Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-06-23
> .
THE GREAT CALAMITY.

Saturday have been received regard
ing the great Earthquake in South
America, by which over 10000 people
we're killed or rendered homeless
The following description of the
country will lie read with considerable
interest:
New Granada, the scene OF the aw-
full visitation, is An independent Re-
public OF South America, formerly
viceroyalty under the Spanish crown
but subsequently part of the Republic
of Columbia, the middle and west
provinces of which it now embraces.
1t has the Caribbean ses, with the
Cults of Santa Martha and Darien on
the north, and on the west the Pacific
ocean, with the bays Of Panama and
Choca. Between the two seas on the
northwest it ia bounded by Costa RIGA;
Venezeula and Brazil confine it on the
east and southeast. and the Republic of
Ecuador on the south. ii extends from
the equator to 81 deg. 20 min. north
latitude, and from 60 deg. 10 min. to 81
deg. As min. west longitude. Its
greatest length from north to south is
$40 miles, snd it's greatest breadth,
measured on parallel of latitude, is
6T5 milea, the entire estimated area
being 100000 miles.
The country is the most equally d.
versificd in soil and climate of all the
South American States. Neither plain
nor mountain can be said to predomi-
nate; the seacoasts are ample and COM
modious. aud, owing to the wide rami-
lications of the Andes, there is a great
extent Of country at an elevation of
from 5000 to 10000 feet, which, in such
latitude, ia most favorable to indus.
try and the progress Of civilization
Yet the insalubrity of the zone sur
rounding this favored region, the com.
parative inaccessibility of the temper
/ ate valleys. and the great difficulties
which the first efforts of industry have
to encounter in country where every
natural feature is on q vast scale, have
hitherto counterbalanccd its apparent
advantages aud prevented the develop
ment of its varied and abundant re-
sources.
The valley of Calcutta, where the
greatest loss of life is reported to
have occurred, ia in the province OF
PAmplona, on the Venezuelan frontier,
and was discovered by Juan de San
Martin in 1884. Here. as we'll as else
where throughout New Granada, the
climate presents the most remarkable
contrast.
At Honda, nearly LOCO feet above
the level OF the sea, SO intense is the
heat that the hand cannot DO held on a
stone exposed to the suns rays, and
even the waters of the Magdalena are
lukewarm.
At Mompox, near tho head of the
delta of the same river, the sea breeze
ceases, and to travellers the remainder
of the voyage up the Honda $50 miles
is made under the most oppressive at
mosphere conceivable.
The water of the Magdalena is said
to be productive of goitre. with which
the inhabitants of Mompax are af-
flicted.
At Csrtagena and on the west coasts
yellow fever is epidemic, but in the
elevated country the air is perfectly ga
lubrious, and the temperature (from
| 56 to 70 degrees FahrenheiD seems that
of perpetual Spring. Here the rain in
the wet season darkens the sky only
for few hours daily in the afternoon.
At Mompox the day is always cloudy,
the night clear.
The SUBMITS of the Cordilleras arc
often shrouded in mists; torrents OF
rain fall Increasingly in the forests OF
Darien the Cult of Choca lie perpetu-
ally Yexed with violent storms, but
these excuses of the elements are all
unknown in the middle regions or
Templadas, and, excepting the earth.
Quakes which have heretofore loft
1'hcre, as elsewhere In the Andes, deer
traces of their destructive visitations
there is nothing which detracts from
the general benignity of nature.
The industry of the country, which
is divided into seven departments and
two territories, amounts to nothing.
The inhabitants are white, mainly
| of Spanish extraction, comprising not
more than one,fourth Of the popula'
ton; domesticatcd Indiana, who are
both docile aud industrious, aud arc
| the mina.s, agricnlturists hcrdsmcn
ana manufacturers of the Republic
free negroes, forming about one -eighth
of the population, and mixed races OF
whites, Indians and negroes, making
nearly half of the whole.
The principal crops are coffee, cot
| ton, sugar, cacao, maize, and in thu
higher lands, wheat and other grains
indigo, and tobacco. Among the ex-
ports coffee holds the first rank.
The geological conditions of New
Granada are, according to several au-
thoritics, both extraordinary and per-
picking. In many places may be found
traces Of stupenduous cataclysms and
disarraDgemeDt and intermixture CT
primitive and sedimentsry rocks. 1n
some places great rivers and even
small streams have cut through noun
tains of the hardest rookie, leaving dir
zy escarpments on either side, while
everywhere colossal masses lifted
high above the general level, attest
the violence of volcanic agencies. That
these agencies have been active the
late calamity sadly attests.
Panama advices bring details of the
earthquake, dated Salozar, 70 leagues
from Cucutts, May 10; it says:
At ii 10 A. NJ, of yesterday, 18th, a
serious earthquake visited this city and
region.
In Cucutta large part of the church
fell, several houses were destroyed
and some people killed. The city of
Cucutta was entirely destroyed, only
q few families being saved. The Be-
tica Alemania, a German drug store,
was set on fire by ball of fire which
was thrown out of the volcano, which
is constantly bclching out lava. This
volcano has opened itself in front of
Santiago in ridge called Alto de la
Girache. San Cayettara was destroyed,
as also Santiago in large part.
In Gramalate there was great de-.
struction.
Arboleds, Cucutta and San Cristo.
bal are nearly destroyed-the last
three mentioned places principally.
The population of these towns Is es-
timatcd by apersou well acquainted in
that region more or less as follows:
San Cayettara, 1900: Santiago, g..
600 Gramalate, 1900; Arboleda, B..
600; Cucutts, 5000; San Cristobal,
10000.
The section of country above refer.
red to embraces the region around
about where Columbia and Venezuela
;niv