The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-09-17

the streets, end those who were not buried by
the falling walls made heir escape into the
country with all speed. Had they remaine1 in
the city the entire population must have per-
ished, as Immediately on the passing of the
first shock the sea retiBG for some distance
and then returned with great rush and q
roaring sound more terrible than the loudest
thunder. The wave was of dreadful height and
force, and it swept irreshtibly over the town,
completing the ruin begun by the earthquake.
Not mercantile establishment has escaped,
nor does vestge remain OF the most opulent
and handsome section ofthat town. The mas
sive buildings belonging TO the nitrate mer-
chants, mostly CONSTRUCTED of stone and lime,
have entirely disappeared. Buildings con-
structed Of timber we're swept away at once,
leaving nothing to n1arkthe place where they
stood.
The inroad made by the sea extended to the
Pantera, part OF which was covered by the
wave, and that section Of the town known by
the name Of the Puntelll has been entirely de-
stroyed, leaving nothing but the debris Of in
Vulnerable houses. Since the occurrence OF
the 18th repeated shocks have been felt, al
though of q milder nature. The inhabitants,
filled with CONSERVATION, retired on the incur
sion of the sea, and cannot be prevailed upon
to return to the town.
The fourishing city OF AFRICA, through which
the greatest part OF our commerce with the
neighboring republic OF Bolivia flowed, and
which was the most picturesque OF our ports,
after having been destroyed by the earthquake,
was obliteIated by the sea. There, as IN the
other towns on the coast, the water, after hav-
ing retired to great distance, fell with ire,
sistible force on the ruins OF the buildings, and
has left sad and silent beach, where
but a short time before was activity and life.
The port of Chala, about half way between
,llao and Iquique, suffered great iamage, the
havoc continuing for about forty-fve minutes.
At the moment the STEAMSHIP Santiago was
about to anchor, after shock which was felt
very senslbly on board, the sea receded, part.
ing the CHAIN of the vessel, and Of the COM
pany's bulk, ut anchor in the r0adstead and
then returned at height Of about fifty feet,
covering the rocks about tho anchorage and in
the harbor and sweeping up IN. the town tor
the distance Of over one thousand feet. The
customhouse, steamship agency, mole, and
everything within range, was sWeps away by
three successive seas, preceded and followed
BY as many as twelve shocks OF earthquake,
each lasting from three seconds to two minutes
in duration.
The earthquake WIS terrific in it's effect,
nothing of the kind being in the recollection
of the oldest inhabitant. The towns of Sama
and Lecomba are nearly destroyed. The earth
opened in many places and vomited forth hot
water. The valley OF Lluta is completely
ruined.
AN EYE WITNESS DESCRIBES THE SCENES IN
AFRICA.
From africa the agent of the Pacific Steam
Navigation Company writes:
At about five o'clock in the afternoon Of the
18th We were visited with o tremendous earth
quake. I 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, rs they were blown out as il they were
spat at me; iat the same time the earth open
ed, probably two or three inches, and belch-
ed out dust, accompanied with q terrible
stencil as of powder, the air was darkened,
and I could not see my wife who was
within two feet Of me with the children. Ii
this had lasted any time We must have been
suffocated, but in about couple OF minutes 1t
cleared, and, collecting my household goods
together, then started tor the bills. How
we passed through the falling houses, when
we saw men struck down, some stone dead,
others MANNED, ls to me mystery, but o mer-
ciful Providence was over u.s.. we Wended our
sad way as well as we could towards the hills,
the earth Sinking, making US stagger as drunk
en- people, when great cry went up: "Ihe
sea has retired" 7 hurried on aud l had bare
" rot to the outskirts of the town wlen l
looked back and saw all the vessels In the bay
carried out irresislbly to tho sea, probably
with speed Of ten miles an hour. In few
then rose mighty wave, should Judge about
fifty feet high, and came in with fearful rush,
carving everything before it IN it's awful ma
jesty; the whole of tue shipping came back
with it, sometimes turning in circles, but all
speeding on. Meanwhile the wave had passed
in, struck the mol1 into atoms, swallowed up
my Off 9, and roaring on swallowed up the
customhouse. and rushing down the same
street, clrried everything before it. The re-
mans Of my dwelling house disappeared faster
than the change OF scene in Christmas panto-
mime, my launches had long since disappeared,
and my ruin was completed. Every vessel was
either ashore or bottom upward. The Peruvl-
an war steamer America lost about eighty-tve
hands. The United States steamer Wateree
escaped With the loss OF one life; with small
draft OF water, she was carried boGlly On the
top Of the sea, and landed about quarter OF o
mile inshore Of the railway track. The Fredo-
MIA, United States storeship, was bottom up
wards, every soul on boarI persisted Except
ing the captain, surgeon and payma5ter, who
were on shore and were saved). The British
bark CbanarcI!lo, Of Liverpool, was lying high
up on the beach, the remains OF hull; half OF
her crew perished. An American bark laden
with guano was swallowed up, and has not left
o vestige to toll her fate. The last Of the ill
fated squadron, Peruvian bark, Was placed on
the railway track apparently without losing
rope or spar. For nearly two days we lay on
the hills without covering and without food, IN
constant state OF alarm, as the shocks OF
earthquake were inc1ssant.
THE EARTHQUAKE AT THE cHINcHA ISLANDS.
At the Chinchas great damage was done to
the shipping. The following Is list OF the
vessels injured or destroyed: The British ship
Reso.ute partially destroyed; British ship
Eastern Empire, badly damaged; British ship
Royal Oak, in loaky condition British ship
Oceanica, almost wreck; British ship South
ern Ocean, badly damaged; Prussian bark
Leopold IL, q total wreck. Many OF the above
vessels were loaded, and we're about to leave /;
their cargoes have all been badly injured. All
the launches and small vessels are totally de-
struyed tho wnarves and the mole are 30 in
iured that immense sums will have to be e1-
pended on them before they can be Of amy ser
wee. In ad lton to the mortality at Iquique,
We have to record the death of DR.. Bockonham,
MIR. Scott and Mr. Kuerton. The Peruvian
Mineral Company Of London is totally destro,-
ed. After months of labor, and immense ex-
penditure Of money, this mining company.
after beiug at work only two days, had the
works entirely washed away; upwards OF four
hundred tons Of silver ore, hoavy machinery.
bottles of quicksilver were all washed away
like so much "hatf. At Chancay, Casma and
Huarnay, the same phenomena OF the tide
took place. At the former port o large guam
tity of merchandise was destroyed. The cap
tain of the Eransuto Sayer, from Falcahuano,
reports that on the 18th ult., while about
thirty miles from Pisco, he experienced a