Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-09-23
THE GREAT EA THOUAKE.
An Appalling Catastroplle-CIfI and
Towns swallowed up-I.osS of Life
nearly 5O.O0O-Ihousau d. Dying
OF IeSiiience and Starvation.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT BY AN EYE WITNESS

GRAPHIC ACCOUNT BY AN EYE WITNESS.
\ special dispatch to the Chicago
Tribune brings the following additional
reports IN regard to the appalling
earthquake III South America. which
seems to have embraced and era of
twelve hundred miles north and south.
and one hundred miles east and west,
on the main land, swept down nearly
a dozen towns and cities, and DESTROY
ed from thirty thousand to sixty thou
sand lives, together with property es-
I tImated at three hundred millions Of
dollars. \ wave forty feet in height
was also thrown from the Pacific
| Ocean upon the Peruvian coast. car
rying vessels a long distance inland
aud destroying life and property along
the coast for space Of two or three
hundred miles.
We give the principal part of the
dispatch as follows:
Lateradvices from Panama bring full
details Of the fearful calamity which
has overtakcn the republics of Peru
and Ecuador. Whole cities and towns
with, IN some cases, nearly all their
Inhabitants, have disappeared from the
lace OF the earth. The estimate of
the number Of lives lost, so far as
heard from-and from many mountain
towns there has yet beentno tidings-
Is 10000 to 10000, and the loss of
property IS set down at not less than
three hundred million dollars.
The agent Of the Pacific Steam
Navigation 20 writes IL the mana.
gers OF the company as follows:
Into other matters it is now useless
to enter, as | write under the sbad-
ow of great grief africa no longer
exists Ahout four o'clock in the
afternoon of the 18th we were visited
by tremendous earthquake. | had
hardly time TO get my wife and child
rem INTO the Street when the walls of
my house iell-ieli is hardly the word
a they were blown out as if they
Were spit at me at the same time
the earth opened, propably two or
three inches, and bclched out dust. ac.
companied by a terrible stencil. as Of
powder. The air was darkencd and
could not see my wife, who was with
IN two feet OF me with the children.
II this had lasted any time we must
have been sull'ocated but in about
TWO or three minutes 1T cleared, and
collecting my household goods togeth-
CT, / then started for Chiilo. How
We passed through the falling houses.
when We saw men struck down. some
dead ana others manned, is, to me, a
mystery but mercitul Providence
was over rs. We wended our sad
way, as well a. we could, to the hills.
with the earth smoking, making Us
stagger as drunken people, when a
great cry went up to heaven. The
sea had retired | hurried on. and had
barely got to the outskirts Of the
town, when | looked back and saw all
the vessels in the bay carried out ir-
resIstIb]c to sea. prorably with the
speed of ten miles and hour. In fif-
ttIiR minutes tine outward current
stopped ; then arose a mighty wave.
| should Judge about fifty feet high.
and came on with a rush. carving
everything before its fearful majesty.
The whole of the shipping came back
with it, sometimes turning in circles.
but all speeding to an inevitable doom.
Meanwhile the wave had passed in.
struck the mole into atoms, swallow
IN up my office as a giants mouthful,
and roaring on swallowed mp the Gus
tom house, and, rushing down the
same street. carried everything before
it in its irresistible course. The re
mains Of my dwelling house disap-
peafed fast.r than the change Of a
scene IN Christmas pantomine. Ny
launches had long since disappeared
and my ruin was complete. | stood
breathIess, looking at the awful sight.
but thanking God life had been spar
cd 10 ne and my loved ones.
But each second was lifetime
Looking seaward ! saw the ships still
hurrving on towards their doom. and