Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-08-28
The Earthauake at Manila.

The following from the Straits Times Overland
Mail is the fullest account yet received of the
terrible earthquake at Manila, on ono of the
Philippine Islands, Of which We have had brief
mention before:
'On the 3d of June, at half-past seven o'clock
in the evening, circumambient flame was seen
to ARISE from the earth and grid the city of
Manila, and at the same time n most terrific
quaklng Of the earth took place. Ii LASTED
scarcely minute, but in that short space near
the whole of fair Manila has been reduced to n
heap of ruins. We believe that upward of a
thousand have been killed and many thousands
wounded. but it is impossible to say or to esti-
mate. Scarcely an cdifce has escaped without
dead or wounded The good priests, their
chorister and sacristans, and the faithful who
were hearing the vespers Of Corpus Christi, have
been near'y all buried and suifocntcd under the
ruins of the cathedral and other churches. The
only church which has escaped wholly is San
Augustin, the same that withstood the tremendous
shock Of 1915, The palace and nearly all the
public aud private, as well us commercial edi-
hoes, have been either thrown down or shaken
from their foundations. Thank God not n
single foreigner has been killed, but two, We
lear, have been seriously hurt, though not
dangerously. The ltOdriguous property, left to
the British nation, and where the British Con-
sulate was, has been entirely destroyed aud is
ed nearly, for the ediice threaten to fall sudden
ly' and there may be repetition. Before the
earthquake took place sulphurOus odors were
perceived, rumbling like the FIRE of ordnance and
then like the approach Of an immense locomotive
and train. The flame that surrounded the city
was seen from the bny TO ascend toward the sky;
and another, triple snake one, came from the
land over the water to the shipping, and threw
them up Mt least two or three feet, while on the
shore tlg Garth Lus pyprv beta stn 1pnst ttg,
feet"
The Dinrio de Manila OF the 9th of June says:
--"lhis is the most aeVere earthquake eXperi-
enced in the Philippines since the year 1916
The cathedral, the royal chapel, ST. Domingo,
st, Isabel, San JuaH dc Dio4, the palace, several
schools, the military hospital, the badings were
raced to the ground. Many priests and people
were at vespcrs in the cathedral when the shock
came, some Of whom eseHped-thOsc being in the
back part of the tdilicc, the front only having
fallen, burying in its ruins many OF the worship
pers and killing eight priests. The Governor
was fortunately away from home when the palace
Tell, many of his family having with difficulty
extrcated themselves from the ruins The
shieks and wailings Of the people buried in the
ruins, and not rescued on the morning of the 1th,
are describe as something fearful"
The London Times of Saturday. Sth instant
says;
"The Manila mail has brought the news of the
almost total destruction of the city by earthquake
on the 3d June. There had moi been time be-
tNeen the calamity aud the departure OF the
steamer 10 collect full details, but il is known
that scarcely single building, public OF private
is left standing, and that the loss of life must
have been terrible, five hundred corpscs having
been dug out Of the ruins of the market
house alone. 1t happened at 7. NJ, and the
destruction of property is enormous"
private letter from Manila, received in los
ton, states that the only warehouses that escaped
being unroofed were those Of Russell Il Sulgis
and Ilolladqy Wise Co, the latter an English
firm. All the American merchants in Manila
and their families escaped.