The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1854-06-23
EARTHQUAKE AT SAN SALVADOR.

The night OF the 10th OF April, 1884, will
ever be one of sad and bitter memory for the
people of Salvador. On that unfortunate night
our happy and beautiful capital was made a
heap OF ruins. Movements of the earth were
felt on the morning of Holy Thursday, proceed
ed by sounds like the rolling of heavy artillery
over pasements, and like distant thunder. The
people were little alarmed in consequence of
this phenomenon. But it did not prevent them
from meeting in the churches to celebrate the
solemnities of the dav. On Saturday all was
quiet, and confidence was restored. The people
of the neighborbood assembled, as uSGal, to
celebrate the Passover. The night of Saturday
Tranquil, was also the whole of Sun
day. The heat, it is true, was considerable,
but the atmosphere was calm and serene. For
the first three hours OF the evening nothing un-
usual occurred; bat at half past uine a severe
Shock OF an earthquake, occurring without the
the usual preliminary noises, alarmed. the whole
city. MANY families left their houses and made
encampments in the public squares, while 9TH
ers prepared 20 pass the night in their respec-
tive court yards.
Finally, at ten minutes to eleven, without
premonition of any kind, the earth began to
heave and trembe with such force that in ten
seconds the entire city was Frustrated. The
crashing Of houses and churches stunned the
ears OF the terrified inhabitants, while cloud
of dl.t from the falling ruins envploped all in Z
pail of impenetrable darkness. Not drop Of
water could be got 10 res:"Ve The half-ciloked
and suIocating, for the wells and fountains were
allied Up, or made dry. The clock tower Of the
Cathedral carried great part of the edlice
with il in its fall. The towers Of the church
of San Francisco crushed the Episcopal Orato-
~ and part ofthe palace The church of San
to Dim;ngo was buried beneath its towers, and
the Collge of the Assumption was entirely
ruined. The new and beautiful edihce of the
University was demolished. The Church Of
Merced separated in the centre, and its walls
fell outward 10 the ground. Ofthe private hou-
srs few We're left standing bot all were rem
dered unhabtabe. 1t is worthy of remark,
that the walls left standing are old ones: all
those of modern construction have fallen. The
public edifceS ofthe government and city shared
the common destruction. A.
The devastation was effected, as we have
said, in the first ten seconds; for although all
succeeding shocks were tremendous and accom-
panied by fearful rnnbings beneath our feet,
they had comparatively trifiDg results, for the
ravages.
Solemn and terrible was the picture present.
ed on that dark, funeral night, of a whole peo-
pie clustering in the plazas, and on their knees
CRYING with loud voices to Heaven for mercy,
in agonizing accents calling for their children
and friends, which they believed to be buried
beneath the ruins heaven opaque and ON
inous a movement of the earth rapid and une-
quail, causing a terror ndescribable an intense
SuphurouS odor filling the atmosphere, and in
dicating an approaching eruption of the volca-
no; streets filled with ruins or overhung by
threatening walls; a sufocating cloud OF dust al
most rendering respiration impossible Such
was the spectacle presented by the unhappy
city on that memorable night
A hundred boys were shut up in the college,
many invalids crowded the hospitals, and the
barracks were full of soldiers. The sense of the
catastrophe which must have befallen them,
gave poignacy 10 the first moments of reflection
after the earthquake was over. 1t was believed
that a 9TH part of the inhabitants bad been bu-
ried beneath the ruins. The members of the
gogernment, however, hastened to ascertain as
far as practicable the extent of the catastrophe,
and to quiet the public mind. II was found
that the loss Of life had been much less than
was supposed, and it now appears probable that
the number of the killed will not exceed one
hundred, and of wounded fifty. Among the
latter is the bishop, who received severe blow
on the head; the late President, and the wife of
the Secretary of the Legislative chambers-the