The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-07-22
que aailt J aollraal.
AXE In Mexico.

A - thqu -----
e0rrespondent axe i'm Mexico.
{. : letter dated, of the New York Herald
gives the follow; City of Mexico, June 3Oth,
turing the cart, ngaccount of his experience
q I had mailer nquake there:
minute | my last letter to you but
49, a 70 my S before, and was on my way
80 Sne lotel, when suddenly the earth
,- me ath my feet; / was precpitated
70 wall of ahouse; the houses COM
ttiss IN 80 crack and roll about like empty
led WI water; the streets were rapidly
me IN young and old-some in full dress
light IN no dress-all making the most
es, tul ado: some laying fiat on their bel
he out most on their knees, calling on all
To saints in the Mexican calendar to save
: EN-, their wives or husbands their chill
iren, &c; horses, dogs, and even the mules
and the stupid asses in the streets stood stock
still, quivering in every part. A second or
more gave me an idea of what was transpi-
ring, and recollecting the exclamation of
cargddor a few seconds before, that there
was an earthquake | recovered myself as |
was going headlong in the street on the re-
bound, and betaking myself to doorway
took out my watch and commenced making
notes of time and events.
As laid hold of one side of the door
which was the San Francisco, near the cor
ner ofthe Vergarn-the houses in the street
appeared to me to be rocked about as if they
were made Of cork, and at the time were
floating on a stormy water. Windows
cracked; patio lamps were hurled through
portals into the street, altogether there APP
peared to me to be but little chance of get
ting through the trouble with whole body
and bones, so / made my way as best
could over the heaving pavement to the cor
ner of the street-moved thither by the gen.
eral instinct exhibited by all livingcreaturcs.
A crowd of leperos, donkeys, horses some
ladies and few gentlemen, soon formed
my companions When / arrived at the
corner was the only person standing-all
the rest were on their knees or bellies; but
a few seconds brought several who also
keptsan upright position-niost of them for
brayado. At the corner / could see the Ma
tional Theatre, the Hotel Iturbide, the Pro-
greso, the Academy at the corner, and sew
eral other large buildings. They were all
heaving to and fro in the most alarming
manner. For my own part 1 could not
conceive how they were able to resist one of
the shocks, so violent were they and so
heaving. But, fortunately, no house in the
range of my vision came down. The shocks
lasted for nearly three minutes although all
two minutes
The first shock was light and unperceved
by me, although noticed by eargador whom
was passing at the moment who was seat
ed on corner stone. i had time to cross
the street after the first shock, and had gone
some twenty feet when the statement of the
cdTgddosr turned out true. After the heavy
shocks there were several lighter ones, which
were very annoying to foot passengers
The earth was contracting into its place,
aud gave several disagreeable twinges and
jerks. ~ 49,
The shock came from the south-southeast,
and was followed by three from the same
direction, WI Sn the motion suddenly turned
to the east and west and gave us four heavy
surgSs, which was followed by others of les
strength.
The whole affair created the most intense
= excitement throughout this city, which adj
mitted no abatement for three or four days
The previous gossip which had existed re-
garding the forced loans, banishments, &c.
suddenly was hushed and all were absorb
ed in learning the truth of the calamity
which had passed. For the first night ant
day the populace focked to the squares
and principal openings in the city. Thu
first night the Alameda and Grand Plaz:
were filed with thousands of people whC
kept watch, for sleep they could not ON nc
count of drizzling rain. Ageneral impress
sion prevailed that there would be q repeti
ton within thirty-four hours after the Wis
itation. Fortunately this did not come.
The circuit Of this earthquake is not We
exactly known, but already it is known t
have extended over an area of six hundre,
miles. 1t is also impossible, as yet, to as
certain where the shocks came from. Som
incline to the belief that they originated il
the volcano of Jorullo in Michoacan, on nc
count of the almost entire humiliation O
the town of Patzcuaro; others think th
shocks were caused by some internal move
ment on the Pacific coast near Acapulco
the village of Chilpaneingo has suffere'
severely, sixty houses having been thrown
down.