Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-05-01
SAN SALVADOR.
The Destruction of the City by an Earth
quake-Particulars of the Awful CaIam-
Ity by an Eyewitness.


A correspondent, who visited the i'll
fated city of San Salvador immediately
after the recent terrible earthquake,
writes as follows to the New York
Herald:
Such p scene of desolation I have
never before Witnessed, unless it be
africa. The whole town was down, with
the exception of one or two wooden
houses. All the churches, including
the cathedral,5were a heap of ruins.
The spire of the latter had been arrested
in its fall, and remained in a standing
position, like the leaning tower of Pisa,
but at a much greater angle. One of
the bells must have been swung COM
pletely round, as it remained mouth up.
The United States consulate was a mass
of ruins inside, though the outer walls
were standing. Mr.. Riddle, resident
Minister for the United States, with his
five little children, had a very narrow
escape. The place being built of wood
remained standing, except where stone
had been used, in which places the sides
had fallen, leaving great gaps in the
building. There was not one single
house left in a habitable condition. The
stronger the walls the greater was the
ruins, and the streets were all a mass of
debris. Mr.. Blair and his friends were
living in Patio, under q rude tent. sur
rounded by the ruins of the consulate.
They were all wonderfully CHEEKY under
the circumstances, and as kind and hos
pitable as if nothing had happened.
Mrs. Keogh's escape was miraculous.
The room in which she was sleeping was
completely wrecked, and she must have
been killed but for some beams which
prevented the wall from crushing her.
Accounts differ as to the number of lives
lost. Some say as many as so were
killed and 500 wounded, others not SO
much but all agree that the number is
wonderfully small, considering the dam
age done. Indeed, looking at the ruins,
it seems extraordinary how any escaped,
especially as the catastrophe happened
in the night. Most providentially, the
final shock which brought down the
town WAS preceded by two others of suf-
fcient force to awaken and alarm the
inhabitants, who had time to rush out
and save their lives. The President be-
haved most nobly, and by his admirable
regulations and discipline, which he en-
forced, prevented any riots or robberies.
The city was placed under martial law,
the citizens were authorized to shoot
any one interfering with their property,
and sentries were posted at the n
of the streets with orders to fire at any
one lurking about after dark. Judging
by the way rifle balls were flying about
during the night, they must have kept a
sharp lookout.
During u stay in the city-some 4S
hours-we experienced seven or eight
shocks of earthquake of more or less
violence. No further damage was done
by them, simply because nothing more
could be done, unless the earth opened
and swallowed up the rivers. In some
places it had already opened, some of
the cracks being upward of a foot wide,
and of considerable depth.
Many horses and mules we're killed by
falling walls, and those that remained
seemed to have their nerves all shat
tered. Mr.. Blair told me that one of his
mules, a valuable animal, was now quite
worthless from the fright she had re-
ceiyed. She would stop and tremble at
the slightest sound. Birds also seemed
in an excited state. At every shock all
the cocks began to crow, and pigeons
left their resting places and wheeled
wildly in the air.
The President issued a decree the
day following the disaster, saying that
the town would be rebuilt on its site.
One cannot help admiring the pluck of
the gallant old man, but it is nothing
more no. less than tempting Providence,
to do such things. The city has been
completely destroyed already six OF
seven times at intervals Of about twenty
years. The last time wa in 1854. The
ground upon which it is built is a mere
shell. By placing ones ear to the earth,
running water may be distinctly heard,
and if struck by any heavy object a hol-
low sound is produced. The Indians
e build on that site, and it is sheer
folly to do so now.