The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-15
The Earthquake e San Salvador
Timely Warnings to the Inhabitants.

The Earthquake # San Salvador
Timely Warnings to tho Inhabitants.
We entertain the hope that the despatch
from Aspinwall announcing, with the destruc-
ton of the city of San Salvador by an earth
quake, the loss of eight hundred human lives,
is an exaggeration of the fatalities from the
terrible calamity. We are drawn to this
opinion from the letter published in Satur-
days HERALD addressed to Messrs. J. j.
Ribon and Munoz the former the Consul
General for this city from San Salvador, in
which letter the writer, SeIor j. Milendes,
says March 10, 1879 &c Since the 4th of this
month we (of San Salvador) are all living in
great state of alarm, for we have experienced
one hundred and ten shocks of earthquake
more or less The most terrible Of them ALL
which occurred on the date just mentioned
March ~, affected, we believe, the stability
of almost every building in the city. We are
ignorant, however, from which OF the vol
canoes the shocks proceed"
This was written at San Salvador on the 10th
OF March, and April 10 is the date of our de-
spatch from Aspinwall, which does not give
the date Of the crushing earthquake and de-
structive confagration reported. Allowing
ten days for the news to come down the Pa
cifc coast from San Salvador-say nine hun
dred miles to Panama and thence across the
isthmus to Aspinwall the eliminating earth
quake reported at San Salvador did not probably
occur till about the Goth of March, and from the
10th to the Goth the city was, doubtless, sub
jected to numerous shocks day and night We
infer that from these warnings, continued
through period of twenty days, the citizens
had taken the alarm, and that probably two
thirds of them had retreated from the city,
and that those who remained were prepared to
fly at moments notice, and that thus the
loss Of life from the crowning catastrophe was.
comparatively small. These are our conclu-
sions from the letter of Senior Milendes.
The city of San Salvador was founded by
Spanish colony in 1923. The little Republic
of which it is the capital is in length one hum
dred and sixty miles, with breadth varying
from ffty-fve to seventy miles, and possessing
a fertile soil and delightful tropical climate,
is one Of the most prosperous Of the Central
American States. But it is pre-eminently
volcanic country, situated on the backbone Of
the Continent, which bristles with volcanoes
from South America to the heart Of Mexico. In
the State of San Salvador there are dozen vol
canic peaks along the crest of the plateau,
and within three miles of the city is one Of
these peaks, rising some nine thousand feet
above the Sea, and bearing the name Of San
Salvador. For many years this crater, half
league in circumference, has been inactive and
partially filed with water. But doubtless it
is from the closing of this safety valve that
the city from time to time has so severely suf-
fered from earthquakes, particularly in 1859
and 1854, when in each visitation it was
nearly destroyed As precautions against
these dangers the houses are built low, with
thick walls; but in other respects the city,
with its aqueducts, cathedrals, churches, con-
vents and university, its broad streets, plazas,
shade trees and fountains presented a fine APP
pearnnce to the approaching traveller from the
neighboring heights. In 1854, when the city
was Frustrated, the seat Of government was
transferred to the town of Cojutepeque
Salvador with the repair of the public build
ings. This disastrous earthquake Of 1873 will
probably cause the permanent removal of the
State capital to some safer locality. The
people Of San Salvador, with two such warn
ings as those of 1854 and 1873, will certainly
act wisely in now permanently abandoning
that dangerous ground, attractive and con-
venient for the central administration of pub
lie affairs and for trade as the situation may be.
In the breaking up of our late severe and
protracted Winter our Continent is passing
through q season, north Of the Equator, of
fierce tornadoes, heavy storms and destruc-
tive foundations. Experience, too, has taught
us that these periodical and widely extended
atmospheric disturbances in the transition
from Winter to Summer are more or less
attended, in the zones affected, with subter-
ranean perturbations, such as tidal waves,
earthquakes and fierce eruptions in volcanic
districts In this view, whatever may be the
real extent of the disasters to life and property
from the reported earthquake in San Salvador,
we shall not be surprised if within few
weeks we hear of other tremblings of the
ground between Central America and Oregon.
THE SITUATION IN MEx1co.-By HERALD
special telegram from Mexico City We are en-.
abled to state the existence of internal quiet
in the republican territory and the continu-
ance, to very recent date, OF a satisfactory