Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-09-17

Terrible Earthquake in South America.
The earthquake which occurred on the 18th
of August, in Peru and Ecuador, (whose name
is derived from its position under the equa-
tor,) seems to have been the most destructive
of human life which has ever occurred on this
continent. Twenty-Five thousand persons are
said to have persisted, and thirty thousand
made homeless. The accounts OF the destruc-
ton of life may be exaggerated, as first &C
counts usually are, but the calamity must
have been fearful one to give rise to such
statements. The Chincha Islands are said to
have been the scene of succession of horrors
first hurricane, then an earthquake, and
finally an immense tidal wave which rose to
the height of the highest part of the island.
In Tacna sixty-four distinct shocks were felt,
and continued up to the 10th. Letters from
Quito bring dates to the 10th, up to which
time the earthquakes continued at intervals
of few hours.
Lima, the capital of Peru, which appears
to have suffered but little damage on this oc-
casion, has experienced heretofore upwards OF
twelve tremendous earthquakes, which were
terribly destructive to life and property, in
one of which every house in the city was de-
stroyed, but in none were so many lives lost
as in this last fearful calamity. The original
town of Calloa, the port of Lima, six miles
distant, was demolished and submerged by
an earthquake in 1746. In the whole coast
district earthquakes are frequent. The coast
of Peru, it is estimated, has risen eghty-five
feet since it. was first inhabited. The record
ed phenomena of earthquakes exhibit so much
resemblance to those of volcanoes that it is
difficult to resist the conclusion that they are
produced by the same chemical process, act
ing at great depth beneath the surface o.
the earth. Ecuador, which has suffered sc
severely in common with Peru from the late
visitation, has twenty-five mountains which
rise above the limits of perpetual snow, ane
twenty five more above 10000 feet, OF which
a majority are volcanoes, some constantly &C
tive others occasionally so.
The accounts so far which have reached u
of the late earthquake give fearful picture
of the working of the terrific subterraneaI
forces which have swept off whole popuia
tons and laid large portions Of cities in ruins
. The sea and the yawning earth seem to hav
been contending for the prey of human life
What bombardment of artillery can be com
, pared to a shock which, in five minutes, DIES
troys a town like Arcquipa, built of tn
strongest granite and containing $4,000 in
habitants! How puny the most formidabl
motive power invented by man compared t
the enormous tidal wave which carries stou
ships. some of them war vessels, distance i
: shore, leaving them high and dry on tn
mainland! 1t is difficult for the human i'm
> agination to conceive such spectacle of ter
ror, horror and misery; sucl, an exhibition G
the utter impotence of man in presence of
! grand convulsion of nature, as is exhibited i
: the late scenes in Peru and Ecuador, of whole
sale destruction of thousands of human lives
and the panic, anguish and utter destitutio
of many of the survivors.-Bon. Sun.