Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-06-28
NO. XXXII.
From the Salvador "Bolttin.V
The Earthquake at San SALVADOR.

From the Sairador "BoIttin.0
The Earthquake at San SALVADOR.
The night of the 18th ApriI,1S54, will ever
be one of sad and bitter memory for the
ipeople of Salvador. On that unfortunate
night our harpy and beautiful capitol was
made heap of ruins. Movements of the
earth were felt on the morning of Holy
Thursday, preceded by sounds like the roll
ing Of heavy artillery over pavemcnts, and
like distant thunder. The people were a
little alarmed in consequence of this phe.
nomenon, but it did not prevent them from
meeting IN the churches to celebrate the
solemnlties Of the day. On Sunday all was
quiet, and confidence was restored The
people of the neighborhood assembled. as
usual, TO celebrate the Passover. The NIGHT
of Saturday was tranquil, as was also the
whole Of Sunday. The heat, it is true, was
considerable, but the atmosphere was calm
and serene. For the first three hours of
the evening nothing unusual occurred but
at half. past nine severe shock OF an earth.
quake, occurring without the Usual prelmi-
nary noises, alarmed the whole city. MANY
families left their houses and made encamD4
ments in the public squares, while others
prepared 10 pass the night in the respective
court yards.
Finally. at Ten minutes to eleven with.
out premonition ofahy kind, the earth began
| to heave and tremble with such fearfulforce
that in ten seconds the entire city was
Frustrated. The crashing of korses and
churches stunned the ears of the terrified
inhabitants. while cloud of dust from the
falling ruins enveloped them in a pail Of
Impenetrable darkness. Not drop of
water could be got to relieve the half.cboked
and sutlocating, for the wells and fcun.
taIns were filled up or made dry. The
clock tower of the cathedral carried great
part of the edifice with ii in its fall. The
towers of the church OF San Francisco
crushed the Episcopal Oratory and part of
the palace. The church of Santo Domingo
was buried beneath its towers, and the col.
lege Of the Assumption was entirely ruined.
The new and beautiful edifce of the Uni
versity was demolished. The Church of
the Merced separated in the centre, and its
walls fell outward to the ground. OF the
private houses few were left standing,
but all were rendered uninhabitable. 1t is
worthy Of remark that the walls left stand.
ing are old ones all those of modern con.
struction have fallen. The public edifces
Of the government and city shared the com.
mon destruction.
The devastation was effected, as we have
said, in the first ten seconds for although
the succeeding shocks were tremendous
and accompanied by fearful rumbings be-
Meath our feet, they had comparatively tri-
fling results, for the reason that the first had
lett but little for their ravages.
Solemn and terrible was the picture pre.
sented on the dark, funereal night, of a
whole people clustering in The plazas, and
on their knees crying with loud voices to
Heaven for mercy, or in agonizing accents
calling for their children and friends, which
they believed to be buried beneath the
ruins A heaven opaque and ominous. "a
movement OF the earth rapid and unequal,
causing terror indescrbabIe an intense
,ulphurous odor filing the atmosphere, and
indicating an eruption of the volcano;
streets filled with ruins or overhung by
threatening walls; sufocating cloud of
dust almost rendering respiration impossi.
Bile. Such was the spectacle presented by
the unhappy city on that memorable and
awful night
A hundred boys were shut up in The COL
lege, many nvaIids crowded the hospitals,
and the barracks were full of soldiers. The
sense of the catastrophe which must have
befallen them, gave poignancy to the first
moments OF reflection after the earthquake
was over. 1t was believed that at least a
fourth part Of the inhabitants had been
buried beneath the ruins. The members
of the government, however, fastened to
ascertain as far as practicable the extent of
the catastrophe, and to quiet the public
mind. 1t was found that the loss of life
had been much less than was supposed.
and it now appears probable that the num-
Der of the killed will not exceed one hun.
dred, and of wounded fifty. Among the
latter is the Bishop, who received a severe
blow On the head /; the late President. Senor
Duenas daughter of the President, and
The wife the Secretary ofthe Legislative
ChambersAthe latter severely.
Fortunately, the earthquake has not been
followed by rams, which gives an opportu-
nifty to disinter the public archives, as also
many Of the vaIuables contained in the
dwellings of 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. or that it may be buried under some
sudden eruption of the volcano. are hasten.
ing 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, exclamlng with Virgil, ".Nos pa
irias fines et duicia hnquimus arua.'