The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-12
THE DESTRUCTION OF AFRICA.

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The DESTRUCTION OF AFRICA.
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Interesting Particulars Of the Earthquake
Its Commencement and Iucidenis-Statc.
ments by an Eye-Witness.
In the columns OF the HERALD the fearful and In.
deed overawing terrestrial commissions on the Pacific
coast Of South America have already been fully
described. But the reports to hand up 10 the latest
publication were OF general impressions and gen.
era effects only. An event Of such magnitude, one
which will retain prominent place In the physical
history OF the world for centuries to come, must in
the very nature OF things, have been accompanied
by incidents not only OF dramatic power, but also Of
heroic exertion and self abnegation. The details OF
these weeks OF suspense between life and death are
yet to be written. The many narrowing circum.
stances in which individuals placed the heart.
rending manner in which they met with death,
the many self-sacrincng efforts to rescue people
from impending destruction, will undoubtedly oil
many . page OF history and give food to the
imaginative field OF romance. Always contributing
in far 1t lies In the power OF the press to
sources Of history and TO truthful account Of the
events Of these tremendous vistatons OF nature on
the South American coast, the following experience
Of eyewitness OF the destruction OF the city Of
africa, in Peru Is published from the statements ~
made by him at the HERALD office yesterday. It
win be recoected that the city Of africa entirely
destroyed-that mummies who had been hid in the
rocky cliffs for, probably, more than o thousand
years, were suddenly exhumed or rather exposed
TO the eye and that 1t was here where the two
American vessels-of-war the Wateree and the Free
donia, came to grief and that Peruvian ironclad
the America, and . merchant vessel, the Chanar-
slla, were also lost. africa was seaport town OF
q ,n IT. khA
department Of Moquehua about 200 miles southeast
Of Arequipa, and its population WIS about 1900
souls. The gentleman who gave US the Information
had been in the port Of africa for some time.
SONS Of Inc earth's surface began ne was
on board Of vessel In the harbor. The day before,
slept at their lodgings in town, when about midnight
slight commoti0n occurred which caused him and
some other inmates Of the same building to rush out
into the lane In their night ciOthes but they
only laughed at for their foresight.
On the following afternoon they were just finishing
dinner on board Of vessel In the harbor, when
about twenty minutes past five O'Clock In the after
noon immense clouds OF dust were seen at distance
Of some ten miles south Of AFRICA This, Of course,
renee. The volume Of clouded dust came nearer and
nearer and 1t was observed from the deck OF the yes
peaks Of mountains In the chain OF the COrdilleras
began to wave to and fOlike reeds in storm. There
could have been optical deluson about It. for the
sea was calm and the vessel was perfectly quiet. A
few minutes after It was observed that from noun
tains nearer to africa whole piles Of rock rent them
rolled down the sides. Very soon twas noticed that
the whole earth was shaking. and that q good old
ing distances OF ports reached 6y the earthquake
successfully and computing the time by exact meas
urement It was ascertained that the volcanic ee-
ment under the surface OF the globe that particular
spot travelled at the rate Of between 800 and 700
miles an hour. When the CONFUSION reached the
Morro rocky prectpce lining one side OF the har-
Dor, 1t also began to move. Pieces OF from ten to
twenty 1--we tons in weight began to move from their
part Of the coast AZ the same momen. the town,
being In full view OF Informant board OF the
vessel, commenced 10 crumble into ruins. The noise
the rumbng like the echoes Of thunder, the explo-
sive sounds, ike that OF drng heavy battery, are
so ~ as sn ~ c Be- me Ma
moving, first like wave, In the direction from south
70 north, then II trembied and at last It shook
thirds Of all the houses Of AFRICA. Men. wo-
men and children ran into any open space
near at hand, ana their shrleks and screams could
be heard distinctly on board OF the shipping; even
the Custom House. built OF iron, stone and adobe
received wide crack at this first shock Among the
first houses which tumbled down into heap OF ruins
was that OF the Prussan Consul Mr. Eulert and that
OF Brown Brothers, Shock followed after shock; on
ground and sulphurOus vap0r issued from them. At
this juncture crowd Of people Hooked to the MOLE
seeking the boats TO take refuge on the vessels In the
harbOr Az yet the shipping In the harbor felt not
tue least comm0ti0n from the disturbances on land.
After the nrst shock there was q rest No breeze
could be felt, no ripple was seen the waters. The
Wateree and the Fredonia sent their surgeons ashore
to assist the wounded. Between nfty and sixty OF
the people OF the town had reached the mole by this
time TO take to the boats. But the surgeons had
hardly landed and but few OF the others had
entered the boats when the sea quietly receded
from the Shore leaving the boats high and dry the
beach. The water had not receded further than the
distance OF extremely low tide when all at once, on
the whole levee Of the harbor, II commenced TO RISE
II appeared at rst ~ II the ground Of the shore
sinking but the mole being carried away the people
AZ an once for the captain OF the port was Also noal
ing and the water still rose until IL reached height
Of thrty,onr feet above high water mark and over.
threw down by the force OF Its weight what the earth
quake had left And all this rise and overflow Of the
waters took only about i've minutes
The water rushed back into the ocean more sud
denly than 1t had advanced upon the land aud Car
rIed with It Custom House and tile residence OF the
English Consul. This awful spectacle OF destruction
by the recedng no0d had hardly been realized when
the sea rose again. and now the vessels In port began
dragging The water rose To the same height as pe.
fore, and on rushing back II brought not only the
debris OF a ruined city with II, but even a locomo-
tive and tender and train or four were
carried away by the fearful force OF the waves.
During this advance OF the sea inland another ter
rife shock lasting about eight minutes, was felt the
thunders OF the earth and the storm OF the waves
SURPRISING all conception OF human endurance. Al
this time all around tho city the dust formed into
clouds and obscuring the SKY, made things on land
quite invisible. Just now the persons on shipboard
In the harbor believed themselves to be In danger,
and some expressed even the thought That the dsy
six O'Clock on the 18th Of August Just then purple
clouds arose " the norihward, and this caused twi
light TO come an hour earlier aud everything looked
dark and DIM Instead of the rising OF the swell or
the ocean heretofore experienced, the waters now
rushed In heavy currents VI great force and velocity
first to the north and then again TO the
south. The vessels dragged, their anchors
being OF no help and anording no resist
ance 10 the current. The wateree, while being
thus carried the OF the current succeeded In
picking up I'VE boat0ads OF fugtiyes nom the shore
though many Others who swan about. some clinynng
TO bureaus ana other articles OF household furniture
to branches OF trees and To whole plots OF
sod and garden verdure, could not be assisted. BY
the current the vessels had been carried several
miles TO the north OF the town, when the current
suddenly stopped and as suddenly turned back 10
the ocean This Wnp about half past SIX II. H. and the