The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-10-20
Foa ZEE CENreAL PREsaYrEaIAN.
THE DESTRUCTION OF SAN JOSE de
CUCUTA.
SocoRRo, June SOsh, 1875.


My Dear Brother,-The presence of other
engagements, and the uncertainty of our
mail communication with the coast, lowing
to revolutionary movements there) have pre-
vented my supplementing the hasty letter |
wrote you the 20sh ult., with more detailed
and reliable report of the total destruction
of San Jose, by the earthquake Of May Is.
Though late, the facts have lost none of their
4 and lasting interest, and will serve to
= hasty misststements which have no
achsd you ere this.
No have (orfather had telegraphic
icstiOn with this thriving and pretty
THE prettiest have seen in Colombia ;
Auty not entering into the Spanish ideal of
city, we were long while getting at the
facts of the case; but now that have seen
friends who have visited the scene of dread
ful disaster, aud others who were personally
witnesses thereof, and sufferers therein, can
give your readers reliable account of the
same.
1t was long supposed here that the centre
of this terrestrial disturbance was in Venzu-
ella, where the ruin would be if possible more
complete, and that Merida, and perhaps Ca
racas had been again overthrown. Subse-
quently there came circumstsntial and. sp-
psrently reliable report of the total desrruc-
tiOn of Maracalbo 600 miles perhaps due
north of San JOSEF first by the shock, and
then by an overflow of the waters Of the
lake. But all this has proved to be false,
San Jose itself was the centre Of the distur-
bance; or rather the centre lay midway be
tween that city and the town of Rosario, two
leagues distant. Thereabouts are some hot
springs which though at times they are only
hot, at others are in q state of active e6uh-
ton. l knew nothing of the existence Of
these hot springs, aud at the time of my visit
last December, observing the open and wide
valley traversed by several rivers, and the
mountains three or four leagues distant,
never imagined that the most complete de-
struction by earthquake ever known in Co
lombia, was then impending over the doomed
city dwelling there in calm security My
precOuceived opinion had been that cities
situated among the mountains might be re
gsrded as imperilei, in case Of a cOnVusiOn
of the sort, but that San Jose was secure
Yet many years ago the most important par
Of MompOs, situated on a large island il
the Msgdalens river, was destroyed by earth
quake, though the mountains are far cut o
sight, can't say at what remove, but 30 o.
40 miles at least.
On Sunday (there is no Sabbath in thi
country May 16, there was slight shock ii
San Jose, but so slight that no one made an!
account of it, that being'a matter of no rar,
occurrence there. On Monday the shocl
was repeated, rather harder than ordinary
but nothing to cause alarm. On Tuesday
between IL and Il o'clock, the hour o
breakfast, without any further premOnitiol
came the fatal shock, which lasted four 0
fvs seconds; and what was before thriVin
and prosperous city was at once an indis
criminate mass of ruins. Not house wa
left standing in the devoted city, nor even
fragment of a wall left on its foundations
like the walls of Jericho they "fell dow
fat" Most of the houses were of one stor
only, very few indeed were of two; but q
like all Spanish and Spanish-America
cities, the streets were narrow, the house