The sun., 1873-04-21
SAN SALVADOR IN RUINS.
An EARTH0UARE UNDER 4 GEN.
TRAL AMERICAN CITY.

The shocks Continuing for Fifteen DAYS
Ooiy Two Baiiding- Left standing From
Finy to Five Hundred Lives Lost.
PANAMA, April 5.-The Pacifc Mail Steam-
ship Honduras, Capt. Dow, arrived here on the
morning of the 4th inst, aud brlngs details Of
one Of the severest earthquakes that have
afIlicted Central America. Reports had circu-
lated previously that there had been terrible
earthquake, which had seriously affected the
city Of San Salvador. Now 1t appears that the
city has been laid In ruins. The history " this
terrible catastrophe is as follows:
The drst shocks were felt on the 4th Of March
last, which destroyed some houses and alarmed
the inhabitants OF san Salvador, the greater part
Of whom took to living In the squares and open
places. The shock. continued with moro or less
frequency and force until the 10th Of the same
month, when a shock came which
LAID THE WHOLE CITY IN RUINS.
Every town and village within n radius Of
twenty miles have suffered more or less Fortn-
natey. owing to the previous shocks having
frightened the greater part of the population
from living In their houses, the loss of life has
not been 50 great as u would otherwise have
been. cut oi = 1pd'.tlon OF iVNo,, which the
number reported killed and wounded varies
from 81 to 10. The only bu,ldings left standing,
though damaged, IL the Hotel del Parque and
the Government Palace. In the midst 81 the
d lst and cons ernatipn fire broke out IN drug
] Its
mcnt functionaries stood 10 their posts aud did
their several duties in highly credit iple man
/ 1ecla and established hin eli IN the principal
square of the capital In a tent reprcsSed all at
! tempts at disorder ana robbery, aud rendered
assistance wherever 1t WAS mot needed. Any
| one found carrying away property not their own
THE CITY TO M nEuuGtr
The authorities .t.ll persist In rtbu.iulng the
city ON the same -i'c, although this Is the eighth
time within 10 YEAR that the city has been de-
removed To- Santa 1ech the only building that
| stUud the shocks with the least I'M iiy was
building erected Of timber. The impulse at
present Is to import timber fr IN California for
! the construction Of such earthquake proof
houses. Aid and money. nave been rendered
! aud sent from all parts Of the republic. Every
| thng has risen to exurhitant price,. The prs-
| oners in the Jail were removed to other places,
and the Sisters of Charity have been assiduOus
| Capt Kennedy, Of n. u. VI. ship Reindeer gave
all the assistance he could, aud offered her house
for the use OF Mr. Biddle, the United states
| Minister. The latter, rs well rs the Govern
ment, returned letters Of thanks to Capt. Ken
nedy.
THE FOREIGN SUFFERERS
| Among the heavy foreign sufferers doing bust-
Moses Levy & CO., London Ksttengeli 4 Camp
| bell, Manchester; q. Ii. kerfOrd Co.. Liver
pool and among the resident merchants are
| Kerford keOgh, Mpssr-. CaraZzo 4 Duke, Do
rantes Ojeida, Blanco \ Trigueros, J. N. Per-
alta, ID. Emetario Nuana- and Jose Rosa!es,
| though every one has, Of course, suffered mors
Great fears entertained that the stoppags
of sewers exposure, and fright, the dead bOdie iee
| uncovered from beneath the ruins, and other
| morblnc conditions may bring on an epidemic.
| A fine bridge lately built across river on the
! road to Soyapango was thrown down. Other
| roads have been rendered impassable by i'm
| mense blocks Of stone thrown down from the
| heights. some hundred tons In weight. Owing 10
| the continuance of tn, shocks more than forty
| bodies were displ .ced from out OF the inches ln
| which they are placed In the cemetery
THE CAUSE or THE EARTuQUAk..
| The earthquake IL supposed 10 have been
caused by the suppressed volcano OF ST. Thomas,
| one OF the seven volcanoes within a radius of
| thirty miles. lzalco Is at present ia full blast,
| throwing down its sides constant stream VI
| lava, visible at night along the whole coast VI
| the Balsam region.
The ofcers Of the Reindeer report that the
| United States consulate as "A mass Of ruins in
| side, though the walls were standing. Mr.
| Biddle, the United states Minister. with Ave
| little ones. had narrow escape. During the
| two days three officers remained In san saliva
| dor, and they felt eight shocks Ia some places
| the ground cracked IA foot wide and ycry deep.
| At every shock all the cocks la the place began
| to crow and pigeons wheeled about Wildly 10
| the air. The English visitors considered II a
| temptation Of Providence to rebuild the city
again ON the same spot. The crust below II IS
! evidently mere shell The ear placed close "
| the ground hears noise like running water,
and the flll of heavy stone produces hollow
sound. The Indians would never buiii "n this