Middletown transcript., 1877-09-15
orr rHousANp LIvRs LosT.
coToPAM's LATEST EEuPrIoS-DARxSEss AID
DIsMAY--rHE INCA RUrEs DESTROYED.


DIsMAY--THE INCA RUIEs DESTROYED.
The eruption took place on the 18th
Of June, with every circumstance that
could increase its horror-utter dark
ness in the day, thunder and light
ming, fearful explosions that made the
earth tremble, subterranean noises and
wild gusts Of wind, accompanied by q
rain Of ashes. An eyewitness says
that the volcano poured out cataract
ten times the bulk Of Niagara, which
carried all before it in its headlong
course, and submerged the whole sur
rounding country. The torrent divi-
ded itself in two opposite directions, as
if to give greater scope to its deYasta-
ton and to make the confusion still
more dire. One branch took a south
erly course toward the city of Latacun-
ga, situated twelve miles from Cote
paxi.
On its Wav the torrent converted the
plain of Callao into an immense lake.
There is bht faint hope that the ruins
Of the palace of the Incas, described
by Humbold and all other travellers
through the central valley Of the equa-
torial Andes, have escaped the ravages
Of the food. Near Latacunga the
furious current tore up from its very
foundations the cotton factory Of Don
Jose Villagomez, whose value was es-
tiinated st 100000; crops, cattle,
buildings were swept away; the mas
siye bridges Of Cutuche and Pansalvo
we're destroyed as well as a part Of the
fine carriage road (searce equalled
even in Europe) which connects Quito
with the towns in the south of the re-
public.
The branch that headed toward the
south Of Cotopaxi devastated the pros
porous and enchanting valley of Chillo,
and in particular the estate Of the Sc
nores Aguirre, noted for having been
the residence Of Humboldt. There,
too, as in Latacunga, arose the build
inps Of q thriving factory. which only
the year before, had been destroyed by
fire, and had just been repaired at
great expense. The torrent rooted it
from the ground and bore it away in .
thousand fragments. 1t is asserted
that mill Of DON Manuel Palacios
fioated Oh the water like ship at sea
until shattered by the current. The
loss in the valley Of Chillo alone is
estimated at over two millions Of dol
lars; and the loss in other sections is
equally great. It is likewise calculated
that the number Of the dead exceeds
one thousand.
a third cataract took an easterly
direction, destroying the bridge Of
Patae and doing grievous injury to the
estate in that neighborho0d, Of which
the most important is celebrated for its
fine wine well known as "VinO de
Palate"
Although the surroundings Of Quito
have been laid waste. the city itself
suffered from only rain Of ashes and
a complete darkness which began On
the 26th Of June, at three in the after
noon. at Machache 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 ami
mails. who deprived Of their usual food
by the shower of ashes, sought in q
species Of frenzy for the means Of salts
fying their hunger. Other beasts,
frantic with terror careered hither and
thither as if in despair, and the piteous
howling Of the dogs pierced. the air
with its ominous sounds In Quito
the darkness was not as that Of night
1t was like that described by the
younger Pliny in a letter to Tacitus, Of
Vesuvius and the destruction Of Pom
pei.
1T was, he says, ''as if the lights in
a room had been extinguished." AT
Quito the shower at first was Of coarse,
heavy sand, which subsequently turned
into ashes SO fine and inpalpable that
they penetrated not only INTO apart
ments, but into the most carefully
closed receptacles. In the depth Of the
darkness, men and women, braving
the rain Of ashes, sailed forth into the
streets, screening themselves with um-
brellas 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 eye
glasses used here on journeys, were no
superhuous precaution, although they
afforded but scant protection against
the subtle powder, which it was remem-
bered had in many cases produced
blindness during the eruption Of
1843, and the rain Of ashes Of thirty
hours that attended it.
Twenty-Five able bodied working
men, with their families, in all about
IL - &C. ,.o-.aaz 80