Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-11-04
AN EARTHQUAKE.

AN EARTHQUAKE.
Guatcmala Visited by IL Terrible Erup-
| fiOn--The Town of Dueuos Partially ia
: stroyed-NeighbOring Villages Damaged
Taie Scene the Night of the Earthquake
Two Hundred People Supposed to be
Killed.
A Guatemala paper gives the follow
ing account Of the earthquake of the
3D. OF September last and it's effects.
Ever since the beginning of August
last several shocks of earthquake were
felt, but attracted little attention. AT
the end of the same month the shocks
became more frequent and stronger, up
to the 9th, just as a ball that was G. ven
to the President and his bride was about
to finish. Since that day the town OF
DuenOs, and other places in the neigh
borhood of what is called the Volcan
de F'uego, felt repeated shocks at short
intervals, sometimes preceded by sub
terranean detonations and other noises,
which were considered not anything I'M
usual, and SO led to no precautions be-
ing taken.
On the night of the Sd of September
the sky began to be overcast with dense
masses Of black clouds, and all nature
seemed to be in the most perfect repose
hot breath of wind was stirring
when about 9:1S terrible shock was
felt, produced by oscillations alternate
ly vertical and horizontal, accompanied
with noises in the bowels of the earth,
like the noise that follows sudden
stroke Of lightning. These were mo
ments of indefinite anguish, in which
the sound of the church bells, rung by
the earthquake, increased the terror of
the people. The movement continued,
in all it's intensity, for four seconds, af-
ter which the undulations of the earth
went on gradually diminishing If
these shocks had continued for two or
three seconds more, neither in this de-
partment nor in that of Chicago would
there have remained one stone upon
another, and hardly five per cent. Of the
population would have escaped with
their lives.
The people of this city (Antigua) ran
through the streets and plazas without
finding security or safety in any part
The lamentations, the ruins, and the
darkness of the night were such as to
appal the bravest, and, to make the
situation more terrible still, few hours
after the earthquake, the bells sounded
the alarm of fire, which had begun i'll
one of the houses, but with the aid of
some neighbors it was extinguished
During the remainder Of that terrible
night shocks were felt every hour or
two, the principal being that which was
felt at 2 o'clock in the morning. Every
one waited with anxiety the dawn
| When the sun shone out it was seen with
agreeable surprise that the city present
ed more or less it's usual aspect, al
though, on close examination, it was
found that the greater part of the hous-
esh ad suffered considerably, and many
were uninhabitable.
The number of victims cannot be de-
cided, because many of the dead bodies
remained buried under the stream of
mud which descended from the Cerro
del Tigre. In Antigua alone thirty per-
sons persisted, the greater part being
women and children. It is calculated
that twenty-five bodies were buried in
the other towns, and 100 more or less
bruised and wounded. On the morn
ing of the 4th Che writer of this set out
for the town of Duenos, which he found
in most miserable condition. The
greater part of the inhabitants were
leaving with their families, taking also
their furniture and animals. This emf
grafton was suspended by the sudden
arrival of the President of the Republic
and the Minister of War, who managed
to quiet the minds of the people, and
divided among them pecuniary assist
ance.
At the foot of the great volcano ex-
| tends small mountain called CerrO
del Tigre, rising about 5000 feet above
the level of the sea. 1t is united with
the great volcanic chain which runs
| from south to northwest, in this depart
ment and in that Of Chimaltenango. In
the centre Of this mountain must exist
the focus Of destruction; from thence
there is no doubt there exists subter-
ranean communication which, following
the direction of the Cordillera, comes
in contact with the volcanic mour tain
of "Atitlan." On all sides the reaction
of the compressed vapors on the inte-
rior of the earth tends to break through
the superficial strata, forming innumer-
able assures, which give exit to
frequent eruptions of mud, all
presenting the same characters
and properties. The excited state of
the people, in place of becoming calm
er, continues to increase daily. Many
families have removed to the capital,
abandoning their properties and inter-
ests; others are preparing to do the
same, frightened by the multitude of
exaggerations which circulate about.
Some say that the volcano is throwing
out fire on the side of Acatenaugo;
others assert that on the top of the
mountain there are immense lakes,
ready to give way and inundate the val
ley. Those simple people, who see
everything through the prism of fear,
readily believe everything they are told.
The losses suffered in the department.
are calculated to be from 100000 to
$3.50, 900, including farmhouses, machin-
cry, and some thousands of yards of
| ~