The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-04-21
AEearful Earsha Nuke.

We have already had partial accounts ofa
terrible earthquake at Broussa, in Asiatic
Turkey. A Constan.inopls letter. dated
March 9Th, says:
The nc cunts from Broussa arc terrible
Such u long.contnued conyusioh Of nature
has hardly been heard OF in the history Of
the world The earthquake had lasted five
days, and shocks were Of constant occur.
renee when the last news left. The great
shock of the 2sth Of February destroyed q
part Of the town, and killed or msimed
nearly three hundred Of the inhabitants.
Although the shocks were only felt at Con.
stantinople during two days, they lasted at
Broussa for four succeeding days, not with
out causing serious damage to the already
shaken houses. The commencement Of the
convulsiOn was preceded by torrents ofruin,
which lasted more than twenty four hours,
accompanied by high wind and occssional
thunder. Ats o'clock the sky became SUI
denly overcast, strong smell Of sulphur
was perceived, and the shock took place,
which, in less than = minute. ovcrthrew
mosques, houses, and ba7aars 10 one vast
ruin,
Nearly eighty mosques have be.n so much
injured that their spcedyfAll is expected, while
not one in the who'e city has escaped some
damage. The khans, or large buildings
which rcrved either as inns or places for
tranSactIng business, are mostly injured,
and i've Of them were completely destroyed,
crushing scores Of Their unfortunate inmates
The bazaars, with their heavy arches, are
fat on the ground The ancient mosque Of
Davoul,On.M Monastir, a Greek ecclesiastical
eli!icc, said to be one thousand two Hundred
years old, is nnhappily destroyed.
Another mosque, the Oulon DIAM, fine
building six hundred years old, is also u
ma.s OF ruins. II was the chief ornament
Of the city, and the most splendid religious
cdilicc Of thc days when Brous'a was the
capital Of the young and growing Ottoman
empire. Matcrialists may however, still
more regret the great destruction which has
fallen on the silk factories, Of which scarcely
one has escaped without damage, while the
number of women who have lost their lives
by the tall has been very large.
Large masses Of rocks were detached
from their beds, an came crashing down the
sides OF Olympus into the neighborhoo1 Of
the town. In one place several houses were
crushed by one Of these avalanch;s. The
old wall and fort were shaken to the ground,
and in their fall buried ten or twelve houses
and the factory Of lIadjt Anastas, a rcspec.
table Greek Manufacturer, who also lost his
lie, As the shocks continued during he
night the wlo e population at once quilted
the town, and arc now cncamped in the
ncighhorAood--th wcli.off in tents, the poor
under the open heaven, preferrng to hear
the chill nights Of March than to live in
hourly dread Of destruction within the cir.
cult Of their ill.fa,ed city. The shocks which
have since taken place have thrown down
many buildings which were previously in.
jared, but there is no reason to believe tha,
any fresh edice have been destroyed. A
shosk on the 2i Of March was very severe,
and when the post left on the night of the
ith there had been another of considerable
violence. twas anticipated the ravagcs OF
the earthquake have not extended over any
very great tract Ut country. -