The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-09-16

7
kno IN.
The United States steamship Fredona cap
sized with oil on board. She had million
and eight hundred thousand dollars worth o.
naval stores on board. The vessel wss rolled
over and smashed to atoms. The United
States steamer Wateree, carried half mile
inland, was left high and dry; only one sailor
was drowned. Owing to the great dis
tance she can never get afloat again. The
Peruvian Corvette, America, was aleo
carried ashore Thir.J-shree we're drowned
/ from her. The American merchantmen
Rosa Rivera. English, ship Chancellor and
| French bark Edwards we're also lost.
| The towns Of Iqaique, Movueha, Leruml =
and Pisaqua are utterly destroyed Over
/ 600 persons persisted. At Iqu,que the
American merchant loss is heavy. Nearly
all were totally ruined. The towns of Ig-
ARA. San Pablo, Atuntogui and Imantad are
10 ru.ns. Where Cotocschi formerly stood il
now a lake.
The populations of the above-named towns
eblanes and Cachignanio we're also destroyed.
The dead are so numerous that the surviv-
ing inhabitants have been forced to hy from
the stencil ofthe purifying bodies.
In Gnayaquil the earthquake was felt, but
no damage was done.
Letters from Quito, dated the 10th, an
nounce that earthquakes continue at inter
walls Of q few hours.
The President had issued a proclamation
to the people to come forward and help the
sufferers.
Later advices from Panama bring full de-
tails Of the terrible calamity which has over
taken the Republics of Peru and Ecuador.
Whole cities and towns, with, in some cases,
nearly all their inhabitants, have disappeared
from the face Of the earth. The estimate Of
the number of lives lost, so far as heard
from, and from many towns there is as yet no
tidings, is 80, 600 to 10000, and the loss Of
property is set down at not less than $780,
0O0, 600
The agent OF the Pacific Steam Navigation
Company writes to the managers of the COM
pany as follows:
'.Into other matters it isnow useless to en-.
ter, as | write under the shadow of great
grief. africa no longer exists. At about
o'clock on the afternoon of the 18th We were
visited with a tre,nendous earthquake. l had
barely time 70 get my wife and children into
the street when ne whole OF the walls ofmy
house fell-ftli IS hardly the word. as they
were blown out as if they we're spit at me; at
the same time the earth opened probably
two or three inches, and belched out dust, &C.
companied with terrible stencil, as of pow
der. The air was darkened, and could not
see my wife, who was within two feet of me,
with the children. If this had lasted any time
we must have been suffocated; but in about
two or three minutes it cleared, and collect
ing my household goods togeth r, then start.
ed for the Chlllo How we passed through
the falling houses, when we SAW men struck
down. some dead and others manned, is to me
a mystery; but q merciful Providence was
over u.s. We wended our sad way, as well as
we could toward the hills, with the earth
smoking, making US stagger as drunken peo-
pie, when great cry went up to heaven-the
sea has retired. | hurried on, and had bare
ly got to the outskirts Of the town when l
looked back and saw all the vessels in the bay
carried ont irresistbly to sea, probably with
a .reed often miles an hour. La fifteen min
utes the outward current stopped; then arose
mighty wave, should judge about fifty feet
high, and came ON with fearful rush. car
rying everything before its fearful majesty
The whole OF the shipping came back with it,
sometimes turning III circles, but all speeding
on to an inevitable doom. Meanwhile the
wave had passed in, struck the mole into
atoms, swallowed up my Office as giants
mouthful, and roaring on, swallowed up the
custom house. and, roaring down the same
street, carried everything before it in its ire
sistble course. The remains Of my dwelling
house disappeared faster than the change of
scene in a Christmas pantomime. Ny launch
es had long since disappeared, and my ruin
was thus completed. Istood breaihess look
ing at the appalling sight, but thanking God
life had been spared to me and my loved
ones. But each second was life time. Look
ing seawards saw the ships still burrying on
to their doom, and in few moments it was
completed. Every vessel was either ashoreor
bottom upward. The Peruvian war steamer
lost about eighty>fve hands. TE, United
States steamer Wateree escaped with the loss
of one hte With small draft of water she
was carried bodily on thetop of the sea and
landed about quarter OF a mile inshore OF
the railroad track. The tredonia, United
States steamship, was bottom upwards. Ev
cry soul on board pershed, excepting the
Captain, Surgeon and Paymaster, who were
on shore and were saved. The British bark,
Chanarcolo, of Liverpool, was lying high up
on the beach. Halfof her crew perlshed. An
American bark laden with guano WAS swa-
lawed up, end not vestlge was left to tell
her fate. A Peruvian brig was placed on the
railway track, apparently without losing 8
rope or spar.
.'On what has since happened it is needless
to dwell. For nearly two DAYS we lay on the
hills, without covering and without food, in a
constant state of alarm, as the shocks OF
earthquake were incessant.