Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-09-22
The Great Earthquake.

There has not for many years been SO terri
HE and destructive an earthquake as that which
recently occurred along the coast OF South A,
merica, from Bolivia to the southern ports, OF
Chill. The sad tale is thus briefly told: Ihlr-
ty-odd thousand human beings killed and three
hundred millions dollars, worth OF property de-
stroyed. United States vessel, the Fredonla,
struck bv tidal wave and crushed to atoms,
ali her crew lost, and one million eight hundred
thousand dollars of naval stores destroyed-a
a dozen towns in ruins-the stencil OF the dead
such as to drive off the living. Such Is the
melancholy story. Central America and Chill
and Peru are eminenty volcanic districts,
and greatly subject to intestine commissions,
The most memorable of the early earthquakes
was that of the year So, which resulted IN the
destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeil, and
which was sixteen years previous to the ume
when those cities were buried In the ashes OF
Vesuvius. In the year | Is, the city OF Anti
och, in Syria, was almost destroyed In 45o, 1t
was again visited by an earthquake. and IN 90
occurred the most disastrous one OF which any
record has been preserved. GIBBoN states
that $50, 900 persons are said to have persisted,
the multitudes belonging to the city being great
" swelled by conhux OF strangers attending
the festival Of the Ascension.
The great earthquake of Lisbon, which COM
menced on the lst November, 1855, threw
down the principal portion Of the city, and six
ty thousand persons are said to have persisted
in the short space of six minutes The sea re-
tired, leaving the bar dry, and returned in q
| great wave fifty or more feet high. Mountains
we're convulsed and rent, and were thrown II
| fragments igto the valleys below. The shock
was felt in the Alps and on the coasts Of Swe
lakes of Scotland, the distant waters Of Lake
| npfa nd al. q haSSachn
sets.
| 1t is estimated that from twenty to forty
1 THOUSAND human beings fell victims to tht
earthquake j. the kingdom Of Naples in 1857
! Numerous cities were reduced to heaps of ru
ms. An earthquake in MEXICO. in 1858, DIES
(! troyed many houses and much other valuable
property. In 1859 the city Of Quito, Ecuador
was almost destroyed BY enc Of these fearful
visitations, and many ii;es were lost.
The earthquake OF New Madrid belo@ st
Louis, On the Mississippi, 1911, Is the most re
markable that has occurred in this country @
WHICH We have any record. The ground quak
ed for several successive months Over an area
Of three hundred miles it rose and sank In un
dulations. Great assures burst open, thrown!
up mud and water to the tops of the trees
That region is still called "the sunk country"
In March 1912 the city of Caracas was de
stroyed by an earthquake. with all its splendid
churches, and $4,000 Of its iaAabitants wer
buried in the ruins.
The earthquake of last year, that was So de
structive in the island of St. Thomas, is too vel
remembered to require detailed mention
There have been shocks at various localities il
this country, but not attended by very marked
results.
Those sges that point in grim triumph tt
their pQrtentoqs colvQlsiqps, by which heca
tombs of human beings were sacrIfcs9l, have
found formidable competitor in this age
ty thousand corpses. This earthquake will b,
memorable in history. Rich. Wltig.