The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-06-17
APPALLING CALAMITY.
Earthquake in South America 10000
lives lost.


lives lost.
HAVANA, June 11-News has been re-
ceived here by way of st. Thomas, of a
terrible earthquake in New Grenada. The
destruction was greatest in the valley of
Cucuta, on the Venezuelan frontier 1t is
reported that 10000 lives were lost by the
calamity.
PANAMA, June 4-The royal mail
steamship Balize, which arrived at
Aspinwall to-day from Savanilla, brings
the following particulars published in an
extra of the Barranquilla shipping Last,
May 30, of a terrible earthquake in the
Andes. The information which has reached
us on the subject is contained in a letter
dated in Salazar, seven leagues from Cucuta,
the 18th of May, from which we extract
and translate the following At lilo A.
NJ. of yesterday (1Sth) a severe earthquake
visited this city and region. In this city a
large part of the church fell Several
houses were destroyed and some people
killed, The city of Cucuta is entirely
destryed, only a few families being saved.
The Botica AUemdnia German drug store)
was set on fire by ball of fire which was
thrown out of the volcano, which is con-
stantly belching out lava. This volcano
has opened itself in front of Santiago III a
ridge called ''El alto de la Giracha" San
Cayetano was estroyed-Santiago in a
large part. In Gramalote there was great
destruction. Arboleda, Cucutilla and San
Cristobal are nearly destroyed, principally
the last four, The population of these
towns is estimated by Il person we'll ac-
quainted in that region, more or less, as
follows: San Cayetano, 1000; Santiago,
1000; Gramalote, 5000; Arboleda, 5000;
Cucutilla, 5000; San Cristobal, 10000
The country above referred to embraces the
regions around about where Colombia and
Venezuela join, the Colombian portion
embracing the State of Santander 1t is
in some respects the most productive part
of this republic, and the coffee of the region
is famous all the world over The shock
was felt sharply in Bogota and adjoining
sections. A gentleman who was, at the
time in Facaltiva says that the movement
lasted for thrcc-quarters of minute. 1t
was also slightly felt in Barranquila.
TIE SCENE OF TIE CALAMITY.
As will be scene from the above dis
patches, a terrible earthquake visited =
portion of New Grenada on the 18th of
May, by which it is estimated that least
thirty-fve thousand persons were either
killed, wounded or rendered homeless. The
cities of Salazar, on the frontier of New
Granada, Of San Jose de Cucuta, also on
the borders of the same State to the east,
and the less important towns of San
Cayetano, Santiago, Gramalote, Arboleda,
Cucutilla and San Cristobal, were all either
totally destroyed or so shaken as to render
them almost wholly worthless either for
places of residence or business. Salazar is
place of some pretension, while San Jose
de Cucuta is and old town, with a popula-
ton of from eighteen to twenty thousand
people. The main articles of trade at this
city were coffee and cacao, which were sent
to market either through the ports of
Venezuela, or down the Magdalena river
to the Caribbean Sea. The other places
injured or destroyed were ofless Importance
ranging in population from 10, 900 to 20, ,000
souls. The section Of country in which
the late fearful upheaval took place is
decidedly volcanic in its geological character
and outcroppings. The centre of the force
was located in the valley of Cucuta, which
has more than once given evidence Of the
presence of hidden power in the bowels of
the earth. The population of the smitten
region is composed of Spaniards and
domcsticated Indians, with some American
and English adyenturcrs, and the crops
consist of coffee, cotton, sugar, cacao, maize,
wheat, indigo and tobacco. The chief export
is coffee The shock which produced such
disastrous effects in the eastern section of
New Granada was also felt in positive
manner at the city of Bogota, which Is
much nearer the coast of the Pacific. In
this latter locality the earth ague lasted for
nearly minute. As early as the Sth of
May some portions of Chill were shaken
by an earthquake. The shock, however,
was slight. The great internal war was
travelling to a centre, where its full force
was spent on the 18th, ten days later The
whole western front of the American
Continent, from San Francisco to Cape
Horn, is subject to earthquakes and volcanic
cruptions, and Central America has had
its full share of such calamities The last
one is sickening in its details, and perhaps
the worst is not yet known.