripod. needle is inserted in a cork
at the bottom Of the ball. which just touches sheet Of glazed
paper marked With concenc circles and the points Of the
compass They the you had the kindness to have
engraved for the other instrument The paper lies ho
zonsa plate OF glass resting the eah and spnked with
black sand SO that the motion the pendulum leaves white
line exposed to be regretted that the paper had been