New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-24


fou tfer seats by to- snYcs. Ny j"y al hDdins
them sale Wa. such az 10 language cOald express,
"Alyp.xt ar1i.ty Was for the yOapg person Sbo
vss living Ai-h We Not tesIDg her, coacialei
ale mus, be- d-sj; bur ifterTard found Der ah'e
= snhurt. Thu, by Divine goodness and mercy
our whole Household suffered to escape ron
ole Of The most AWFUL visialons OF tod thit has
ever bsea recorded on The pase OF history.
Having itus got my family together, We hsst-
eDed over the rulBs-fvr there were no longer soy
street.; no. BOT eseD street that was DOT nl'ed
I'D viii tle ruins of The houses ton BON sides
10 the sea shore, Where, unexPectedly and IaYI1ly
approaching, = new danger threatened Us; fcr ine
ocean sgitated by toe earthquake WAS rushing
wildly toward TIE site OF the fallen city, and ap-
pDsIed likely TO overu helm ne. Bat our Heavenly
Father saved us from this. As soon - 10 VAS pos
,ibe. 60. into one e the boats in the harbor land,
with many moie Went of 10 a German brig.
ITO give you any Thug hse an adequate idea Of
this awful calamity would be utterly Impossible.
Picture to yourself the sBdjenne.s If the vista
non. literally Ike thief in tie night tie grosns
of the ewing the cries If tho,e " no We're lDp0rDg
helm from under tbe rulIs-uithOnt any possibility
Of being rescued-the continuance Of the shocks,
ihr ru,b IF the t,WsTd the ruined 10 Win 6ne,
Thick of ole Of tie hDe-t ADD most stfoogy-bmit
ciiies 10 The Wet Indies, VIII population OF
a. oui 1900, Cast down in moment by nnipo-
tenc-, and fFo.'hirds Of the population buried IN
some fsIt idea of scene which itwrGgs ny heift
Nth snculsh 70 think of
''In the bght which succet ded the earthquake
The fallen tmbers among che ruins caught hre,
caused 10 douot by the fres OF the different buried
kitchens, which must nave been al awful addition
to the aeopes OF tbOse whose death Uas not H.
st6n'sDeOUs,
- BIZ. s. though tbi, guilty people had not TILED
up &c cup of thei- iDiquties this awful judgment
% Gid had no sooner taken place than the work Of
plurder commenced by the people who soon came
in from tse int,r,o so that each one who sought
BIS own among the ruins considered II necessary to
srm himsef with pistol and sword; aud thus every
mans hand seemed t. BE- turned against his fellow.
This can The more easily DC Imagined As taking
place hen il is considered thst many OF the au
thori'ies bad 'al en- victims, and that consequently
all rule and oroer were necessarily suspended. The
towns snd yiilsses III the nrletb.rhOOd of the Cape
La Petite Anse, Quarter NORM Laceil, &c.-
were all Frustrated by the earthquake"
Mrs Bird gave yi.id description of the earth
qUske more graphic even, than the sketch oy her
husband In climbing over toe runs they often
saw The m.ngled cOTpses Of the victims; others
oil We aid uninjured but half buried 10 the mass,
aid unable 10 set help or to move; desks, pens,
money and op-u account books lying 10 the rubbish
untouched aud exposed but the clerks who 50
stely uf.d tbem-s dead; aud al night, from ship
board what &c, 10 was pTesented-ths ruined
city on hre AID hundreds Of poor wretcbes there,
Dot dead, bat held i,st by the fallen stones and
fnnbers sh- king spd praying for aid, but in vain,
as they saw lie tre slowly approaching 10 consume
them
At Port.su-Pruce this shock was powerfully felt,
but no building fell aid DO Injury was sustained.
SCENES AT PORT.AUPLATTE.
Mr.. Bird also showed NE letter from the Rev.
William Fowler, dated Port-au Platte, May II,
lS42 which describes the effects of The earth
quale at that distant point from the Cape:
"Cn Saturday, May =" says the writer, about
FIVE o'cock IN the afternoon, We had three violent
shocks Of an earthquake, the last two of which
were tie most powerful. The surrounding noun
taiDs aud tees reeled to and fro Like drunken
pan. the earth tIembled at the presence of the
'LoJd-at the presence of the God of Jacob
Even while thinking and writing of it, it makes
me dizzy. The mission house rolled so much as TO
throw over the ch,rs and the water jars; the
books and bottles of medicine in my study were
cast from the shelves 10 the floor; and most Of the
houses ID the city we're affected IN the same man
Der. a range of stone and brick bulldogs, con-
si.tDg Of dwelling houses and stores, We're In
mon ent laid IN ruDs, but the greater part OF the
buildings and al Of our lives have been nerciiully
spared II has not been thus with some Ut the neigh
b. ring cities. Santiago, 60 miles in the Interior
i. in rulns many We're killed. az the time, and
nauy are now suffering from want OF the Lecessa-
rles OF life.
"At Port-su. Platte we had another shock, but
not so violent, Saturday night, and again very
early on Sunday morning. Dunng divine service
We had another, which caused the chapel 70 rock
and the tlp bers 10 creak. We have also had sew
eral slight since
The iDh ibitants of the place were thro En into
the greatest alarm and cOniusion; they ran from
their houses aud fell upon their knees; and even
those who call themselves lntdrls were compelled
to acknowledge God, and prayed 10 him 10 have
tl.b. A.
RrrGIoTs EFFECTS or Participates
RELIGIOUS EFFECTS or EARTHQUAKES.
"The Spanish priest had all his people out 10
a short time who walked In procession through
the town. headed BY wooden figure of 81.
Philip, dressed as Bishop, borne on the
shoulders of men, before which were csndes
burning and incense waving. Many OF the
American part of the population came 10 our
chapel and spent some time III prayer On Sunday
morning our place OF worship was filled before the
usual hour There was a soiemnity Of expression
upoD every countenaDce; all seemed to feel that
God had spoken TO them. At the close of the
service many cried aloud TO God to have mercy on
their souls they felt unpr,pared to die, aud great
WIS their lamentatlOn. la the afternoon the chapel
was croWded and agaln IN the evening at the
French service. Nearly all the stores were closed
ON tie Sunday, and also ON the last Sunday-untu
now this has been the greatest day OF commerce.
The nat yes regard the earthquake as Visitation
from God for their sins, and seem 10 De- reminded
and impressed particularly about their Sabbath
breaking. Most of the females have hablted them
selves in dresses Of brown linen as token OF re-
pentance"
Pity they couldn't have chronic terrifying
earthquake 90 that these benign Influences might
he NJ rmanent for good. JAMES REDPATH.
HarII.-By the arrival at this port Of the brig
=.