Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-06-20
The.narthqualse as-san salvador.


information of the earthquake by which the
city OF San Salvador, in Genital America was al
most entirely destroyed on the 10th of April last,
nas already been received, but the details of this
therefore reproduce from the Herald the subjone ed
account of The earthquake, translated from the
3oLetiai o del Go5iera0 del Safuador
OF May 2d. This belletin is issued from'the city
OF CoIutepeque. whittier the seat of government
has been removed since the destruction of San Sal
salvador: "a
The nightof the 18th OF April, 1854, wilt ever
be one OF sad and bitter memorysfor The people of
Salvador. On that uniortunste night our 4habpyt
and beautiful capital swas made heap of runs.
movements OF the earth wefe felt on the morning
OF the Holy Thursday, preceded 10y sounds like
the rolling OF heavy Artillery over payements and
ana like distant thunder. The people were ILL.,
tie alarmed at this phenomenon, bur itdid notpre-
vent them itom4neeting in the churches 10 cele.
erale The solemnties of thedaY. On Saturday all
was quiet, and confidence restored. The peo-
PIE OF the neighborhood assembled as usual to Gel
citrate the Passover. The night of Saturday was
tranquil, andwas also the whole OF Sunday The
neal II Us true, was considerable; but the atmos-
phere was calm and serene. ses ~
For the first three hours of the evening nothing
unusual occurred; but at half past nine a severe
shock OF an earthquake, occurring Without the
usual Preliminary noises, alarmed the whole CITY
Many families lef their houses and made en-
canpmentSins the public squares, while Others
prepared TO pass the night in their respectiye
court yards:7a Finally, at ten, minutes To eleven,
without promonitlon of any kind, the earth began
TO heave aud trembIe with such fearful force thai.
IN zen seconds es tue city was Frustrated. The
crashing of houses and churches stunned the ears
OF The terrified Inhabitants, while cloud of dust
iromthe failing runs enveloped them mi nall of
lnnenetrable darkness. Not drop of water could
ee got 10 relieve the half-choked aud suffoeaing,
Tor the wells and fountains were filled up or made
dry. The clock tower of the cathedral carried a
great part OF The ecilice with itin its fall. The
lowers oil the churchof San Francisco crushed the
splscopal; oratory and part of the palace The
church OF Santo Domingo.was buried beneath its
towers, and the college Of the Assumption was
entrelyruined. The new and beautiful etiificeof
the University was demolished. The church of
me Merceu separated in the centre, and its walls
Tell outwardto the ground.s OF the private houses
few We're outstanding but all were rendered un-
ihhabtsable. It'lswcrty OF remark that the walls
leit standing are old ones; all those OF modern
construction have fallen. The public ediices of
the government and city shared the Common des-
truction. The devastation was effected, us we
have said, in the first len seconds for; although
| The succeeding shocks were Tremendous and ac-
companiedI by ieaIful rumblings beneath our feet
they had comparatively triaing results, Tor The
reason that the first had left butlitte for their raw
ages. 8d
Solemn and terrible was the picture presented
on that dark, funeral night, of a whole people
clustering IN the plazas, and their knees crying
with loud voices to heaven for mercy or in agcniz
ing accents calling for their children and friends
whom they believed to be buried beneath tie
n uSdNeu opaque anu 0mnOuS; q lnOVe-
ment OF the earth rapid and unequal, causing n
terror indescribable; an intense sulphurous otor
hlting the atmosphere, and indicating an eruption
OF The volcano; streets He'd with ruins or over
hung by threatening walls; suffocating cloud oil
dust, almost rendering respiration impossble-sucli
was the spectacle presented by the unhappy city
on that memorable and awful night.
hundred boys were slut up in, the college,
many Invalids crowded the hospitals, and the bar
racks were full of soldiers The sense of Tie
catastrophe which must have befallen them gave
poignancy TO the firstmonents of reflection after
the earthquake was over. 1t was believed that at
least fourth part of the inhabitants had been
buried beneath the ruins. The members of the
Government, however, fastened 10 ascertain, us
lar as practicable, the extent OF the cataslrophe
and To quiet the public mind. 1t was found that
the loss OF lie had been much less than was sup
posed, and it now appears probable that the num-
Der oil the killed will not exceed hundred aud
OF the wounded fifty. Among the latter is the
bishop, who received a severe blow on the head
the Late Presidents, Senior Duenas; a daughter of
the President, and the wife of tue Secretary Of the
Legislative Council, The latter severely.
fortunately the earthquake has not been follow
ed by rains, which gives an opportunity to disnter
the public archieves, as also many of the valuabes
contained in the dwellings oil the citizens.
The movements of the earth still continue, with
strong shocks, and the people, fearing general
swallowing up of the site of the city, that they
may be burned under some sudden eruption. of the
Volcano, are Fastening away, taking with them
their household gods, the sweet memories of their
infancy, and their domestic animals perhaps the
only property left for The support of their families,
exclainng with Virgil. ''Nos patrie fines ct duieia
lin uiqlrs dFod.' .al s7,s,sffH r.
So PROCLAMATION.
The President of tie Suite of Salvador to The
49, Inhabitants. 49,
FELLow CITIZENS: speak to you amid the ri :.
ms OF our beautiful capital; unlsrthe weight of
the heavy disaster which overlook us on the fatal
night OF Sunday, the 10Th of'April "A fearful
earthquake destroyed, in the bfef space of ten
n
infinite number of families in misery, and has
driven them abroad TO seek a shelter elsewhere!-
lComprehending tile full extent OF the calamity
which has betallen this city, the Government can
only offer consolation that it will neglect no
means to secure such property has been saved
from the ruins and TO maintain public tranquility
and ORDER. Indoing this, they not only rely upon
tue cooperation of the people residing near The
capital, but depend upon them to neglect no
means OF afiordlng relief to the sufferers. The
Government relies upon the general patriotism
and public spirit TO give efficiency to the measures
which will he taken to buisd up anew the cityo f
San Salvador, i'll some place offering better con-
dinons than the present site, and which will be
less subject 10 the devastations of earthquakes. L
invoke the All powerful TO lend HIS DiVine aid to
this consummaiiun, and influence the people of
the capith that they shall not disperse in such a
manner as 10 make their new Concentration i'm
| possible. {s r.
| Ishall lose no time in dispatching commission
erS to examine and report upon he localities
wherein 10 found the new city, nor delay il, COM.
munica,ing the RESULT to the public so that they
may again unite as friends in that happy brother
hood in which they have hitherto lived ana pros
pered. To this end it behooves all seek for Pc
cuniary and other aid alike within and without the
State; and, above all, it is becoming in them 10
submit with humble resignation to the inscruta BILE
vlstat'ons of Him who disposes of the earth and its
people according to His wise designs.
he calamity which weighs upou this people is
j heaFyi death threatened them in its most terrible
form, when the earth opened its depths as if to
bury them in its unknown abyss; but our common
Father has preserved us, aud requires from us the
People of the Departmental This is time for
you to extend a protecting handto your brethren
| oil San-Salyador who are driven forth helpless,
with no covering to their heads and without a