The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-06-23
O he Grue 9orthernrr.
Terrible Earthquake i'm China-Three
Thousand People Killed.

Our Minister in China, Gov. Lowe,
has forwarded to the Secretary of State
the following translation of report of
terrible earthquake, from the Chinese
Governor General of the province in
which it occurred:
| have ascertained that Bathang lies
on very elevated spot beyond the Dor.
ders of the province, about two hun
dred and sixty miles west from Ii Tang,
and more than thirty post stations from
the district town of a-tsien, on the
high road TO Thibet.
About eleven o'clock a. m., on the
18th of April, 1871, the earth trcmbled
so violently that the Government offices,
temples, granaries, stone and store
houses and Notifications, with all the
common dwellings and the temple. of
Ting-lin, were at once overthrown and
in the temple grounds called Ta-chao,
which stood unframed in its location.
A few of the troops and people es
capped, but most of the inmates were
crushed and killed under the falling
timber and stone. Flames also sud-
denly burst out in four places, which
strong winds drove about until the
heavens were darkened with smoke,
and their roaring was mingled with the
lamentations of the distressed people,
On the 10th the flames we're beaten
down, but the rumbling noises were
still heard underground like distant
thunder, and the earth rocked and
rolled like ship in storm at the
mercy of the waves. The multiplied
miseries of the afflicted inhabitants
were increased by thousand fears, but
in about ten days matters began to
grow quiet and the motion to cease.
The grain collector at Bathang says
that for several days before the earth.
quake the water had overlooked the
dyke, but after it the earth cracked in
many places, and black, fetid water
spurted out in furious manner. If
one poke1 the earth the squirting in
stantly followed, just as is the case with
the salt-wells and fire-wells Gin the east
ern part of the province) and this ex.
plains how it happened that fire fol-
lowed the earthquake in Bathang.
AS nearly as is ascertained there were
destroyed two large temples, the offices
of the collector of grain tax, the local
magistrate, and the colonel, the Ting
lin temple, and nearly 700 fathoms OF
wall around it, and 35l rooms in all in
side; six smaller temples, numbering
221 rooms, beside l,S49 rooms and
houses of the common people. The
number of people, soldiers and lamas
killed by the crash was 2,29Sl Among
whom were the local magistrate and his
second in office.
The earthquake extended from Ba-
thang eastward to Pang Chahemuh,
westward to Nan tun on the south to
Lin tash-shih, and on the north to the
salt wells of A-timtsz, a circuit of over
400 miles. 1t occurred simultaneously
over the whole of this region. In some
places steep hills split and sunk into
deep pits; in others, hills, on level
spots, became precipitous cliffs, and the
roads and highways were rendered i'm
passable by Instructions.
The people were beggared and scat
tered like autumn leaves, and this
calamity to the people of Bathang and
vicinity was really one of the most dis
tressing and destructive that has ever
happened in this country.
The Governor General twice memo
rallied the Emperor respecting it, who
granted aid to relieve the misery, re-
open the roads between the post-houses,
and rebuild or repair the offices and
dwellings as they were needed. Many
are now resuming their occupations and
the roads are everywhere passable.