The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1861-05-16
TERS1Atsss& NEWS FROM
SOUTH AMERICA.
Total Destruction by Earthquake OF tho
CITY of Mcudo1a, IN the Argentine Re.
public - Nearly $4,000 Lives Lost
FrghttuI Scenes. &c., &c.
fCorr.snondenca nf thp N V ucr.il

VALPARAISO April 3.
With feelings of deep regret have to
announce to you the utter destruction OF
the city of Mendoza in the Argentine Re.
public, by an earthquake, on the evening
of the 20th Of March last. At that date,
a: half past eight p. NJ, a slight. but pro-
longed vibration of the earth was felt in
this city and in Santiago simultaneously.
Most of the churches were dense'y filled,
ii being near the close Of Lent, and some
alarm and confusion was ere ated, but no
serious accidents Occurred and tranquility
was soon restored.
On Sunday, the s4h, lowever, gem
eral gloom was cast over this city by the
announcement 10y eIf graph from the cap
i al that Beningo B,uho, tn mail rider,
had arrived on Mendoza that morning
without mail, bringing the distressing
news that there I, ma ned but heap Of
ruins to point the SPOT whore, p few days
before, had o ID thriving and populous
city of 5 600 souls.
Bruno stated that he arrived at Mendo-
IL on the morning Of the 90 h that at
half past eight NJ, a brief but excess
lively violent shock of earthquake, lasting
but SIX or eight seconds, destroyed every
building, public a. d private, in the city,
and that the number wlo were enabled to
escape was very limited. The streets be-
ing narrow, the buildings hg1, and the in
labitants totally unus d t. such phenom-
ena were paralyzed With ter GRAND neg
lected to Sc, k refuge in the open courts Of
tEeir dwelling until too late. The post
master was buried beneath the Iuns of
he post office the Governor was miss
ing and when ked WI Y he brou hit no
certificate that he mails " ere lost the mes
seogcr replied, "There was no one !, fl 10
write nor materials 10 write wi h"
The aspect presented by the city after
he first shock was terrific Hoarse sub
terranean thunder de afened the air, ami
mails of all kinds ,u> he'd frantcally thro'
t open spaces howlng, the earth OPEN
ed and vomited for h floods of water, while
to crown the scene of horror, fla nes burst
from the ruins and consumed nearly the
"ntire business portion of the city, with its
| dc ad, lis dying and its wounded.
On the 28th number of letters were
receive here and at Santiago by relatives
and friends of Cli!eans residing in Men
doza ; but the hope, until Il en- enterain-
ed, that the earlier accounts were exag-
gelated, soon gave way to the dreadful
certainty tha' the calamity had not yet
been painted in colors sufficiently vivid
The earth still con'nutd 10 tremble. the
few walls hat al resisted the first sho k
one y one fel !, until now no vos gn of a
building remains. The mountain roads
ar, in most dangerous conc iii, n not on
y on account Of the uge masses o. rock
that hav. already fl en- and obstructed
the road, but because the vibration of III,
e nth is i'll hurting them down from he
nights ab We into the valleys.
The gouchoS, or natives Of he surround
lag coun ry, hasttned to the spot, not to
ist the needy ol aid in rescuirg the
wound,d d from a linguirg death, bus to
seek for pluader an ong the smoking Iu-
ins, and to snatch the lilte saved from lie
wrttcht d survivors. One gentleman writ
ing from thence, after describing these
/ onors, says: 81 believe that in a few
days we shall have no Other law here than
hat of the poignard."
The prison was destroyed cut Of one
hundred inmates Iinety-two perished -
The r, naming eight, who were air, ady
hard, ned Vi ains, formed themselves in
t. band of free hooters, and ad gone,
i was suppo ed, to the mountain pas ses
to inlerct pit 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 recogniz, d as
one who vas on her way 10 Mendoza &c
see her family. They too had all perish
ed on the 20.h.
In the Jesuit church there was preach.
ing that night. The services had just
concluded and the congregation was abou
! dispensing when the shock came. The
| few who lad reached the piazza were
saved, Tut the walls and re of Of The build
ing fell inward with crash, and prizes
and peuiltnt together were hurled into
eteInuy.
The latest advices from Mendoza rep
resent he suffering TO be extreme there
being neither food, clothing nor shelter
for The survivors, everything being buriet
beneath the ruins. They also state tba
San Juan and San Luis, two other popu
lous cities of the confederation, 4, have shar
ed like fate, the San Juan river having
a'ter the shock, left its bed, and swep
over the town, utterly destroying wha
the earthquake had spared. This new
not having been fully confirmed, do no
vouch for its correctness.
AS soon as this disastrous news wa
rendered beyond question, the Govern
ment and private individuals Wed will
one another in energetic forts 10 send i'm
mediate relief to their suffering brethren
Without waiting for the completion of th
work, on the 3olh party of physician
and others left for the scene OF The dsas
ter, BEARING medicines, food and clothing
and accompanied by small! body @
troops.
The gloom and terror spread through
out the republic of Chile by this awful ca
lamity, may be imagined Situated up
on an eminently volcanic region. we hav
constant evidence of the insecurity of GU
tenure of existence. Separated but by
chain of mountains from the destruo ion
and taught by sad experience the fright
ful and irresistible force of the unherald
ed earth-storm, we retire each night wit
a feeling of terrible insecurity. Thj
coast has been frequently visited. in pai
years. by earthquakes. Chillan has bee
destroyed conception once, while Valps
raiso, Santiago and Coniana have sufel
! Cd