The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-11-15
Eruption Of COtOpaxi.

COtopaxi (the tenth, according to my
computation) took place on the goth OF
June last, with every circumstance that
could increase its hOrrOr-utter darkness
in broad day, thunder and lightning,
fearful explosions that made the earth
tremble, subterranean noises and wild
gusts of wind, accompanied by rain of
ashes. An eyewitness told me that the
volcano poured out cataract ten times
the bulk of Niagara, which carried all
before it in its headlong course, and sub
merged the whole surrounding country.
The torrent divided itself in two opposite
directions, as if to give greater scope to
still more dire. One branch took a
southerly course toward the city of Lata-
cunga, situated twelve miles from COto-
paxi. On its way the torrent converted
the plain of Callao into an immense lake.
There is but faint hope that the ruins
of the palace of the Incas, described by
Humboldt and all other travellers through
the central valley of the equatorial Andes,
have escaped the ravages of the flood.
Near Latacunga the furious current tore
up from its very foundations the cotton
factory of Don Jose Villagomez, whose
value was estimated at $4,000 crops,
cattle, buildings, were swept away; the
massive bridges Of Cutuche and Pansal-
vo we're destroyed, as we'll as part of
the fine carriage road Scarce equaled
even in Europe) which connects Quito
with the towns in the south of the
republic.
The branch that headed toward the
south of Cotopaxi devastated the pros
porous and enchanting valley of Chillo,
and 10 particular the estate of the Senior
Aguirre, noted for having been the resi-
dence of Humboldt. There, too, as in
Latacunga, arose the building of thriv-
ing factory, which, only the year before,
had been destroyed by fire and had just
been repaired at great expense. The tor
rent rooted it from the ground, and bore
it away in thousand fragments. 1t is
asserted that mill Of Don Manuel Pa
laciOs fOated on the water like a ship at
sea until shattered by the current The
loss in the valley of Chillo alone is esti-
mated at over two millions of dollars, and
the loss in other sections is equally great.
1t is likewise calculated that the number
of the dead exceeds one thousand. AL!
though the SUR Oundings of Quito have
been laid waste, the city itself suffered
only from rain of ashes and complete
darkness, which began on the Goth Of
June, at three in the afternoon. AT Ma
chache and other places the night lasted
for thirty consecutive hours. In the
midst of this Opaque gloom one could
hear the believing of the cattle and the
cries Of other animals who, deprived Of
their usual food by the shower of
ashes, sought, in a species of frenzy, for
the means Of satisfying their hunger.
Other beasts, frantic with terror,
careered hither and thither as. if in des-
pair, and the piteous bowling of the
dogs pierced the air with its ominous
sound. In Quito the darkness was as
that Of night; it was like that described
by the younger Pliny in letter to Taci-
tus, in which he relates the eruption of
Vesuvius, and the destruction of Pom
peii. ut was" he says, ''as if the lights
in room had been extinguished." At
Quito the shower at first was Of coarse,
heavy sand, which subsequently, turned
into ashes so fine and impalpable. that
they penetrated not only into apart
ments, but into the most carefully closed
receptacles. In the depth Of the dark
ness men and women, Drawing the rain
of ashes, sailed forth into the streets,
screening themselves with umbrellas and
lighting their way with lanterns, and all
the while these strange apparitions rent
the air with their cries and prayers for
mercy. The umbrellas, as well as the
green eyeglasses used here on journeys,
we're no superfuous precaution, although
they afforded but scant protection against
the subtle power, which it was remem-
bered had in many cases produced.blind-
ness during the eruption of lS43, and the
rain Of ashes Of thirty hours that attend
ed it.
From the outset the people had unan-
imously ascribed the disaster to chas-
tisement of heaven, brought down by the
irreligion Of the Government, which had
arbitrarily closed the churches and de-
prived the people Of those spiritual con-
solutions that were made doubly neces-
sary by the sad condition Of things in
general. The idea of Divine punish-
ment spread like wild-dre, and a. the
tempest ragged more wildly this convic-
ton gathered intensity, until at last
groups of men, without . leader, without
any concerted plan, aud without arms,
threw themselves upon the guard Ut the
military hospital, while others attacked
the guard stationed at the powder maya
zine on the hill Of Javira. There were
but few troops Ia the garrison, the