Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-09-22
FEARFUL CALAMITY.

Terrible Earthquake in South America
Loss Of 80, 600 Lives $500, 100000 of
Property Destroyed Whole Cities Swept
Away-U. S. Storeship Fredonia Lost,
and all on Board Destroyed-U S. Ship
Wateree High and Dry on Shore-Un-
paralleled Destruction Of Life and Pro-
perty
The Guiding Star, at New York, from As
pinwall brings the following: On the 18th ult.,
terrible earthquake visited the cities along the
coast Of Peru and Ecuador, whereby thirty two
thousand lives were lost and property valued at
three hundred millions Of dollars Destroyed
| Rambling sounds preceded the earthquake; the
sea was terribly agitated and flooded the land
for great distance Arequipa, a city of thirty
| five thousand inhabitants was washed away,
and scarcely vestige remains. Only four hun
| dred lives were lost here africa, town of
twelve thousand inhabitants, was also destroyed,
leaving not a house standing. Five hundred
| persisted here. The tidal wave which was forty
| feet high, rolled with terrific roar on shore,
| carrying ships further on land than ever before
known The United States storeship Fredona
capsized; all on board lost. The Fredonia had
one million eight hundred thousand dollars
worth of naval stores. The vessel was rolled
over and smashed to atoms The Z. S. steamer
Wateree was carried half mile inland, and
| left high and dry. Only one sailor Was drowned.
| Owing to the great distance she was carried she
never can get afoat again. The Peruvian
corvette America was also carried ashore Thirty
| three drowned from her. The American mer-
chairman Rosa Rivera, the English ship
| Chancellor, and the French bark Eduardo were
also lost. The towns Of lquque, Moquega,
| Locumbia, and Psaqua were entirely destroyed.
Over six hundred persisted at Iquique The
| American merchants lost heavily-nearly all
and are totally ruined The towns of Ibarra,
San Pablo, Atuntaqui, ane Imantad are in ruins
| Where Coatacheachi formerly stoodi is now lake.
The population OF the above named towns were
| almost entirely swept away. Pancho, Puellaro
and Cachiquanjo were also destroyed The dead
| are SO numerous that the surviving inhabitants
have been forced to fly from the stencil of their
purifying bodies.
| HAVANA, Sept, l2.-Advces received here
announce that Peru and Ecuador were visited
| by a most terrible earthquake The shocks
occurred on the 10th of August, and lasted only
| FIVE minutes In that short time twenty five
| thousand persons persisted, and thirty thousand
were made homeless. The sea rose thirty feet,
and swept the coast with irresistible fury The
cities of Arequpa, Iquique Chala and Chincha,
are entirely destroyed. The loss of property
| between Tacin and africa is estimated at fourteen
millions. The u S. steamer Kearsage is render
| ing assistance to the sufferers
| ADDITIONAL particulars.
| Letters from Lima, Peru, give additional de-
| tails of the earthquake and its effects. The
earthquake commenced at half past five on the
| 18th of August, extending from Bolivia to the
| southern ports of Chill, on the coast, and over
one hundred miles inland The towns and cit
les mentioned in last nights dispatches are lit
orally ruined All buildings not destroyed are
| so badly injured as to require demolition for
prudential reasons All public edifces In africa
were destroyed including the Custom House,
which contained over 81 600, 900 worth of goods,
all of which were lost The FredoDia and the
| Wateree, were boil at anchor in the harbor of
africa, near each other After the first shock
| mad occurred on land, which created great con-
sernation on both vessels DIR Dubois, Surgeon
and Paymaster Of the Fredonia, took boat and
| went on shore TO inquire for the welfare OF
| friends and offer the services CT the ship.
| In few moments after leaving the vessel a
great .upheaving of waters III the bay com
mencet, and the Fredonla, parting her chains,
was dashed about at the mercy Of the sea, and
| finally went to pieces on a reef Nothing OF
| the vessel was saved. The officers and crew,
twenty seven in number, were all lost; also,
Mrs. Dyer, wife Of the Lieutenant Command
| ing. The officers names we're Lieutenant B..
Dyer; D. Organ, Master; }. G. Cromwell,
Purser, and s. Lunt, Secretary to the Com
|
| worth of naval stores on board, all OF which
was totally lost The Wateree was more sc
curey anchored, but great tidal wave swept
| her tour hundred and fifty yards inland, abou
| two miles north Of the ruined town, where sh e
now lies between two hillocks of sand,
very slightly injured 1t will be utterly impos
sible to save her, and Admiral Turner is Only
hopeful of saving her battery and stores On
| y one sailor was washed overheard and drown
| ed.-Lieutenant johnson, Of the Wateree, was
ashore at the time, and while carrying his wife
| in his arms to place of safety, she was struck
and instantly killed by a portion of falling
| building. rser
| The Peruvian corvette American shared the
same fate as the Wateree. She lost three off
GERS and thirty men. Commander Giles. Of the
| WateIee, after the disaster together with Drs.
Winslow and Dubois, of the Fredonia, We're of
great service to the inhabitants, dividing their
provisions among the suffering inhabitants, aud
the physicians saving many lives by their
medical and surgical skill.
A letter from AFRICA, dated August %, says
! two other vessels, the brig Chancarillo and the
bark Eduardo, are also high and dry, the for
mer losing eight men.
The scene beggars description. Railroad
| rails, cars, machinery, gun carriages, house
hold furniture, barrels, dead animals and mutt
| lated corpses are lying about In eontusion.-
The city numbered seven thousand inhabitants,
and its mutitudes stand helplessy beggared on
the beach, Three hundred lives were lost A
confagration burned nearly all that was not de-
mollshed by the earthquake, and drunken
rabble robbed and despoiled what remained
Heavy cannon were carried up from the island
battery aud now lie buried in the sand In
short. the stencil is sckening
At Lima there was not much damage done
although the shock lasted about four minutes,
creating the utmost CONSERVATION, the inhabi-
tants fleeing to open places where they sought
protection from the Almighty.
Admiral Turner, with the frigate Powhatan.
left Lima with tull cargo of provisions and
had arrived at africa to succor American sea
men there and the inhabitants, and also to save
the effects Of the Wateree
The Kearsage had also reached africa from
Cocuimbo with provisions. a French man Of
war also left Lima to aid the inhabitants at A
RIGA and other places on the coast, The Amer
lean Minister, Mr. Harvey, at Luna, was
energet cally aiding to the extent OF his power
in alternating distress. Merchants and citizens
Of Lima are contributing by thousands OF dol
lars to equip anu load Vessels with clothing and
provisions and the Government Is using all lis
means to alleviate the suffering entalled by the
terrible catastrophe, The Congress of Peru u
unanimously passed resoiotiops giving the Pres
ldent unlimited power To sllccOr the tnlla bltants
of the southern coast. The President has is
sued procia nation, and the Archbishop g pas
TOT al letter calling upon Peruylans for liberal