The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1867-04-19

TerrlbIe Earthquake % MyIelene.

! Terrible Earthquake at Mytelene,
MYTELENE, March 6.--On Thurs
dsy, the 9th, the weather had been
close and unwbolesomeIy hot, bat as
this is generally the case with the
sonth wind, which bad been blowing
for some time, nothing was thought
of it, least of all was there any foar
of what followed. Though volcanic,
as is proved by the numerous hot
springs, the island has not during the
present generation been visited by
earthquake; it was now, however to
have terrible experience Of the pbe-
nomenon. About 6 p, m, a sharp
shock, lastirg some fifteen or eighteen
seconds, vibrated throughout the town,
and before the fact was we'll realized
was followed by o second, longer and
much more violent one. I happened
at tho moment to be down at the pier
of the Austrian Lloyd's agency, and
nearly half q minute before the shock
was felt on shore saw the sea heave
and foam out in the port as if sub.
Iparine explosion had taken place. Lit
tie time, however, was left for surprise,
In much less time than ] take TO writo
it the double thrill quivered through
the town, and reeling like drunken
men, whole blocks Of solid stone houses
collapsed as if they bad been csrd
houses The Offices of the agency and
nearly all the adjoining buildings, in
Guiding the custom house, the light
house Office and the large oil mill, thus
fell. Up in the town entire streets
similarly crumbled, burying their in
habitants BY hundreds in tie ruins
The fine old castle, the cathedral, the
Governors konak, the prison, the
mosques, and / believe, all the consul
lar residences, more or less yielded TO
the violence of the shock, and are for
the most part mere heaps Of ruins
The very solidity with which the town
was built has aggravated the disas.
trous effects of the calamity a hum
dred fold, as regards the loss of and
destruction Of property, The most
complete ruin has fallen upon the
lower part Of the town, where the
earth literally opened and swallowed.
a broad belt Of buildings right up from
the slope inland. AT this point q per,
manent subsidence Of the ground has
taken place, and the sea has accord
ingly oncroached far into what on
Thursday afternoon was one Of the
busiest parts Of Myt.lene In fact, to :
sum up the disaster, more than half Of
our beautiful town-the prettiest and
most lively, perhaps, Of all tho Be-
vant-is desert Of ruins. The worst
part of the calamity is of course, tho
less of life. As yet we can only guess
at the extent Ofthis but il ia thought
that from 800 to 1000 have persisted,
while as many moro have boemmaims
cd and wounded in every way. Up
till to-day 120 bodies have, / hear,
been dug out Of tho safer ruinsj but
how many moro may DO buried under
others which are too dangerous to DO
approached, cannot be surmised. Such
Of tie houses as are still standing have
all been abandoned, and tho whole
surviving population is now scattered
over the hillsides and among the gar
.dens outside tho towns few OF them
under such covering as they have
been able to improvise, and the rest
bivouaeking without shelter Of any
kind. Any attempt TO describe tho
scene would be useless. Heart rend-
ing grief, panic and confusion meet the
eye on every side. Already the want
Of provisions is aggravating the dis
tress, and only speedy supply from
Smyrna or the capital can avert great
additional loss Of life, One OF tho
Austrian Lloyd's steamers and
French gunboat from Smyrna have
landed quantity Of biscuits and some
other stores, but in all not perhaps
more than days food for the place.
II Is earnestly to be hoped that the
Porto will at once send down tents,
biscuits and whatever other stores can
DO quickest got together. Butnot the
town Of Mytelone alone has suffered
from this great calamityj il has scat
tered ruin and death throughout the
whole northern part Of the island
Hardly village has escaped, and
not merely property but life has been
destroyed in nearly the whole Mo-
live has been oil but entirely demollsh-
ed, and several hundred Of its 5000 or
1000 inhabitants have, ]. Is said, per
shed IN the ruins. IL 10 In fact no
cxnggOration TO say that half the
island has been laid waste, with .
sacrifice of human life that may be
reconed by thousands. No such dia-
aster has ever befalen Myteleno. lsa