The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-14
EARTHQUAKE.
$4,000 LIVES LOST.
Whole Cities Swept Away
Over $500, 600, 900 Worth of
Property Destroyed.
500, 900 People HouseIess
and Homeless.

500, 600 People HouseIess
and Homeless.
NEW YORK, Sept. 12.-The Guiding
Star, from Aspinwall, brings to the
Evening Telegram the following: On
the 18th inst. terrible earthquake VS.
tied the cities along the coast of Peru
and Ecuador, whereby 32, 900 lives were ere
lost and property valued at $50, OOo,Ooo
DESTROYED. A rumbling sound preceded
the earthquake and the sea was terri
bly apitated and flooded the land for
greatdistance. Arequisa, , city OF 35,Ooo
inhabitants. passed away, scarcely
vastige being left. Only 1000 lives
were lost here. Avics, town OF 2o,VVV
inhabitants, was lsodestroyed, leaving
not q house standing. rive nundreu
persons persisted here. tidai wave
forty feet high rolled with a terrihc
roar on shore, carrying ships farther on
land than was ever before known. Inc
United States store ship Fredonla was
capsized and all on board lost. The
Fredonia had 81, 500, 900 worth of naval
stores on board. The vessel was rolled
over and smashed to atoms.
The United States steamer Wateree
was carried half mile inland and left
high and dry. Only 'one sailor was
drowned. Owing to the great distance
the vessel can never get afloat again.
The Peruvian corvette America was also
carried ashore and thirty-three OF her
crew drowned. The American merchant
man Rosa Rivera, the English ship Chan
cellor and the French barque Edwards
were also lost. The towns of lquique,
Moouega, Lerinaba and Pisaqua were all
utterly destroyed. Over 600 persons
persisted at Iquique. American mer-
chants have lost very heavily and near
ly all of them arc totally ruined. The
towns of Figaro, San Pablo, Atnatagni
and Imantad are in ruins. Where Gotta
cacbi formerly stood there is now q lake.
The populations of the above named
towns are almost entirely destroyed.
Puencho, Pueliaro and Cachignauis are
also destroyed. The dead are so numer-
on. that the surviving inhabitants have
been forced to fly from the stencil OF the
putrefying bodies.
AIN Ghayaquil the earthquake was felt,
but no damage was done.
Letters from Quito, dated the 18th,
announce that the earthquakes contin-
ne at intervals of few hours.
The President has issued proclama-
ton to the people to come forward and
help the sufferers.
LATER
New YORK, September 13.--Letters
from Lima, Peru, give additional de-
tails of the earthquake and it's effects.
The earthquake commenced at half-past
i've on the 18th of August. extending
from Bolivia to the southern ports of
Chill. on the coast, and over one hun
dred miles inland. The towns and
cities mentioned in the dispatches of
last night were literally ruined, as all
the buildings which were not destroyed
were so badly damaged as to require
demolition for prudential reasons All
the public editices in Avica were de-
stroyed, including the custom house,
which contained more than four mil
lion dollars worth of goods, all of which
are lost.
The loss of the FIedOna and landing
of the Wateree are described as follows:
They were both at anchor in the harbor
of Avica near each other. After the
first shock had occurred on land, which
created a great CONSERVATION on both
vessels, Dr. Dubois, Surgeon, and the
Paymaster of the Fredonia took boat
and went on shore to enquire for the
welfare of their friends and to offer the
services of the ship. In few moments
after leaving the vessel great upheav-
Ing of the waters of the bay commenced,
ana the Fredonia parting her chains
was dashed to pieces on reef. Moth
ing of the vessel was saved. Her Off
GERS and crew (twenty- scven) were lost;
also Mrs. Dyer, wife of the Lieutenant
commanding.
The Wateree was more securely an
chored but dragged anchors, and the
great tidal wave swept her $50 yards
inland, about two miles north of the
ruined town. She now lies between
two hillocks of sand, very slightly in
jured, and it will be utterly impossible
to extricate her. Oaly one sailor was
washed overheard and drowned.
The Peruvian corvette America shared
the came fate rs the Wateree but lost
three officers and thirty men.
A letter from Avica, dated August IL.
SAYS: Two other vessels, the brig Chan
cellor and the barque Edwards, are also
high and dry, the former losing eight
men. The scene beggars description.
Railroad rails, cars, machinery, gun
carriages, household furniture, barrels,
dead animals and mutilated corpses are
lying about in confusion. The city
numbered 1000 inhabitants and its null
titudes now stand helplessly beggared
on the beach; 300 lives were lost. A
conhagration burned nearly all that
was not demolished by the earthquake,
and drunken rabble robbed and de.
spoiled what remained. The stencil is
sickeniDg.
At Lima there was not much damage
done, although the shocks lasted about
four minutes.
Admiral Turner, with the friSate
Powhatan, left Lima with full cargo
of provisions and had arrived at Avica
to succor the American seamen and in
habitants. ,.-..
The Kearsarge had reached Avica,
from Coqumbs, with provisions. Two
French men-of-war also left Lima to
aid the inhabitants at Avica and other
places on the coast, who are starving.
American Minister Hoyey, at Lima, was
theoretically aiding to the extent of
his power. The merchants and citizens
of Lima are contributing by thousands
of dollars to equip and load vessels
with clothing, provisions, &C., and the
Government is msst energetically using
all its means to alleviate distress.
At Callao the sea burst over "a line of
houses skirting the shore, at 10 o'clock
ct night on the 18th, completely cutting
them of their contents. The panic was
extreme. A fire broke out and fifty
seven houses in the business portion of
the city were destroyed. No lives were
lost.
The Chincha Islands felt the earth
anake and wave, but not seriously, as
yet known.
The cities of leila and Pisco also suf.