Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-06-30
From tho New York Herald
The Late Earthquake I'm San Salvador, Central
Amcfica1

From tho New York Herald.
The Earthquake N San Salvador, Central
Amcrica)
The subjoined general account of the earthquake,
with the accompanying documents, is translated from
an Extraordinary Bulletin" of the Government of
San Salvador, which has been removed to the city
of Cojutepoque:
From the "Boetin Extraordinario del Goberno del Sal
vador' of May p
RUIN OF THE CITY OF SAN SALVADOR.
j. Quis taIa fando
Temperet lacrimis.-[I I1pgd.
The night of the 10th of April 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 heap of ruins Movements of
the earth were felt the morning Of Holy Thursday,
preceded by sounds like the rolling of heavy arte-
~ over pavements, and like distant thunder. The
people were little alarmed in consequence of this
phenomenon, but it did not prevent them from meet
ing in the churches TO celebrate the solemnties of the
day On Saturday all was quiet, and confidence was
restored. The peopleof the neighborhood assembled
as usual, to celebrate the Passover. The night of
Saturday was tranquil, the whole Of Sunday
The heat 1t is true, considerable, but the atmos
phere was calm and serene. For first three hours
of the evening, nothing unusual occurred; but at
halt-past nine severe shock of earthquake, oc-
curing without the usual preliminary noises, alarm
ed the whole city. Many families left their houses
and made encampments in the public squares, while
others prepared to pass the night in their respective
couryards
W
ton of any kind, the earth began to heave and trem
BILE with such fearful force that in ten seconds the
entire city was proSrated. The crashing of houses
and churches stunned the of the terrified inhab
itants, while cloud Of dust from the falling ruins
envelOped them in pail of impenetrable darkness
Not drop of water could be got relieve the half
choked and sutfocaing, for the wells and fountains
were filled up or made ~. The clock tower of the
Cathedral carried great part of the edefce with it
in its fall The towers of the church of San Fran
cisco crushed the Episcopal Oratory and part Of the
palace The church of Santa Domingo was buried
beneath its towers, and the college of the Assump
ton was entirely ruined The new and beautiful
edltce of the University demolished The church
OF the Merced separated i'll the CENTRE and its walls
fell outward to the ground OF the private houses a
few were left standing, but all were rendered unn-
habitable. 1t is worthy of remark that the walls
left standing are old ones; all those of modern con
struction have fallen The public edifces, of the
governmc 1T and city shared the common destruc-
ton.
The devastation was effected, as we have said in
the first ten seconds for although the succeeding
shocks were tremendous and accompanied by fearful
rumblIngs beneath our feet they had comparatively
trllng results for the reason that the first had left
but little for their ravages.
Solemn and terrible was the picture presented on
that dark, funeral night of whole people cluster
ing In the plazas, and on their knees crying with loud
voices to Heaven for mercy, or in agonizng accents
calling for their children and friends which they be-
lleved TO be buried beneath the ruins heaven
Opaque and omlnous movement of the earth ra
pld and unequal, causing terror indescribable an
intense sulphurous Odor filling the atmosphere, and
indicating approaching eruption of the volcano
streets filled with ruins or overhung by threatening
walls; sufocatng cloud of dust almost rendering
respiration impossible. Such was the spectacle pre-
sented by the unhappy city on that memorable and
awful night!
A hundred boys were shut up in the college, MANY
nvalids crowded the hospitals and the barracks were
full Of soldiers. The sense of the catastrophe which
must have betallen them gave pognancy 10 the first
moments of reflection after the earthquake was over
1t was believed that at least fourth part of the in
habItants had been buried beneath the ruins The
members of the government, however, hastened to
ascertain as far practicable the extent of the ca
tastrophe, and TO quiet the public mind. Ii was
found that the loss of life had been much less than
was supposed and 1T now appears probable that the
! number of the killed will not exceed 100 and O.
wounded so. Among the latter is the Bishop, who
received a severe blow on the head the late Presi-
dent, Senior Duenas; daughter of the President.
and the wife of the Secretary of the Legislative
Chambers-the latter severely.
| Fortunately the earthquake has not been followed
by rams which gives an opportunity to disinier the
public archIeves, as also many Of the valuabes con
| tanned in the dwellings of the citizens
! The movements of the earth still continue with
| strong shocks, and the people, fearing a general
swallowing up of the site of the city, or that it NAV
be buried under some sudden eruption of the volcano
are Fastening away, taking with them their house
hold gods, the sweet memories of their infancy, and
Their domestic animals perhaps the only property left
for the support of their families
The population Of San Salvador was estimated in
1884, at $4,000. Including the little towns in its
envlrons and which were practically part of it.,
such as Soyopango, San Marcos Mexicanos, &C. its
inhabitants might have been estimated at sc, 900
North Carolina Coal FIelds-The North Eastern
RaIIsOad.
We have private information to the effect that the
prospect OF extensive coal fields in Anson county
North Carolina, is now full of promise than ev
er before. DIR. McLenahan Assistant State Geolo-
| glst has lately been pursuing his investigation in
the county, and though his success has not been re-
markable, he has discovered abundance of shale.
beds of fire clay, and other indications of coal lead
ing to the suppostion that the long-desre counter
out-crop 10 the coal beds of Chatham may be found
! IN Anson Since his departure from that region the
investigations have been prosecuted by Mr.. J. w.
Ledbetter who has discovered further signs consist
ing OF weli-dehned fossils, abundant shae, with the
cyprus and an extensive bed of fire CLAW We ex-
pect in few days box of the specimens taken
from the plantations of Mr.. Ledbetter and Mai S.
| w. Cole, which box we shall take great pleasure in
forwarding 10 Professor Holiness who doubtless will
make good use thereof
! The region of these promised coal fields is from
tWentysix 10 twenty eight miles north of Cheraw-
nearer to us by sixty to seventy miles than the Chat
ham coal fields. If their promise should be realized
ITS day will be bright one for the North Eastern
Railroad, and for the foundry and steamboat inter
eSts OF Charleston. To the former it will ensure
constant reghts, reasonable rates, and to enough
TO enable them to compete with iron workers and
machlnsts of any other city
Nor will Anson county be wanting as to her share
of the benefits What better future could she wish
for than the ability to feed the furnaces and home
f fires of Charleston! The region at her end of the
ngs OF thriving population and the delightful vii
lage of her Carolina Female College would