Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-04-23

dation that arose from the wounded or the
timorous, threw evea those who endeavored
| to maintain some degree of composure INTO
torture of bewilderment and dread. Inc
darkness intensified the horrors OF the mo-
ment. The sense of obvious and inevltapie
calamity was aggravated by the universal un-
certainty as to the impending resuits' rev
were venture some enough to str from the Po-
sitions ii, which they had fixed themselves for
the night. for it was at least known that the
earth had opened in many places, and this,
although the extent of the assures could not
at once be discovered, was a danger especial
ly to be avoided in the obscurity. The last
thrill was thrown over the striker populace
by sudden fires, which shot up in various
quarters and cast a lurid glow upon the sky,
though not sufficiently illuminating il to rem
der any general movement practicable. By
some extraordinary processes of communica-
ton, which are said to be not uncommon on
similar occasions of intense public alarm,
rapid intelligence of many of the most start
| ling incidents OF the visitation often dis
torted and exaggerated, but on the whole SUIT
| hciently well based in fact-was circulated
| long before dawn; and as light gradually
broke upon the ruined city, hardly an individ-
ual among the anxious and excited multitude
was unprepared 10 meet the scene Of dreary
desolation that came in view.
The city of San Salvador had ceased TO ex-
ist. Its sites was covered with masses OF
ugly and shapeless ruins, with only lew
fragments standing in isolated spots TO mark
the locality of what had been its most con-
spicuous edifces. The lines of the street
were almost undistinguishable. Only sin
gle house is known to have escaped without
serious injury of any kind, and this was
wooden dwelling. Most of the buildings were
of adobe, and few, such as the Government
establishments, were partly of stone. None
of these was spared The chief hotel of the
place, the principal official department and an
unmposing ecclesiastical institution suffered
a little less severely than the rest, but only
the latter of these remained at all habitablc.
1t was Immediately taken and occupied by the
Government authorities. San Salvador was
never distinguished by anything like majesty
of appearance. Like all Central American
towns, it was always in condition of partial
dilspidation, at least to foreign eyes, but it
would hardly have seemed possible that the
most furious of commissions could have turned
it into such picture of dire wretchedness and
desolaiion as it offered on that gloomy morn
ing. No one would have suspected that it
possesse capacities for such display of ut
ter overthrow and irremediable confusion.
1t is not the nature of such city to be pic
turesque, even in distinctions but it was pit
ably desolate, and to the inhabitants the effect
must have been affecting and appalling.
have mentioned that the remains Of only the
e most ia amliar edifices were clearly distinguish
- able The cathedral, which was in soma re
n spects the most notable structure that tht
!. capital contained, was strangely rent ant
shivered. Its spire, as it happened, wal
thrown only half over, and one of its bell.
$ had been turned upside down by the upheava
IS of the earth, in which position it remained
J. The effects of the earthquake on the sur
rounding country are not yet fully known
e The town of Santa Tecla, Soyopango, Sar
e Tomas and Ilopango are all partially des'
h troyed. Santa Ana and Sonsonate are, SO fai
u as is known, uninjured. At a certain pass on
c the Guaramal road. about Is miles from San
e Salvador, the way is blocked by huge rocks
of 100 tons weight, which were hurled down
from the mountain sides. The greatest
amount of violence, though not the most Sc
rious in its consequences, is said to have been
felt around the old volcano of St. Thomas,
twelve miles from the city, from which it is
supposed that the conyulsion originated al
that place
OF the villages recently clustered around
this activity hardly yestige is said to re-
main. At La Libertad, the seaport of Sar
, Salvador, 50 miles distant, the shock was for
chilly felt, though, as it singularly happens
not so severely as that ON the 4th instant
connected with the phenomena is the fac
8 that. at the exact hour Of the heaviest shock
the Pacific Mail steamship Winchester, just
then entering the Nicaraguan port of Corinto
at distance of l25 miles, was lifted by a sud
den wave in such manner as to stop the
working OF the engines, in consequence OF
which then inexplicable occurrence, the com.
mander, Capt Searle, caused the machinery
to be reversed and the ship to be moved back
ward a considerable space from the Shore un-
til tie was finally assured that no danger await
him.
Up to the present time it is impossible to
estimate with accuracy the number of human
victims of this catastrophe. The warning ag-
itations of the 4th inst. had, as l have mem
toned, kept the people constantly on the
! alert, and comparatively few were within
doors on the morning of the 10Th. The two
! preliminary shocks OF that day further ad-
, monished all who could do so to seek places
of safety. For these reasons it Is hoped and
believed that the list of killed will be small
Less than so dead bodies have thus far been
, found, and there seems good reason to sup
pose that the wounded, in various ways, will
be less than SEQ. But there are very few
facilities for collecting details upon these
!, points, and the whole will probably not be
known for some time to come. Moreover
, these figures apply only to the capital itself
OF the calamities in the suburbs and, indeed
within radius of 40 miles, over the whole Of
which the earthquake is known to have ex
tended, we nave not even an approximate
idea. But enough is known TO establish thai
this has been by far the most destructive visi
tation in its effects upon property that Cen
trail America has yet endured.
GENERAL MINIS.