The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1868-09-24
THE SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH,
QUAKE.


QUAKE.
The recent earthquake in Peru is
the most disastrous that has happen
ed since the destruction of Caracas
in 1872. The figures are startling
A score of cities ere destroyed; six
hundred persons drowned in one
place 'by a tidal wave; fifty thousand
lives lost; and half a million persons
without homes or shelter The thing
would seem almost incredible, were
it not for the we'll authenticated fact
that earthquakes have occurred in
various parts of the world which have
been attended, with far greater disas-
ter. The City of Antioch in Syria,
on the east coast of the Mediterra-
mean, was destroyed by an earthquake
May 80, A. D. 205, and two hundred
and fifty thousand of its inhabitants
perished. In 1892, an earthquake
occurred in Sicily, by which Catania
and one hundred and forty other
towns and villages were destroyed,
with a loss of one hundred thousand
lives. In 1755, Lisbon was almost
entirely destroyed by in earthquake
which lasted only six @inutes, and
sixty thousand persons re drowned
4 .Jo+;on of the teloo cruch od
BY the falling walls or ss lowed up
m vne great enasms which OPP, Med in r
the earth. In 1859, an eartndss ske
conyulsed ten thousand squarsleaM
of Damascus, Sidon, Tripdli,f bee,
Aeon and Gaphat, and occaSonHig
immense loss of life, including twenty
thousand persons swallowed up, in a
single valley. In 1912, the city OF
Caracas, the capital of>Venezuela,
and one of the handsomest and most
fourishing cities of South America,
was visited by an earthquake, which
laid the greater part of the city in
ruins and destroyed twelve thousand
people.
The earthquake seems to have ex-
tended north and south ever large
territory than any of those previous
ly recorded, reaching from New Gren-
eda to the Straits of Magellan, or from
the equator to 500 south latitude
From east to west the extent was
comparatively small, averaging about
one hundred miles. 1t covered the
whole region known as the Pacific
slope of South America, including
the mountain range of the Andes and
the narrow strip of territory lying
between them and the Pacific Ocean.
Quito, the largest and most generally
known of the cities which have suf-
fered, is the capital of Ecuador, situ-
ated in mountain ravine ninety>fve
hundred feet above the. level of the
sea. Its population was variously
estimated at from fifty to seventy
thousand. 1t was we'll built, and con-
tanned handsome edi6ces, among
which were the cathedral, the town
the palaces of the archbishop and
president, and the Jesuit's college
1t also contained some large manu>
factories, and carried on consider
able trade in breadstufts:. 1t has Of
ten suffered from earthquakes, but
never before to so great al extent.-
Areguipa, the city which seems to
have suffered most by this dreadful
calamity, is the capital of the pro
Vince of the same name. 1t is said
to have been the most beautifully sit
mated and best built city in South
America. On high table land on
river Chill, forty miles from the Pa
.eife, and elevated seven thousand
eight hundred and fifty feet above the
sea, it possessed a delightful climate.
The population vas estimated at
thirty five thousand. 1t had been
destroyed in whole or in great part
by earthquakes, on four previous oc-
casions, and, indeed, the whole re,
gion affected by the late earthquake
has suffered in the same way many
times before. On one occasion, the
, seashore was permanently elevated
five or six feet above its former level.
africa, another of the places mention
ed by the telegraph, is situated in the
province of Moquegua, two hundred
miles south Of Arequipa. 1t is one