The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-06-19

w VIVA ",AicAA''S va etic SoPAo.
Recent mails bring full accounts
Of the tidal wave that struck tho
coast of Peru on the 9th of May.
The towns of africa and Iquiuue,
Ponta dc La Cos, Pabcllon do Plea,
'Chanavaya, Huanills, Tocopi]la, Cobb
ia, Mojillones, Dc Bolivia, Autafa~
gasta and Chanaral are nearly all
destroyed. About 600 lives were
lost. The destruction of property is
estimated at $2,O0O,O0O, confined
mostly to the coast, although tho
town of Tarapaca, % leagues inland,
and the villages of Plea, Matilda and
CaucEall, far in tho interior, were
more or less ruined.
At Molcndo, the railway was torn
up hy the sea three hundred feet,
and at lilo tho railway was also
injured. At africa tho people were
preparing temporary fortifications
to lcpel the threatened assault OF
tho rebel ram Hauscar at the very
moment tho roar Of tho earthquake
was heard. The shocks wcro very
numerous, and caused immense
danger. The sea was suddenly per~
coived to rccedo from tho beach,
and wave from ten to fifteen
feet high rolled upon the shore,
carrying all before it. Eight times
was repeated this assault of tho
ocean, and four miles Of the embank
ment of the railway melted away like
sand. Locomotives, cars and rails
were hurled about by the sea like so
many playthings, and left in a mass
Of tumbled rubbish. The United
States steamer, "Wateree," stranded
by tho waves of 'GS, was lifted bodi-
ly and foatod two miles north of her
old position. The cable buoy was
quarter of a mile north
ward. The merchandise from the
custom house and stores was car
ricd five miles distant. The dam
age dono was greater than that of
the calamity of 'GS. The people
passed tho night on tho hills.
Thieves began to rob, when the
troops fired upon them, killing sov~
eral.
Iquique, built of weed and cane,
tumblcd down at the first onset.
Lamps were broken, and burning oil,
spreading over the debris, started
general .confagration. Three
companies of firemcn wcro Instant
ly at their posts, although it was
difficult to maintain an upright po~
sition, shock following shock with
dreadful regularity. TO procure
water, the two best fire engines were
stationed on the beach. Just then
the cry arose, "The sea !" the sea y
Gnd the waves rushed in. The
engines wcrc carried out by the
rehux, and tho fire continued unop-
posed. Three elements Of destruc-
ton were busy at one momcnt-firc,
wator, and the earthquake. Tho af~
frighted people left the city to it's
fate, flying to the neighboring omi-
ncnces. The fro destroyed largo
portion of the town, tho earthquake
leveled nearly Ill the rest, and the
water covered the ruins which it
took out in tho redux. The water
condensors along tho shore are
ruined. This is an ;irreparable loss
for the IQuique, as no palatable
water is found. There were nearly
four hundred thousand quitals Of
nitrate at .Iquique. Chanavaya, q
little town at guano-loading dee
post, known rs Pabcllon Dopica,
with 400 houses, has only two stand
ing. Hero tho earthquake was
followed by fire. There were no
fire engines in the town, and the sea
c emc in and oxtinguished the flames,
but as it retired, carried off all that
remained of the place. In one of
the guano cuttings, thirty lhborers
were buried by falling earth. The
earthquake was especially severe ut
Chanavaya. The earth opened fif-
teen mitres in depth, and the whole
surface of tho ground was changed.
At least two hundred people were
killed. The bodies we're floating
in the bay, and pcstilence is feared.
AT Huonillas, another guano~
loading station, the damage inflicted