The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-05-10
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN SOUTH AMER

lCA-FRlGHrFUL SCENES.
- 81 announcement OF the great earthquake
IN south America, on March 90 has already an
peared. The following statement is from a mail
riIer named Bruno, who was an eyewitness.
Bruno stated that he arrived at Mendoza on the
morning o' the zoth; that at hat-past 8 p. NJ, a
oriet Dut excessively violent shock of earthouoke
lasting but SIX or eight seconds, DESTROYED rvnry
building, pubic and private, in the city and tbst
the number who were enabled to ESCAPE was varr
limited. The streets being narrow, the buidinGs
high, and the inhabitants totally unused to such
phenomena, were parayznd with terror, and neg
lectcd to seek refuge in the open courts # their
dwell ingS until TOO late. The Postmaster was
buried beneath the ruins of the Post Office, the
Governor was missing; and wien asked why he
brought certificate that the mails were lost, the
messenger replied, "there none left to write it
nor materials to write with"
The aspect presented by the city after the first
shock was terrific. ll0arSe subterranean thunders
deaened the air, animals of all kinds rushed fran
tcaiIy through the open spaces bowling, the earth
opened and vOmited forth floods of water WHILE
to crown the sc ne OF horror, flames burst from the
RUNS and consumed neal the entire business por-
ton OF the city, with its dead, its dying and its
wounded.
On the 2Sth n number of letters were received
here and at Santiago by relatives and friends of
Chl'lanS residing in Mendoza, but the hope, until
then entertained, that the earlier accounts were
exaggerated, soon gave way to the dreadful GER
tainty that the calamity had not vet been painted
in colorS sufficiently vivid. The earth still con
t'nued to trembe, the few walls that had resisted
the ii st shock one BY one ttll, until now no YES
t1ge OF building remains The mountain roads
are IN most dangerous condition, not only ac-
count of the huge masses of rock that have al
ready fallen aud obstructed the road, but because
the vibration of the earth is still hurng them
down from the heights above into the valleys.
The Ja"chos. or natives of the surrounding
country, fastened to the spot not to assist the
needy, or aid in rescuing the wounded from a
lingering death, but to seek for plunder among the
smoking ruins, and snatch the little saved from
the wTetched survivors One gentleman. writing
from thence, after describing these horrors saws:
81 believe that in "A few days we shall have no
other law here than that of the pOgnard."
The prison was destroyed; out of one hundred
inmates ninety-two perished. The remaining eight
who were already hardened Williams, formed them
selves into band of iree-boOters and had gone it
was supposed, tG the mountain passes to intercept
and rob the parties sent from Chill for the relief Of
the sufferers. One woman was found robbed and
murdered by the roadside. She was recognized as
one who was her way to Mendoza to see her
iamliy. They, too, had all perished on the 20th.
In the Jesuit Church there was preaching that
night. The services had Just concluded and the
congregation was about dispensing, when the shock
came The few who had reached the plaza were
saved bat the walls and roof of the building fell
inward with crash, and priest and penitent to-
gether were hurried into eternity.
The latest advces from Mendoza represent the
suffering to be extreme, there being neither food,
clothing nor shelter for the survivors, everything
being buried beneath the ruins. They also state
that San Juan and San Luis, two other pnpulous
cities OF the Confederation, have shared like fate
the san Juan river having after the shock, left its
bed and swept over the town, utterly DESTROYING
what the earthquake had spared. This news not
having been fully confirmed, do not, however
vouch for its correctness.
As soon as this disastrous news was rendered be-
yord question, the Government and private ipd-
viduals Wed with one another in energetic efforts
to send immediate relief to their suffering breth-