The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-29

after having rendered the entire southern section OF
Peru nearly uninhabitable and approaching In as
pect more to sterile desert than fertile and cult
waited country.
Coming from the southern limit Of Peru the first
important port met with is Iquique. This city built
upon the low shore OF the sea- is the CHIEF town OF
the saltpetre and nitrate district and considered In
commercial importance the third port of the repub-
lie. Large foreign mercantile houses are established
there and the bay Is always filed with number OF
ships loading for Europe and America.
The earthquake was not felt so violently In
Iquique as at other points, but the shock was suf
GENTLY great to drive the majority OF the inhab-
tants to the sand hills In the vicinity where they
saw with horror the formation OF an enormous wave
In the harbor, which precpitated itself with ter
rife roar upon the devoted town and in ts retro
ceSSiOn carried nearly onehalf OF the buildings with
very e mSr q 1--WE were
terly DESTROYED and although the loss Of life and the
damage done to the shipping was small yet the
wave ruined the apparatus used for condensing
water for the use Of the inhabitants, and until
the arrival of vessel two days subse-
quently, the straits to which these were reduced
were truly distressing. The loss OF property Is es.
tmated at 5000 000 and several business houses OF
good standing in Lima are seriously affected py the
disaster. Pisagua, nourishing port to the south
OF 1qu1que was completely washed away by the sea,
and more than 400 persons are reported to have per-
TumbeZ was immediately despatched, and by Its OPP
perfume arrival greatly aeviated the suferings Of
ter In the surrounding sand deserts and were en-
during all manner Of terrible privations. Area the
second port OF the republic Is as the readers Of the
HERALD have been already Informed, nothing but
shapeless mass OF ruins.
Since the disaster great quantities of PROVISIONS
and large sums OF money have been sent TO the relief
Of the distressed people from Lima and from Chile.
1t appears that the assistance SO generously and
promptly afforded was delivered TO the military
commander OF the place, and he, instead OF attend.
ing to the necessities Of the people who suffered
most distributed the stores among particular friends,
tants in the same sad condition. The common
people, seeing their wants thus disregarded, COM
menced to plumber the goods left from the desruc-
ton Of the Custom House and those which had re-
NAMED from the ruins OF private dwellings. The
cert with the robbers, took no steps towards
restraining these OurageS, and the terrOrs OF the
Of Sns ne 81
defiance to any attempt maze by the citizens to
Tacna, distant forty miles from africa and con.
nected with that port by railway, suffered to the
amount OF, s2,ooo,ooo but, owing to the time
nounced the approach OF the earthquake, and the
shock itself, almost every one had an opportunity to
escape, and only four lives were lost.
The port of lilo and the cities OF MOquegua and Lo
cumba, Immediately In the interior, exist but in
name, and the amount OF property lost cannot yet
Peru, and the great deposits and watts were shaken
into fragments and the re-, entire crop perfectly
dred souls; but the damage done to agricultural
interests is incalculabe. The government, In view
large order to the United States by the last steamer
for barrel slaves, and Is purchasing all the lumber
least, construct habitations where they can tempora
rily reside shielded from the weather.
=, At Moilendo Mr. Henry Meiggs, the contractor for
the Arequipa Railroad, lost nearly two hundred thou
sand dollars worth OF material, all being carried
out and destroyed by the sea. Letters from eng
neers employed on the road state that the water
came mile and half inland, having risen exactly
thirty feet.
Clay, the port of Arequipa, suffered very slightly,
being built upon high bluff and thus escaping the
devastation caused in other ports by the tnundaton;
1qs Is to se dasto Nns remains
OF what was once picturesque and well built town.
and the people hudded together her In the public
pfed by fear Of further caamities as to utterly dis
regard the necessity Of action. The amounts lost by
800 900 oO0 and the number OF persons who persisted
under the falling houses Will reach 500. The impos
the calamity as yet render this estimate uncertain.
From the ruins where are buried the unfortunate |
viii breed pestilence since the sun at this season
pours down its heat during the day. and the dews at
night produce a miasma which Is reputed to be /
Colonel Balta Immediately on receipt Of the intel.
igence Of the earthquake despatched the Minister Of
ana the great activity Of this sentlems "a has been Of
ncaicnaoe eeneht; TWO hours after MS ARRIVAL at
together and exnorting them to instant action, con.
suited with them upon the most necessary steps to
be taken. Instantly afterwards orders were Issued
for the construction OF o temporary hospital where
the wounded might be attended to- the Services Of
the physicians sent from Lima were placed at the
disposal Of the people: the large sums Of money
which he had brought from the capital were distri-
buted among the needy, clothes were furnished to
the naked and storehouse established where the
hungry people might receive their ratons, and large
numbers Of men were engaged to instantly clear away
the ruins and at least render the streets Of the city
passabe. All the troops In the town were employed
In pulling down the lettering buildings that threat
ened death to the survivors OF the catastrophe and,
in short, every thing that wisdom could dictate and
energy perform was done by this noble Minister The
In their pous labors, and IRON the example OF this
one man Areguipa IN one day regalnsd Its valor and
~ na a s aos WE ina aGe
and the city OF lea, about one hundred and fifty
miles from Lima, nearly destroyed. This city Is
situated forty miles inland, and was literally shaken
TO the ground. From this point southwark the
severity Of the earthquake sensibly diminished.
handled and a beautiful iron wharf rendered use
less. The Guano Islands, Immediately opposite
ing to the statement Of person on them al the time
shook like hammock. The damage to property
done at the latter places Is very considerable. while,
fortunately, the loss Of life has been small.
Throughout the points have mentioned the shocks
are still daily felt but OF course not with that vio
August. Revolutions and epidemics had afflicted
this unhappy country In the early part VI this year,
the Others, ana the terrible wall of misery and grief
rising up throughout the length and breadth OF the
land testiles to the fearful disaster through which
Condition OF Peru After the Earthquake
Pilfnge Amid the Ruins-Dlsordered state
OF the Intcrior-One Of the Fredonia's Crew
Strippcd-strnnue Phenomcna- 10
the American Naval Omccrs.
LIMA, Sept "a, 1868.
The reports received from the afflicted districts In
the south are not calculate to calm the excited state
OF the public mind. As always occurs in these ter.
rlbe caamities the greatest confusion exists In the
suffering quarter and the victims OF the disaster are
exposed 70 the attacks OF the robbers and bri-
gands, who taking advantage OF the general terror,
infest the highways. The department commanders
have In most instances proved themselves to be per-
fecty incompetent for the duties Of their ONCE,
and paralyzed by fear In these supreme
moments have taken but very few of the mea-
necessary for the preservation OF public peace
and the ranqulization OF the afflicted. In AFRICA,