Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-10-06

extraordinary Earthq quake ant Pan
ic-The Prediction of prof FaIb
Almost FuIfiIIed.
LIMA, Aug. 29.-The correspondent of
EI Naeional, writing from Iquique on the
2lst, says "The predictions of the Ger
man astronomer Falb have taken mp the
attention Of the inhabitants of this place
and its surroundings for many days, but
especially the 9Th, 10th, and 11th inst.
During these three days, which were those
upon which M. Falb predicted the first Sc
ries of shocks would occur, the larger num-
ber of the population left the city, for
greater security upon the open and elevated
adjacent plains. Nothing however occur
red on either of these days, and the fears
of our citizens being thereby quieted, they
returned TO the city on the 18th. On the
night of the Goth, however, the people
were startled at 1885 by terrible shock,
which IS described as being almost equal
in force to the earthquake of last year, and
at the same time, more prolonged Six
other inferior shocks followed at short in
tervals during the night. Upon the first
symptoms of earthquake the inhabitants
fled preciPitately from the city and re-
manned in the cou - till, the following
day. Here the cor 1tJrrence Of these earth
Qualles is regarded as a confirmation of the
L
took place on the Goth, in place of between
the 8th and 11th, as predicted At Are
quipa, distant about 80 leagues inland from
Islay, three most violent earthquakes were
experienced on the same night (20th) caus-
ing extreme terror to the inhabitants who
took refuge in the public squares These
earthquakes were of more than usual drra-
ton, and nearly of the same force as those
of 1868.
| On tne 18th inst. a severe shock was felt
| at Tarapaca in the interior; no subsequent
! advices have been received; but it was sup
| posed that this city had fully shared III the
commissions of the Goth. The city and
seaport of Islay also suffered one very
heavy, and several minor shocks of earth
quake OH the night Of the 20th compelling
its people to take refuge inland. A gentle
man writing from the City of Tacna, 40
miles inland from the port of africa, says :
! Every one is trembling with fear-result-
ing from tremendous earthquake which
occurred on the night of the Goth, at
1920 followed by othters which contin-
ued through the night, and which have not
ceased up to the time of writing. Every
person here breads a repetition Of the ter
rible calamity of August, 1868, and looks
upon these earthquakes as only prelimin-
airy to the great convulsions prognosticated
| by Falb, to take place on the 30th of Sep
tember or 1st or 9Th Of October next. Falb
predicted violent earthquakes in this month
also, only some days earlier, and these late
movements have caused the people here to
place implicit faith in the occurrence of the
second and more violent series of earth
quakeS, which he has fOretold All the in
habitants of the city, almost without ex-
ception have left their houses and encamp-
ed in the open air.
The correspondent of n Lima journal
writes thus from africa on the 22d inst ::
81 We are terrified. I write these lines un-
der the shadow of a sad calamity. Between
105 and II o'clock on the night of the Goth
we were subjected to a most terrific shock
OF earthquake, by far the most violent
have ever experienced, preceded and ac-
companied by most tremendous and terror
inspiring Subterraneous rumbings and
noises, such as I cannot attempt to
describe, and which can only be compre-
hended by actual experience. These
awful noises, accompanied by earth
quake upon earthquake, continued through
| the night, and the next day, and even to
! the present time. All the inhabitants who
possess the means have left the city for the
neighboring valleys, in which to await the
results of these extraordinary manifesto
tions OF nature" The fears of the people
We're much intensified by the predictions of
Falb and pointed more particularly to the
probability OF the submersion of the city
by tidal waves, when the great catastrophe,
foretold by the German astronomer, is ex-
pected to take place. Forty shocks occur
red within "a hours on the 10Th, and the
shaking of the earth continued up to the
latest date, the 22d.
! A passenger, who came up on the steam
er Pacific, gives the following graphic ac-
count of the earthquakes, as experienced
by him at Tacna: ''At about 105 o'clock, on
the night of the Goth, as [ was engaged at
billiards, with a friend, ut the hotel, we
suddenly heard a most fearful subterrane-
Gus noise, compared with which the firing
of a thousand guns would be as nothing
Every soul IN the building Immediately
rushed for the street. / stood paralyzed
with fear, not knowing what to DO the aw-
| full sensation being entirely new to me. The
| shock followed within four or five seconds,
rocking the house to and fro, as if it were
a plaything. Notwithstanding the
confusion Of those few moments to
me the most dreadful had
ever experienced observed the balls on
the table driven to the cushion on one side,
| then to the other, then back again to the
middle, where they remained nearly sta
| tionary, moving only very slightly, from
what [ supposed to be vibratory motion
consequent upon the first shocks. These
could not have had q duration of more than
| 80 seconds, by which time | had sufficiently
recovered mJ senses to hurry to the street,
and make the best of my way to the plaza
or the alameda. Hundreds of people were
running in the same direction-men, wO-
men and children. In my flight had suf-
ticient presence Of mind to pick ND little
girl of or 8 years, who had failed down
in a fainting tit caused by sheer
! fright. Thus burdened, [ had not
! proceeded the length of our street, when
| the piteous wailing OF poor woman, pros
trate in the street, again arrested me-
| Many hurried by without noticing her
agonizing cries, intent only upon their own
safety 1 quickly OWNED the unhappy
situation of the poor creature, and lament
ed my inability to succor her, bat she
seemed Indifferent to her own fate as com
pared with the safety of little child of
two years, which clung to her In mute ter
ror and which she ImplOred me to take to
place of security. [ seized 1T and rushed
on IN less time than | have taken TO tell it,
| leaving the unfortunate woman and her un-
born babe to their fate-L could not help
! it had no remedy. did all could in
saving the two little ones In a
few minutes, during which experienced an
other shock of earthquake, which nearly
threw me off my feet, L reached the plaza,
in the center of which were nearly ali the
| inhabitants who had not taken refuge in
the alameda. The scene can scarcely be
described. Men, women and children
were in their night clothes, most of them
on tLeir knees, and all praying most fer
vently amidst defeaning walls of Dios mio!
Sdntissi1la Sonora ! niseric0rdiat and the
frightened cries of little children of papa !
mamma | remained III the plaza all night
not knowing what to expect. During this
time so many earthquakes occurred that l
did not count them, but / should
say there must have been at least
thirty. [ see the papers say forty
but do not think any person could have
had sufficient presence of mind during that