Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-09-24
The EARTHQUAKES

From the Lima correspondence Of tie
Tiues we take the following
General Fitzpatrick reports singular
and horrible sight that occurred at africa
As the earth opened and yawpgd, there
came up FIVE hundred uuiaAies, who stand
in long lines facing the sea. every one OF
the skeletons III perfect preservation, the
hands doubled up and Supporting the chin,
the knees drawn up, and the feet support
ing the heshlesS body, This must be one
OF the most frightful sights possible, ana
quite beyond description. The spot where
these mumnlies now stand MAS once an Old
cemetery, and these skeletons are doubtless
the Incas and indians, whe either buried
themselves alive or were inferred in this
manner.
In Tambo, priest or padre, as he is
called, told the atfriened people not to dee
to the hills lie would go down to the
sea, and he had power 10 still the waters
The foolish people, five hundred IN NUM-
Der, believing III bis ounipotence, gather
ed around him IL solemn procession, and
followed him to the sea but the voice OF
man, who took upon himself The sttri
butes Of the Almighty, was not Needed,
and himself and five hundred with him
were drowned
The most horrible calamity befvll the
two cities Of Puffo and Cerro D'Paseo-
the former containing &c, 600 inhabitants.
These cities are built near and over the
silver mines, and it seems that the very
ground on which they stood was one hol-
low cavern. These caves opened at one
wide chasm, and swallowed up the cities,
and the ill-fated population, at one deep
and awful opening. They literally fell
down into this immense hollow. A num-
Der of horsemen rode into Lima and renort-
ed the catastrophe. and, as the mines
themselves are entirely destroyed We shall
probably hear Of other towns being de-
stroyed Cuzeo has not "one stone left
standing upon another" and moss Of its
population were killed In addition to
the list Of horrors, dreadful FIRE broke
out at Guayaqail, and burned down thirty
houses and stroes- all the principal build
ings-so what the earthquake spared the
| fire has deyoured
The people who fornlerlg inhabited these
fallen towns Chose Who were fortunatv en-
ougb 70 escape death from the earthquake
or by the incoming Of the sea- are living
IN the most abject want and poverty. Ma
ny Of them are in tents, bat by tar the
greater number have neither clothing nor
shelter nor food Having bur miunte5o
escape to the hills they are nov homeless
iouseless, shclerless, and without means
OF sustenaneo, and many Of them must I'M
douoted!y perish
Some idea # the suffering may be had
when we realize that in the city Of Areqoi-
pa alone, a place containing from $4,000
20 100, 000 Inhabitants. there is aot one
house left standing literally mot one
stone upon another 4 Peruvian gentle
man, Who was in Aroe, has given me
many horrible details aud Incl lie
says: No one who did lot witness it can
form any idea Of its horror" Oroaus aua
outcries, falling buildings and shiyercd
tlmbers, the air so filed with dust and
ashes, SO chohed with the dne dirt Of the
abode buildings, and SO strong al electric
snel in the air, similar to the strongest
birthstone, that the only way people could
breathe or escape at AL was BY each one
/ throwing him Or herself Cat On the ground
aud burying the face lat liz the very earth
waloh groaned apd opened aroand them
! Parents crying for their children; moth
ers screaming 10 their husbands; and a
'iiaHfE' UfJd1 iIif-tss,r>A -l.lt3
the crash Of tun,bling houses, the roar Of
the terrible incoming sea, and the shreks
Of the wounded. dying in Tie falling runs.
In Moqua the ground opened and as 1t
closed again instantly it caught the il!-fa-
ted people, leaving them partly projected
from the earth Here are to be seen hands
pro5ruding, feet and toes sticking out a5-
owe the earth The top Of head and
even the whole head and neck Of some Of
the people; fingers aad arms, with the
bodies 10 Whichthey belong shut into the
gaping earth What horrible deaths must
these have been