The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-09-25
dtreq3telIiae
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKEs.

- AaAAA N EiNs
Forty Terrific shocks along the PeTu.
Wan Coast.
FAlb'S Prediction FulnIIed-AntlcipA.
tiOn OfthS UpheaVAI Of the Coast.
DCSertIOn Ofthe City OF IquIquo-The
Earthquake At sea.
The terrible calamity which swept
away whole cItles on the western South
American coast about this time last
year 10 still fresh In the minds OF our
readers. Then thousands OF human
beings were killed la an Instant, and q
large Inca graveyard burst lis bounds
and long rows Of ghaStly mummIss OF
the ancient Inhabitants OF the country
we're found nlterward In sitting posture
on the tumbled earth above their for
gotten sepulohres. Our country suf>
iered the loss ofone Of Its finest vessels,
which was carried mile inland by an
enormous tidal wave, and deposited
far beyond the hope OF further use.
THE EARTHQUAKE PREDICTED.
1t may be remembered that shortly
aflerward the German astronomer, M.
FAIb, predicted that this was but the
precursor OF far more irIghtiul series
Of Observation-Disclosures and tidal
wavcs-whIch should destroy the whole
west coast Of South America. Theory
supposes the origin Of earthquakes to
be due 10 the high temperature Of deep.
seated molten strata In the Interior,
which generates gases. the accumula-
tlOn Of which overcomes the resistance
Of the eHrth's crust. This would natur.
ally exhaust the supply, and 1t would
bo some years, especially 3 as the cooling
process Is constantly going on, before
another accumulation sufficient 10
cause trouble would be given of.
THE PREDICTION VERIFIED,
NJ. Falb, In consequence, was looked
upon as a visionary, aud the inhabl-
tants OF the west coast rested secure.
Nevertheless; hls predictions seem
about TO be fulfilled. South American
advlCes report the recurrence OF earth
Quakes In Peru and elsewhere. In
africa there were no less than forty
shocks on the l0:h ult., and the people,
dreadlng another convulsion, were de.
serting their homes and flying for SAFE
~ to The high ground OF the interior,
regardless OF the exposure and prIva-
lions to which they would be subjected.
THE FLIGHT TO THE HILLS.
This account is more than corrobo-
rated bya writer to the Panama Herald
Of the 18Th inst, who left Valparaiso In
the Llmena on the 10Th OF August, and
arrived at CAldera on the 18th. There
he learned that severe shocks OF earth
quake had been felt In Coplapo within
the few days preceding, causing great
alarm. Ia the Tocapilla, on the 18th ut
81 O'Clock at night, Il shock OF much
force occurred and most OF the inhabl.
lants had fled to the Interior.
On his arrival ut Iqulque, on the af-
ternOOn OF Sunday, the 18th, the same
Distressing story was told ofthe antIcl-
Puled destruction OF the coast. Most
Of the people had left, and the city was
quite deserted. On the l4th, at TX, a
long rolling sound was heard, which
lasted for some seconds, but there was
no apparent motion OF the earth; but at
a. NJ. on the 18th a severe shock was
felt. On the 10Th at AZ o'clock, A. NJ, a
severe shock was experienced at sea,
which caused those who were awake 10
Imagine the vessel had struck. Al
AFRICA the shock had been terribly SO.
we're ut half past 4 O'Clock, A. NJ; at ga.
N. u second shock occurred, and at 0
a. NJ. H third, bnt both the latter were
much lighter than the preceding one at
Az A. NJ. During the days OF the llth,
l2lh and 18Th, ut tho time at which The
iirst great calamity wUs TO tuke place,
the people, being much frightened at
tho prophecies OF the wise ones, left the
place and went back upon the hills, but
during those days no troubles were felt.
OTHER EARTHQUAKES.
Whatever may be the internal cause
OF The quaklng Of our sphere, 1t seems
now to nave exhausted Its strength in
Northern Europe and The United States.
Since tho earthquakes In the Valley OF
the Mississippi In 1910 IL our country
hHs fortunately been exempt from any
serious visitation OF the kind. An
earthquake which destroyed the city OF
Lisbon on November !, 1865, was felt
as far North as the shores OF the Baltic
and the mountains OF Scotland. One
In Messina, Sicily, In 1893, killed %, 900
persons, and another In the same place
In l7S3 was scarcely less destructive,
In the earthquake OF Rio Bamba, In
the same district OF country which is
now threatened, the whole city, with
80, 600 or &C. GOO inha ants, was destroy.
ed in few minutes by a sudden explO.
sion like the blowing up Of u mine.
This terrible event was unaccompanied
by any noise, but a great subterranean
delonntion was heard twenty minutes
after the catastrophe at Quito and Ibar-
ra, one OF the towns or cities destroy
ed last year In Peru. II was not, how
ever, even heard at TaCunga, another
OF the places destroyed, although that
place Ia Tor rather was) nearer 10 the
great commissions OF 1907. In the cele.
brAted earthquake OF Lima and Callao
October 2S l74G), noise resemb bling a
sublerraneAn thnnderclap was heard a
quarter Of au hour later at Truxillo,
but unaccOmpanied by a movement.
In like manner, after the great earth
quake OF New Granads November l6,
1927, subLerraneAn detonAtions were
heard withgreat regularity at intervals
OIthirty seconds throughout the whole
Cauca valley, while at q distance OF 6s.
miles to the northeast the crater OF The
volcano OF st. Vincent, one OF the small
Islands OF the West Indies, was pouring
forth II prodigious stream OF lava. Dur
Ing the violent earthq uake In New
Granada in February, 1855, subterra-
mean thunder was heard as far north
as the Islands OF Jamaica and Hsyti
as well as the lake Of Nicaragua.
THE Dismal Swamp, on the boundary
line Of Virginia and North Carolina, Ii
every year affected by the drought, &C
that the surface takes fire and burnI
until extIngulshed by the autumn