Connecticut western news., 1872-05-31
The Story of Antioch.

IG0F' w. DIOWu A06r, 1Hto I1hrDOT Chaplain at Bombay, writes to the edi- tor of the London Times in relation to the earthquake at Antioch; He says:
 "It may interest some of your readers who wish to compare notes to learn that severe shock of earthquake was felt here yesterday, precisely at s AM, En- glish reckoning, or shortly before 2 in the day, Turkish time. The house which I was in was shaken violently to and fro for four or five seconds, or. as one gen. tleman thinks, even more. A stove weighing nearly hundred-weight was overturned the walls of stone and plas- ter, with woodwork and beams, were cracked, and the plaster fell on all sides. Books were thrown from the cases, and clock hurled from bracket on the wall into an armchair, few feet distant, without breaking the glass case or the clock-works. Outside the house the walls fell, the narrow streets (only about twelve or fifteen feet wide, and some less) being literally blocked up for long distances with the ruins of fallen houses, and dense cloud of dust arose on all sides. Men, women and children ran hither and thither, bewailing their own hurts or the loss of relatives. I went down to the bridge, southwest of the city, about two hours after, at 10 o'clock A. M, and saw many dead persons brought out of the city and laid out for burial
 Later, counted fifteen new graves, all close by each other. Looking toward the town, ruins could be seen in all di- rections. Several acqueducts were bro ken, and telegraph poles were thrown down and the wires broken. The Greek church, strong stone-arched structure, built only few years ago, and capable of holding 800. or 600 persons, was ut- terly ruined-one side and the entire roof was gone. The American Protest ant church and premises are also greatly injured, and four persons of their small sion families are all safe. The number of killed and wounded cannot be ascer- tained with any approach to accuracy, and, of course, flying rumors are abun- dant, one man saying that he thought there must be 1,000k killed, while another said there must be 500, and third 250, which is, perhaps, within the truth. The city contains from 12,000 to 15,00O per i sons, it is said, but no accurate census exits. There was time from the begin ming of the first shock to it's close for many to escape the falling houses or walls, and during it's continuance two o1 three persons in the house where write walked across the room and (not very quickly) down stairs while the shock lasted. Several smaller and lighter shocks occurred for an hour or two after wards, but not sufficiently strong to shake down buildings. These shocks have continued at intervals through the night, and another, more distinct anc wave-like, was felt to shake the house with loud, hollow, rumbling noise about half-past six this morning. The first shock yesterday was immediately preceded by runbling and creaking O. the joints of the window and door frames to which 0 louder noise, like thunder succeeded, and then walls and building fell. Several mind,e are cracked, bu
 all yet stand, though some of the archet caravansaries and baths near them have fallen. The old Roman bridge of fou1 arches is rent in several places until tht water can be seen through it from above a part of the parapet wall has also beer shaken off, and the arch above the city door at it's east end has been hurled down and lies almost whole. Much dam age has been done to houses in the lowe
 part of the town, and many of the in habitants are to be seen encamped abou
 in the fields or plain. It is nearly lift, years since the last similar visitation occurred to this city-viz., on the 13tl of August, 1922-when some thousand
 of lives were lost here and ill Aleppo at which place the interior Of the for was entirely destroyed. Here the effect of the shock are less visible in the uppe
 part, or southeastern portion of the city, near the foot of the lofty hills O.
 mountains on which the old Roman cas- tie walls yet remain. Some distress of
 temporary kind will doubtless be felt
 but the rains,.which have been abundant give prospect of plenty, and provision are at present by no means dear."