The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-04-28
Floods in Peru.
SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE sUBsIsTING on
CHARITY-TERRIBLE SUFFERING.
PORTLAND.

SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE sUBsIsTING ON
CHARITY-TERRIBLE SUFFERING.
CALLAo, March 2S.-Accounts continue TO
arrive from all sides of the damage done by
tne late Hoods. 1t is now estimated that in
eue southern portion of the republic alone ST.
ooo'ooo would not cover the losses sustained
MIR. Montloy, the United States ConsuI ot
Lambayeque, has forwarded despatcb to tho
American minister in Lima, from which is
taken the following interesting description of
the flood in Lambayeque:
The place has been almost totally DESTROYED
by the inlndaton from the rivers and from
the fearully heavy rains that have poured
down for fourteen days withoat iDtermission.
The few houses that are still standing are but
crumbling walls and unsafe to live in. We
are without communication from other towns,
except by means of two small RATS and two
boats brought by the people OF the port of
San Jose, and two scows made and brought
by some Americans at Terminate. The greater
part OF the people are encamped in huts,
Dullt oil bushes on the sand hills and the Hua-
cas-the boats and RATS are employed in tax
ing them away to the Pampas, whence they
may proceed to other towns; nothing saved.
The water only came up to the door of INV
house which is built on high ground hnt
through the roofs the rain poured like sieve.
running all my property. Persons with
whom had business relations are retuced 10
begyary, and thus lose almost everything /
possessed. To-day L have brought my fami-
ly from the sand hills, and the American en-.
gineers and carpenters are building me
bridge to enable me TO get my family with
clothing and bedding to San Jose. An hour
ago an express arrived from the Governor of
IprrInQfQ 1nnAnnaIn0 hra
again of the river of that district, which
pours its waters into the river passing through
this city, and we expect in few hours TO be
again flooded, and that the remaining houses
will come down. In the street in which my
house is situated but three remain, mine
among them; but so injured as to be unsafe.
expecting the roofs to cave in any moment.
God help us and save us from another show
er OF rain with that we would remain with
out an article of clothing. For fourteen DAYS
we have been soaked with water, and almost
without food. More tnan seven thousand
people are subsisting on the charity OF neigh
boring towns, but that cannot last The ha-
ciendas of sugarand cotton have suffered ter
ribly; crops and cattle are all swept away,
and no hopes are entertai ined of planting
again this year; six months will be necessary
for the waters to subside and the land TO dry;
this calamity is second only to the earthquake
of 1865 at Arequipa."
As communicated in my last letter, half
dozen other towns shared the fate of LAM
bayeque, so it will be easily understood how
great the damage has been, and how severe
must have been the privations of the suffer-
ers. The government of Peru despatched a
steamer north to the Gesolated district with
some engineers on beard, and money, provis-
ions, clothing, &C., for tue relief OF the many
flooded out.
In Arequipa the rains still continue. There
has not been such copious showers of ram for
many years. In 1866 it ralned somewhat,
though neither so heavy nor of such long du-
ration, and much damage was done to the
fields of maiz. The adobe walls which had
been injured by the earthquakes were giving
away.
The representatives of Great Britain,
France, Italy and the United States OF North
America and Germany, in a collective note of
10th March, return thanks to the Peruvian
government for the way in which it has satis-
tied the claims of their fellow subjects for the
damage they suffered during the pillage of
Callao in 1S65.-Cor. World.