The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-07-19
and Tidal Wave in South
America

rate TOOK place, the volcanic mountain OF
san Pedro and San Pablo were observed
ia he sending forth high in air, from their
lofty peaks, flames, stones and ashes. At
night the reflected light illuminated the
heavens, at times giving a reddish glare
10 the passing and overhanging clouds,
and would gradually disappear. Now and
then a glimmering, whitish light would
brightly he reflected from some sudden
bursting forth of the flames at the crater's
mouth, and with these frequent changes
the night would pass away. Daylight
gave an appearance Of dense, smoky
cloud hanging high above and around
the volcano. At the foothills of these
mountains ranges were situated the cities
OF talama, san Pedro and Chui-chu, all
OF which were laid with the dust and de-
Stroyed a brief period after
W Wednesday,, the 9th day Of May, 1877,
was remarkable for the extreme heat and
Suttocating atmospheric cloudy day In
the evening at 30, without any an
nouncement by the usual rumbling, I'M
derground sound preceded an earth
quake, the earth began to shake. slight
ly at first, and then gradually increased
in strength. For the space of three min
uteS the motion of the earth's surface
was undulating, rocking and uplifting it
was distinctly felt from Callao, Peru,
along the coast of Bolivia to Naldivia, in
the southern portion of Chill, its central
point OF action and force being in Bolivia.
pom the first commencement Of the
shake the startled populace of the many
different seacoast cities hurried forth from
their dwellings, and found themselves
scarcely able to maintain their foot -hold
on the public streets; some there were
who fell upon their hands and knees.
The darkness Of the night, the grind
ing of the walls of the buildings one
against the other, the crushing, breaking
cracking sound Of timber, the tumbling
down of walls and clouds Of dust flying
about the crash of household goods,
crockery, glassware, &c, as they fell, the
ringing of the church and the other bells
with the sway OF the earth, these, to-
gcthcr with the cries of despair and
hriekS OF women and children, mingled
with the loud prayers for mercy, were but
Il slight portion of the horrors OF the pass
ing moments. With diminished force for
hours after, shake after shake occurred
and. to add to the misiOrtunes of many of
the cities, flames broke forth from the
ruined houses, bidding fair to destroy the
little that remained in condition after the
heavy earthquakes
l5raVely the men contended with the
new enemy, which was fast gaining the
upper hand. The blazing flames as they
shot upward We're seen miles away at sea
on shipboard. The light of the contia-
grafton upon the Jagged, shapeleSs ruins
of buildings in the backgrounds, and the
reflection OF the flames upon the passing
forms. the scared, pale faces of the women
us they hastily passed to and fro, hunt
me some dear one or anxious for the well
fare of relatives and friends, gave per
haps Il faint picture OF the 'last day y
Amidst such sad and gloomy scenes the
cry broke forth and was repeated from
every side, 1.-THE tidal wave" Men gave
up in perfect despair, and with the wo-
men and children, intent on self preser-
Walton, they sought, maddened with af-
fright, the steep hillsides for safety.
Mothers were separated from their chill
dren, husband from wife, everything was
confusion contounded the sick arose from
the places in which they had been left in
tancied security, and they too rushed on
ward with the rest, many of them perish
ing in the attempt. The sounds of fear,
terror and grief resounded on all sides.
Men and women acted as though mad
and berett of thought and reason. The
panic was at its full height.
The sea gradually left the shore, and.
falling back for at least Oh third of a
mile, as if to gain strength and velocity
for its fearful coming leap, rising sixty
feet in height it advanced, boiling, roll
ING and tumblng over and over, with a
deatening noise, bearing all before it in
its course: vessels, some of them, sank in
its embrace and were never seen again ::
others chung to their anchorage and for a
time were buried in the wave, were lifted
up. and in safety swaying from side to side
settled at last in smooth water; many
were dragged and hurried to the land,
where they We're diSmantlcd or broken in
pieces. The tidal wave, gaining in force,
and power with its onward rolling mo-
ton, seemed striving for the final strug-
gle, and running its fearful course it soon
entered the thrice doomed cities, putting
out the flames Of the burning buildings
and raising dense column of smoke and
steam. In receding the wave took with
ii all that remained undestroyed by the
former calamitics.
With the appearance Of daylight was
discovered the wreck of what a few hours
before had been tiourishng cities, des-
olate waste. An industrious, thriving peo-
pie were now homeless, and soon to suf-
fer the pangs Of hunger and thirst, of ruin
and despair. The beach was strewn with
the wrecks Of their property, and the sea
had destroyed their provisions For five
a fill Il foil
ING each day less in force. 1t is supposed
to be the most disastrous wave ever cX-
perlenccd on thiS coast, and to have been
caused by a subterranean earthquake
under the sea, and connected with the
volcano of san Pedro.
Cities and towns have been ruined
some of them never to be rebuilt in all
probability. Among the places which
have suffered In more or less degree are
Callao, Pisagua lquique, africa, Cobija,
Calama, san Pedro, Pisco, Chui-Chu
Tambo de Mora, Mollendo, Pabillon de
Plea, Punto de Lobos, luanillos, TOGO
pllo, Meiillones de Bolivia, Antotogasta,
Constitution, Taena. Many of the mines
have been sunk or badly injured, and the
losses sustained by the people are meal
culable. The Carmen mine fell out of
plumb and buried thirty-tive miners and
an oVcrseer in its ruins. The trading
steamers of the coast took deckloads of
suffering women and children to Coquim-
bo and Valparaiso, where they We're cared
for by a liberal, charitable people, and
the Chill government, Immediately upon
the receipt of information Of the state of
affairs along the coast, sent men-of- war
steamers loaded with clothing, provisions
and water for the relief Of the suffering.
Captain Potts of the English steamer
Coquimbo was one of the first to reach
the worst scenes OF the disaster and
bears with him from all parts of the coast
the highest praise for his humanity and
kindness. He distributed food and water,
and promptly refused passage on board
his steamer to amy but women and chill
,ren, and he brought to Coquimbo all his
vessel could hold. He was detained forty
hours behind his time in the cause Of hui