The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-10-07
The Great Peruvian Earthquake.
AUTHENTIC DESCRIPTION BY AN EYEWITNESS
Written by Midshpman Of the Waterse to his Parents
in St Louis

Written by Midshipman of the Waterse to his Parent
in St Louis.
UNITED STATES STEAMER WArEREE,
STAsDED NEAR AFRICA, August "a, 1868.
Dear Parents-How to describe the terrible chang
which occurred here in a few moments on the 18th c
this month"; is task too difficult for me to accomplish
yet knowing how anxious you must be, have take
the earliest opportunity of dntng down some OF tn
events. About O'Clock on the 18th, we experienced
shock of an earthquake, accompanied by low rum
bling noise The shock at first very gentle, a
barely make the ship tremple bnt gradually increased
so that we were in violent commoton. Upol
rushing deck, we saw great masses Of the Morro
Ia white cliff which protects the town from the south
west winds which generally blow here then the house,
began to shake and trembe, the people to fee towards
the hills and the plaza to escape being buried among
the ruins Of the houses The shock lasted about ter
minutes and destroyed about onehalf the town. The
then slightly reeeded, but in few minutes agalr
rushed in with immense velocity its being along
the beach It carried everything before it, and being
accompanied with another shock more violent than the
first every house in africa but two either washed
away by the shaken to the ground by the shock
great many OF the people had crowded in front O!
the custom house and the Mole and some sixty OF
them supposed to have been carried away b. the
current which totally submerged the Mole, for, upon
the recedng, neither they nor the least sign OF the
MCle were to be seen
Immediately after the second shock, man crying
for help was seen upon mass OF earth and weeds,
which was running with great sEttnesG Immediately
after the first shock, al the boats were lowered, and
Of them, the first cutter, manned. Upon hear
ing the cries OF the man OIL the float Mr. Suyorsant
asked for officer to 20 in the first CUTTER SO vol
untcered and as soon as the boat could be hauled
alongside or rather under her stern let myself down
into her, cast of, and letting 60 the painter, pulled in
the direction from which the voice heard, but by
this time he was far beyond the reach of our aid and
the recedinS again with great violence we barely
escaped being carried to Fortunately we brought
up close alongside of the Wateree again, and rope
thrown to made fast to our bows. The scene
was fearful the town of Moro enveloped in smoke
and dust for the houses falling down. had started three
four fires in different portions of the town. The
swiftness of the current had carried about mile
the north and east of our anchorage. 4 brig in shore
of US went on the rocks, and bark, with American
colors, was on her beam ends The always came
in from the north and east during part of the time
strong breeze blew from the south and west also The
Fredona and the Peruvian corvette America until then
had still held their ground. An English bark, the
Chparcillo, was being dragged in the direction
we're.
The sky overcast, so that at it was perfectly
dark. The ship had now two anchors down with about
100 tathoms geo teet to each chan. The chain OF
the Chuarco rushed out with such speed as to strike
great flashes of fire in passing through her hawse pes;
the in in immense waves that in the cutter,
FOR still hanging to the stern of the Wateree by
the rope that had been thrown The spray wet US
completely and rocked SO violently as to endanger the
equilibrium of the boat. Violent shocks felt
every few minutes, keeping everything in commotion.
The sea covered with the debris of the wreck
houses, railroads and tracks, boats men, dogs
trees logs etc, rapidly carried past US, first
way and then the other. The boats made fast to the
ship had great difficulty in keeping clear of the drift
wood. About half-past P NJ, the rope which held
my boat the ship broke casting drift for few
seconds was in great uncertainty whether to go to
sea, make fo- the Fredouia OR for the America The
waves and currents decided for the America, that
with all our mig hit and main pulled for her. rem
dered willing hands to the stroke in order
make that all hands kept stroke for if any
had laled would immediately have been drowned.
never pulled SO hard il all my life and although it
could not have been more than two three minutes
before under the stern Of the America | had
but little breath left to 60 through the rest Of my
adventures.
The Peruyiana cast US C. small line, which, with our
pulling kept pretty close under her stern The
Helen Of little use, the now in such a
erneut that it impossible to tell from where the
c;.prvlt did not The Peruvians then threw Us
another lire, which made fast and then seeing it
impossible for the boat to live in such sea- or
dered the to climb up, which they did rapidly
as possible We had good deal Of slack rope, and
the would sometimes bring close under the
Americas counter and then would tauten the line
to its full extent AS we always came alongside with
q thulnp, sprung some Of the paaks. The
boat half full of water, the line taut, and there
Was still three men in the boa. beside myself: For
Gods sake, give way crod, and with four
we pulled with all our might. The Peruyians had
other live out for us shicl two OF the grabbed |
leaving the co1swain and mysclf in the boat, which
brought up against the Americas side with such vio |
)encc as to ill the boat Immediately. The co.swan
and bad barely time to catch the rope holding the
boat, ere it parted beneath feet, leaving
pended between wind and water, the coxswlin above |
about eight feet; owing the want Of presence of
mind the part Of the l'eE-visns the rope not .
hauled up rapidly steadily IS it ought to have
been, that We were three times lowered into the
water, which was rushing past us at the rate of eight
Or ten knots per hour.
| managed to get OF my feet around the rope
and held very securely although had fears that
he rope might chste deck when would inevitably |
have been drowned. They finally haulded Us halfway
up, let down another lire, an6 some of my catch
ing hold VIC were soon safely landed on deck. We |
had hardly touched dccL heard dull sound felt
the vessel shake and knew sgyound--alI this
while the vessel was rolling earfuy, the of the
America were crazy with liquor and clanoring for
more, III fact both vessel and unnanageable
The captain had been drowned few moments before
came board, and tie first lieutenant could not
make bis voice beard above the G! the and
the crying OF his crew, unit. he finally gave it up in
despair and wePt. Having recovered my breath de-
scepded ro the poop to the spardeck the sarboard
fright had sde,) but wave sweeping the ship, took
c.e first against the ship bulwarks barely ping
port then against the cabin bulk head with such vo-
ence that l could hardly stand for some time after.
One of the guns being nearly adrift my boats
secured it, and then with repaired to the poop and
kept well together in the mzzen rigging.
She thumped with such violence and was so often |
swept by the waves that told my 60 aloft and
lash themselves in the top The ship was very much
canted to port all crowded together to starboard.
She righted, however, and being steady for few min
ltes, noticed that her rigging was wire, and so strong
that it would be to hold SO concluded we had
better go below again. As we reached the
Heck the chief engineer to me, begging to go
with some of my men into the fre-room, there +
,ne of the engineers ointed between the boilers and
hat the fires were scattered everywhere around the
ire-roon. Much as | would liked to have done so, it
vas too dangerous and foolardy for any one have
,oc below such errand, that had to refuse.
Ill this while the ship drifting in toward shore,
humping and humping along the bottom; light was
stii burning in the wardroom, and fearing explosion,
he chief engineer asked me to 60 down by rope and
3ut it out.
although did not like the job especially as there
we're quite number of Peruvian officers and men
around me, stil for my safety, went down, but
could reach the lamp they did not give me rope
snought and the sea breaking in at that moment
ingushed it. Our lives were not worth farthng ct
his time The cries Of the crew were dreadful. The
lights of the Wateree in sight, and the yes with
which she hailed hy the drunken crew of the Amer