Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-05-03
EARTHQUAKE.


A PopuIous philippine leland
shaken to Pieces.
Mails from Madrid bring the news Of the
destruction by an earthquake Of the town
Of Cottabato, capital Of the Spanish East
Indian island Of Mindanao. The follow
ing is from the letter Of a resident of the
toWni
At 10 minutes past in the afternoon Of
Dec. s, Cottabato was a Joyous place,
whose inhabitants walked TRANQUILITY by the
banks of the beautiful river, which bathed
its feet. At 20 minutes past 6-that is to
say, within 10 minutes-it was a heap of
ruins. A fearful but short trembling of the
earth, Of an intensity unknown In the Phil
ippines, destroyed in one moment the in
dustry of years. The subterranean rumb-
ling which preceded it, the noise Of hun
| dreds of houses falling, the horrible specta-
Gle Of the earth waving, as if it were a
liquid, and the sad conviction that no one
could fly, for the place is situated in delta,
inspired terrors in the inhabitants utterly
impossible to describe. The open fields,
the trees, and the hillOcks served as a dan
gerous lodging place for the natives. A
pitiless rain storm was falling, accompan-
led by lightning and shaking ofthe ground.
The accidents would have been great but
for the serenity Of the garrison-due to
their military discipline-so useful in such
cases. After attending to the invalids of
the hospital, which fell down, they in TWEEN
ty minutes covered the fields with hum
dreds OF tents, under which they and the
people took shelter. By this means the
casualties were limited to sundrY persons
confused and one boy killed.
The night was awful through the con-
slant oscillations of the earth. Frightful
confusion reigned, augmented by the idea
which ran through the populaee that the
surrounding hills might be converted into
volcanoes, as happened not many months
ago in a neighbOring island. 1t midnight
the rain ceased and then commenced the
moving spectacle of an entire population on
on the march, traversing over ruins, chant
ing fervent litany; the European con-
founded with the native, the master with
the servant, the officer with the soldier.
Next morning (9th), which may be said
to have been a continuation Ofthe previous
night commenced with fog so great that
it was hardly possible to see anything
ahead. This caused fears of fresh misfor
tunes. At halfpast seven the earth, as if
moved by the hand ola giant, became more
agitated than it was the previous night.
The aspect an around was desolating; the
ruins seemed to boil, the still standing walls
fell down, and lamentatiOn, CRYING, and
praying completed the most affecting picture
that could be conceived.
The earthquake presented the singular
phenomenon Of being repeated six times.
Fearing general caving in of the ground,
the navy, represented on this occasion by
two gunboats in the river, offered to convey
on board as many as they could carry. The
Governor, Bligadier Fernandez de Cordovs,
ordered the embarkation of as many fe-
males as possible. His wife and other la
dies offered the brave spectacle of refusing
to leave their husbands on shore. One af-
ticted mother of two young cadets clungto
them so closely that force had to be used
to separate her and to carry her on board.
Fortunately the tremblings at last ceased;
but every hour we felt some slight rum
bling, from which gather that the subter-
ranean gases had not found means of
escape through any of the numerous ex-
tinct volcanoes in the neighborhoOd. The
risk and uncertainty, which the authorities
tried in vain to hide by music and TIE
Deums, spread CONSERVATION to all the in
habitants in this unhappy land. The native
Indians fed in canoes and RATS, but the
garrison, with an abnegatiOn and patriot
ism worthy of all praise, remained true to
their posts, determined to sink with this
piece of earth, gained at the cost of Spanish
blood, rather han abandon it to the thou
sands ofsavages who, from the opposite
banks, waited an opportunity for seizIng on
this important place.