Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-09-23

ready destroyed houses of the city,
and set a myriad of articles afiOat,
) which eddied in every direction, while
at the same time the vessels and float
ing materials We're forced ahead of the
/ waves at this time curling aud foam
! ing summit Everything which il
encountered in its course was swept
away in an instant. Even great masses
J of stone were rolled over and over
When the force of the wave was
lspent it retired, and in short time the
equilibrium of the water was restored
and then it occupied about the same
line, and presented nearly the same
appearance as it did befOreGhe earth
N quake. The vessels carried inland
were a terrible sight. Most of them
were bottom upward. Their masts
had been snapped like sticks. All
this dreadful picture the refugees on
the hills were now beholding. Many
of them did so with the most marked
evideneences of fear, because quakes
of the earth were still felt at short in
tervals. The Wateree was grounded
inland a quarter of mile from the
beach, on the line of a railroad As
far as heard from only one life was
lost on board. Near the Wateree a
Peruvian war vessel was also ground
ed, and so gently that none of its rig
| ging nor any of timbers were impair
ed. On board the Peruvian war steam
er America, which is a total wreck,
eighty lives were reported to have been
lost. The United States store ship
FredOnia, was upset, and sall her
crew except three were drowned, ae-
eOrding to the report. Those who es-
capped were the captain, surgeon, and
a paymaster, who were on shore when
the earthquake occurred, and sought
refuge on the hills. A British vessel,
0alled the Chancellor, lost many of
her crew, who were tumbled overheard.
A United States brig, name unknown,
was fOundered with all on board. The
vessel, it is reported, was laden with
guanO. The rest of the shipping de
strOyed We're South American coasters.
The fatal casualties in the city were
about fifty, and the other casualties
about one hundred. The total loss on
shipboard was about three hundred,
principally fatal. The refugees re-
mained on the hills for two days, dur
ing which time they suffered greatly
for food at the same time the quakes
continued as before, at intervals. In
| time their sufferings became so in
tense that the males had to 90 in
search of food, limited quantity of
which they found in a damaged con-
ditiOn, and with this they succOred
their families. The second morning
after the earthquake, n light draught
cOasting vessel entered the harbOr,
but did not remain long at anchor.
| As soon as the captain became aware
of what had happened, he took on
board a number of people, and left
with them for CallaO; thence one of
the parties got to Panama.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE AFRICA CA
LA0IITY.
The agent of the Pacific Steam nav
| igatiOn Company at africa writes as
follows to his employers:
son other matters it is now useless
to enter, as write under the shadow
of a great grief. africa no longer eX-
lists. At about four o'clock in the af-
ternoOn of the 18th, we were visited
with tremendous earthquake. L had
barely time to get my wife and child
rem into the street, when the whole of
the walls of the house fell-fell is
hardly the word, as they were blown
out as though they were spit at me
at the same time the earth OPEN
ed, probably two or three inches, and
belched out dust, accompanied with
terrible stencil as of powder. The air
was darkened, and 1 could not see my
wife, who was within two feet of me
with the children. If this had lasted
any time we must have been suffOcat-
ed; but in about two or three minutes
it cleared, and collecting my house
hold goods together, L then started
for the ChillO. How we passed through
the falling houses, when we saw men
struck down, some dead, and others
MANNED, it is, to me, a mystery; but
merciful Providence was over US.
We wended our sad way as well rs we
could toward the hills, with the earth
smoking. making us stagger like drum
ken people, when great cry went up
to heaven. The sea has retired, hur-
ried on, and had barely got to the
outskirts of the town, when I looked
back and saw all the bay carried out
irresistibly to sea, probably with a
speed of ten miles an hour. In fif-
teen minutes the outward current
stopped, then arose a mighty
wave, should judge about fifty feet
high, and came on with afeaTful rush, |
carrying everything before its fearful
majesty. The whole of the shipping |
came back with it, sometimes turning /
in circles, but all speeding on to an !
inevitable doom. Meanwhile the |
wave had passed, struck the mole in
to atoms, swallowed up my Office as a !
giants mOuthful, and roaring on,
swallowed up the custom house, and |
rushing down the same street, carried /
everything before it in its irresistible
course. The remains of my dwelling !
house disappeared faster than the
change of scene in Christmas pan
tOmime. My launches had long since
disappeared, and my ruin wac thus
completed. | stood breathless, look
ing at the awful sight, but thanking
God life had been spared to ME and /
my loved ones. But each second was
a life time. Looking seaward l saw
the ships still huTrying on TO their
doom, and in few minutes all was
completed. Every vessel was either
ashore or bottom upward. The Peru |,
Wan war steamer lost about eighty-tive
hands. The United States steamer
Wateree escaped with the loss of one
life. With a small draft of water she
was carried bodily on the top of the
sea, and landed about ; quarter of a i
mile inshOre of the railroad track.
The FredOnia, United States steam
ship, was bottom upward. Every soul
on board perished, excepting the cap
tain, surgeOnand paymaster, who were
on shore and were saved. The Brit L
ish bark ChanarOOlO, of Liverpool, Il
was lying high up on the beach. Half
of her crew perished. An American
bark laden with guauO was swallow
ed up, and not a vestige was left to tell
her fate. a Peruvian bark was placed
on the railway track, apparently with
out losing a rope or spar.
''On what has since happened it is
needless to dwell. For nearly two ;
days we lay on the hills, without COW
ering and without food in a constant
state of alarm, as the shocks of earth
quake were ineessant. u
"Mr. Calderon has given liberal
donation of $4,000, and Mr.. Henry '
AIeigs, the American contractor of the {
railroad, donated an equal '
sum to be distributed as follows:
s2O, 600 for Arequipa, SO, 900 for africa, '
and $4,000, for Iquique, and the bal |
ance for other ports. "a
The principal part of africa was de I
stroyed by the first shock of earth I
luake. The second completed the a
work of destruction. Numbers of I
persons who could not get out of their '