, 1873-04-12

Tho telegraph brings the information that tho
City Of San Salvador, tho Capital Of Tho Central
American Republic Of tho sarne namo, was entire-
ly destroyed by an earthquake on tho 4th of
March, in Which 800 lives were lost and 912, ,000,~
600 worth of property destroyed. It is not prob
able that the account, which will bo found olso-
whero, ia exaggerated. The country is Of . vol
canio character, fyo moro or loss actiyo vol
canoes existing taoro within an area 40 miles in
longth aud DO miles in breadth. Tho aamo city
has boen twice visited by earthquakes, ,--onco in
1864 and again by slight shock III 1862 The
damage dono by tho earthquake Of 1861 was equal
to that reported to llayo occurred within q I ow
wooks though the loss Of lfo was leas At tat timo
San Salvador was city Of 10000 inhabitants,
well bnilt up, aud enjoying thriving commerce.
Thoro woro loo vos lost In tho earthquake of that
year, and tho beautiful city was almost entirely
RACED to tho ground. Tho Capital was removed
for thc timo being, but subsequently restored in
1856 The increase Of population was neccssar-
ly slow, and many years aftor it had only 10, 900
iphabitanta. It III probable that at tho Gate OF
tho last destruction tho population numbered
from 10000 to 5000 souls. That 900 Of those
Should hayo mot their doath is nm evidence Of
tho tcrrible nature Of tho earthquake that Inns
visited it, and the wholesale destruction
which t brought with it.. Tho trado
of the. city wns chiefly. Ill sugar
and indigo, bit it a!so Ind mas,ufactorios of
iron and cotton goods. Its port OIL tho PacAc
was Mhortad, situated fow miles from tho city.
Iho population was Of wl.ito (mostly spalliarfls),
Lodinoes [of mixed wlllto and Indian blooD,
nogrocH, and mulattoos. Tho murder mud pill
lage which were incident to the disaster nre
characteristics Of tho lnixod mud somi-Hayago
population.
Tho topography of San Salvador IL Of char
actor to sustain pretty much alt tho theories Of
earthquakes tlnt hnvo boon advanced. It la
long, irreguler strip, Of coast laud, which might
well illustrate tho theory of tho uneven sottling
Of tlo oarth'a Burfuce. It was also Of vol
canio formation. rho city which has just
boon destroyed was Situated within tlroo miles
of the San Salvador volcano, which is about
o,0oo feet high, and ono OF tho largest, though
not tho moat aetiYc, Of tho Central American
volcanoes. Tho visitation Of earthquakes, Oh
whatever theory they como, 10 the moat terrible
and rolcntless known to nature. It gives 10
warming, and accomplishos its work Of death
aud destruction almost instantanooualy. TIL.
great earthquakes of recent occurrence wero
ono in Smyrna about 0 yoar ago, ard ono In st.
Thomaa two yoars ago, and one Oh tho whole
west coast Of South America three years ago,
1t would DO reasonable to suppose tlau Sun
Salvador would bo abandoned attor this third
experience in earthquakes. particularly as the
eonhagratou Which il reported as following It will
probably consume what the earthquake had loft.
The attao}Anent to locality is tenacious, how
ever, md, as tho City Of san Salvador was founded
as long ago IA 1923, 1t ID not Impossible that
many OF tho very pooplo who laye escaped will
attempt to ro-eatablsh themselves in tue same
spot.