The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-06-21
Awful Earthquake.

Our Minister IN China, Gov.
Lowe, has forwarded to the Secrc.
tary of State the following trans
lation of a report Of an earthquake
in Bathang, in Szchuen,. made by
the Chinese Governor General OF
the province in whicl. it occur
red:
have ascertained that Bathang
lies on: a very elevated spot, be-
vond' the borders ofthc province,
about 2G0 miles West from Ii
tang, and moro than thirty post
stations from, the district town Of
Ta-tsien, on the high road to IT.
bet. About II O'Clock a. M., on
the 18th of April, 1870, the earth
trcmbled SO violently that the
Government Offices, temples. gra-
naries, stone and storehouses and
fortifcations, with all the common
dwellings and the Temple Of Ting
Lin, were at once ovcrthrown and
ruined. The only exception was
The hall in this Temple grounds
called Ta-Chao, which stood un-
harmed in its isolation. A few of
the troops and people escaped, bu,
! most of the inmates were crushed
and killed under the falling timber
and stone. Flames also sudden
ly burst out in four places, which
strong winds drove about until the
heavens were darkened wit h
smoke, and their roaring was
mingled with the lamentations of
the distressed people. On the
10Th the flames were beaten down,
but the rumb'ing noises were still
heard underground like distant
thunder, and the earth rocked ana
rolled like aship IN storm, at the
mercy Of the waves: The multi
piled miseries Of the afflicted in
habitants were increased by a
thousand fears, bnt in about ten
days matters began to grow qniet
Ind the motion to cease.
The grain collector at Bathang
says that for several days before
the earthquake the water had
| overfowed the dyke. but after it
the earth cracked in many places,
and black, fctid water spu,ted ont
in a furious manner. lfone poked
it the squirting instantly followed,
just as is the case with the salt
wells and fire wells, Gin the East
ern part of the province.) and this
explains how it happened that fire
followed the earthquake fo Ba-
thang.
As nearly as is ascerteineds there
were destroyed two large temples,
the Offices OF the collector of grain
tax, the local magistrate and the
The colonel, the Ting-tfh Temple,
and nearly 700 fathoms of wall
around it. and 35l rooms in all in
side; SIX smaller temples number
ing 22l rooms, besides 1,S49 rooms
and houses Of the common people.
The oumber Of people. soldiers and
limas killed by the crash was
2.299. among whom wero tho To-
cal magistrate and bis second in
I office.
The earthquake extended from
Bathans Eastward to Papg-chah-
muh, Westward to Nan-tun, on
the South to Lin-tsah-shih, and on
the North to the salt wells of
A-tuntSz, a circuit Of over 400
miles. occurred simultaneously
over the whole of this region In
some places steep hills split and
sunk into deep pits; in other hills
on level spots became precipitous
cliffs, and the roads and highways
were rendered impossible by o.
structiors.
The people were scattered and
bcssared like autumn leaves, and
this calamity to the people Of Ba-
thang and vicinity vas really one
Of the most distressing and de
struclive that has happened. The
Governor-Gencral twice memo
rialIzed the Emperor respecting it,
who granted aid to relieve the
misery, reopen the roads between
the post-bouses and rebuild or re-
pair the Offices and dwellings, as
they were needed. Many are now
resuming their occupations, and
the roads are everywhere pass
able.