Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-09-22
FEARFUL CALAMITY,
Terrible Earthquake on the Coasts of
Peru and Ecuador.
TIE Loss OF $4,000 LIVES

! Star, from Aspinwall brings the following:
| On the 18th ult., terrible earthquake visit
ed the cities along the coast of Ecuador and
Peru, whereby thirty two thousand lives were
| lost, and property valued at three hundred
millions of dollars destroyed. Rumbling
sounds preceded the earthquake; the sea was
terribly agitatcd and flooded the land for
great distance. Arequipa, city of thirty
five thousand inhabitants, was washed away,
and scarcely a vestige remains. Only four
hundred lives wera lost here. africa, a town
of twelve thousand inhabitants, was also de-
ssroyed, leaving not house standing. Five
hundred perished here, The tidal wave,
| which was forty feet high, rolled with ter
rifle roar on shore, carrying ships further on
land than ever before known. The United
States store ship, Fredonia capszed ; all on
board lost. The Frcdonia had one million
| eight hundred thousand dollars worth of
val stores: The vessel was rolled over and
smashed to atoms. The United States steam
er Waterec, was carried half mile inland,
and left high and dry. Ony one sailor was
drowned. Owing to the great distance she
was carried she never can get ahoat again
The Peruvian corvette America was also car
rieI ashore. Thirty-thrcc drowned from her.
The American merchantmen Rosa Rivers,
| the English ship Chancellor, and the French
bark Eduardo were also lost. The towns of
lquique, Moquega Locumbia, and Pisaqua,
were entirely destroyed. Over six hundred
perishcd at Iqique. The American merchants
lost heavily-ncarly all-andare totally ruin
cd The towns Of Ibarra, San Pablo, Atun-
taGui, and Imantad arc in ruins. Where
Coatacheachi formerly stood is now a lake.
The populations of the above named towns
were almost entirely swept away. Pancho
Puclaro and Cachiquanj o were also destroyed
| The dca 4 are SO numerous that the surviving
inhabitants have been forced to fly from the
stencil of their purifying bodies.
New YORK, September 13.-Letters from
Lima. Peru, give additional details of the
earthquake and its effects. The earthquake
commenced at half past five on the 18th of
August, extending from Bolivia TO the South
crn ports of Chilli, on the coast. and over one
hundred miles inland. The towns and cities
mentioned in last nights dispatches were lit
orally ruined. Al buildings not destroyed
are SO badly injured as to require demolition
for prudential reasons. All public cliices
in africa were destroyed, including the Gus
tom house, which confirmed over SifUVU,",;",92
worth of goods, all of which were lost.
The city Of africa numbered 7 900 inhabi-
tants, and its mutitudcs stand hcip!cssly beg
CARED on the beach. Three hundred lives
were lost A conhagraton burned nearly all
that was not demolished by the earthquake,
and :; drunken rabblc n!oLbcd and dcspoiicd
what remained. Heavy cannon were carried
up from the island battery and now lie buried
in the sand. On shore the stencil is sicken-
ing.
At Lima there was not much damage done,
although the shocks lasted about four min
utcs, creating the utmost CONSERVATION, the
| inhabitants fleeing to open places, where they
sought protection from the Almighty.
Over 600 people were drowned at Arc
| quipa. The earthquake commenced few
| minutes past 5 p NJ, and in five minutes
| nearly every house in the city was levellcd
| to the ground. The tower of Santa Catina
| church is the only thing left standing, and
| that will have to be pulled down. Nearly all
the inmates of prisons and hospitals perishcd
| in the destruction of those buildings.
Shocks occurred at intervals. Nearly one
hundred hcavings occurred in three days.
| The city is a complete mass Of ruins. The
river has changed. Mountc Miste is actually
| throwing out lava, smoke and quantities Of
mud. The river cmits a sulphurous odor,
and rocks and earth are constantly falling
! from the mountains crater. No one dares to
90 where the city was. The survivors are
| living in tcuts on the banks of the river Pan
| carpata Hundreds Of lives were lost by fall.
ing houses.
From Guyaquil, under date of August %,
We have brief accounts of the earthquake in
! Ecuador In the city of Guyaquil little
damage was done. The towns OF Ibarra, the
capital Of the province of 1mbaburro, San
! Pablo and Aleuntoqui are in ruins The en-
tire population of these towns and of Otovoto
perished. amounting to nearly 10000.
At Quito the earthquake commenced at.2V
minutes past l A. NJ, August 10Th, and con-
tinued at intervals of few hours up to the
10Th The churches public buildings and
private dwellings we're already in ruins and
the people were living III tents in the great
square Towns adjoining Quito named We
rucho, Pucaro and Cochuquango had almost
disappeared. with their inhabitants, the few
left alive being obliged to flee to escape the
pcstilence arising from dccompOsing dead
bodies.
The towns of Vinicho and San Antonio had
also disappeared. The number of deaths in
the CITY of Quito was not known. A large
nroportion of the wealthy inhabitants died
from pcstilencc or disaster. 4 Valparaiso
letter, of August 18th, says that advices re-
coived from Talachuano states that at o.
clock on The night Of August l4th, three
carthquakes occurred. The second caused an
immense tidal wave, which swept away fully
| 0pchalf of the town, and rendered the other
half almost uninhabitablc. Only four lives
we're lost. the inhabitants fleeing to the hills.
/ At Tome the same occurred, but being higher
but little damage was done. The port of
Constitution suffered from n wave, but was
not much damaged Several small vessels
were driven ashore, and five men drowned;
The town of Conception was also damage d
by the same causes. Cobijo, Meriilones Is
lands, Pisaqua and all cities and towns in fact
from Cape francisco in Ecuador to Magellan
Straits suffered more or less.
Other accounts state that an American bark