The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-09-17
The Great Earthquake.

One OF the most terrible calamities by
earthquake, which has occurred in mod
ern times, and perhaps in the worlds his
tory took place on the coast of Peru, in
South America, on the 18th Of Aug, ult.
The details of this awful event would fill
columns Of newspaper-ev volumes
Of books. We give below few extracts
from the statement of the agent of the
Panama Steam Navigation Company =
Whole cities and towns, with, IN some
cases, nearly all their inhabitonts, have
disappeared from the face of the earth
The estimate of the number of lives lost,
so far as heard from, and from many
mountain towns there has yet been no It'd
ings, is 10000 to 10000, and the loss of
property is set down at not less than 800,
100000.
A rumbling sound preceded the earth.
quake, and the sea was terribly agitated,
and flooded the land for great distance.
Arequipa, city of $4,000 inhabitants,
passed away with scarcely vistage left
Only 400 lives were lost here. africa,
town of $4,000 inhabitants, was also de-
stroyed, leaving not house standing.
I've HunuTeu peTlSHcu mere.
The tidal wave, forty feet high, rolled
with terrific roar, carrying ships further
on the land than ever before known AT
about four O'Clock in the afternoon of
the 18th, we were visited with ire
mendous earthquake. [ had barely time
to get my wife and children into the
street when the whole of the walls Of my
house fell fell is hardly the word, as
they were blown out as if they were spit
at me; at the same time the earth opened
probably two or three inches and belched
out dust, accompanied with a terrible
stencil, as of powder. The air was dark
ened, and / could not see my wife, who
was within two feet of me with the chill
dren. If this had lasted any time we
must have been suffocated; but in about
two or three minutes it cleared, and col
lecting my household goods together,
then started for the Chillo How we
passed through the falling houses when
we saw men struck down, some dead and
others MANNED is, to me, mystery; but a
merciful Providence was over us. We
wendell our sad way, as we'll as we could
toward the hills, with the earth smoking,
making us stagger as drunken people,
when great cry went up to heaven: The
sea has retired, | hurried on, and l had
barely got to the outskirts of the town,
when l looked back and saw all the YES
sells In the bay carried out irresistibly to
sea, probably with a speed of ten miles
an hour. In fifteen minutes the outward
current stopped then arose a mighty
wave, should judge about fifty feet high
and came on with fearful rush carving
everything before its fearful majesty
The whole of the shipping came back
l with it, sometimes turning in circles, but
all speeding on to an inevitable doom
Meanwhile the wave had passed in, struck
tie mole into atoms, swallowed up my
: office as giants mouthful, and roaring
on, swallowed up the custom house, and
; rushing down the same street, carried ev
erything before it in its irresistible
. course. I stood bfeathless looking at thu
5 awful sight, but thanking God life hat
a been spared to me and my loved ones
But each second was a life time. Look
ing seaward l saw the ships still hurryins
on to their doom, and in ewminutes al
were completed
On what has happened since it is need
> less to dwell. For nearly two days W
lay on the hills, without covering, an,
without food; in a constant state @
alarm, as the shocks of earthquake wer
incessant
= The accounts of the destruction of
|, great number of towns on the coast al
!, Of a similar character of the foregoing
One account says that the earthquake en-
braced an area of twelve hundred mile
If north and south on the coast and on
hundred miles east and west. If this /
n correct, the extent of territory peryade
l. by the earthquake, is unparalleled in pa
ages.