Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-06-12
THE TIDAL WAVE. DIT
Destruction of $2O.00O,OOO
Worth of Property.
SIX HUNDRED LIVES
LOST.
Details CT the Late Disaster
in South America.
Fourteen Towns Destroyed-Iieayy Loss
Fourteen Towns Destroyed-IiesyyL Loss
10 the Shipping.

New YORK, June IL. Panama dispatches have
the following:
Steamer Oroys from Callao, 2Sth ult., brings
full details of The disasters ON the coast from tue
eartl quake and tidal wave. The town OF africa,
lqnorI. Punts, Del.bos. Pabillon, Depca, chan
avaNs, Huaullos, Focopilla, Cabj,, Mel iouts
Debolivia, Antoioga.ta and Chavaral are nearly
all destroyed.
About six hundred lives were lost. The de.
structon of property is estin aed at twenty mil
lin dollars. This was confined mostly TO the
coast.
The shipping Of gusno from southern deposits
Will be indefinitely suspended, as all facilities in
the way of launches, whaives, water condensers
and buildings OF all kinds were swept away. The
destruction to shipping was very great.
Already two vessels have arrived, bringing
some of the wretched victims, who are properly
cared for by the authorities.
II Is thought the losses are greater than in
1868. The effects upon personal affairs will be
particular y disastrous.
At Autoiagssts the atmosphere was illuminated
by red glare supposed to proceed from the vol
cano OF San Pedor deaf Acama, a few leagues ia
the interior. The sea completely swept the BUSH
ness portion of the town.
The vessels in the harbor stood out, aud the
| steamer Amazonas, about to commence discharg-
ing when the movement took place. had a very
narrow escape from destruction. Several lives
| were lost.
Mexillions was visited by tidal wave forty
| five feet in height. Two-thrds of the town was
completely obllterated. The guano wharves,
launches. boats water dstilleries railway station,
locomotives, cars and furniture were all swallow
| ed up by the sea.
AT Mexiones six persons were drowned. At
| Focopilla little or nothing remains Of the town.
mine four miles to the southwark sank in,
| smothering two hundred workmen. of whom
forty were Cornish miners.
| Csbja. the principal town of the Bolivian coast
| lost three fourths Of its houses.
wave thirty-fve feet high swept along the
main business street, and left it as level as des-
ert The wharves and launches were all carried
out to sea. The church spire was knocked over.
All of these towns are in the greatest distress
| Water is wanted, the condensers being on the
very seashore, were the first objects overwhelmed
| by the waves. Peru must attend TO her own suf-
ferers.
The Panama Herald says that in the interior of
Bolivia it is more than difficult to send supplies to
the coast, and we are hopeful that Chill may have
stretched helping hand to the unfortunate.
Chill has escaped without jury.
The northern ports of Peru were damaged but
little, although the sea was running remarkably
high.
On the evening of the 18th Lima and Calao
were visited by severe shock of earthquake last
ing twenty-five seconds, and causing general
| alarm but little damage.
Fears were entertained that it might be a sec.
ond edition Of the Southern disaster, but tele-
grams from Mollendo announced no repetition of
| the catastrophe had taken place.
The people of Callao were frightened that
| they emgrated almost en- masse to Lima and Bel.
lavesta, fearing their town would be engulfed by
the wave that generally follows these convulsions
| of nature.
| The government Of Lima chartered the steam
| er Copapo and organized a relief commiss ion
| under the minister of benefciaries, loaded the
vessel with provisions, clothes. &C., and some SO,
900 gallons of water, and despatched her on the
| 10th for the South.
| One hundred thousand soles in silver were also
seut to be distributed among the unfortunate. A
commission Of engineers accompanied the exped
ton for the purpose of lending assistance ant
making full report of the extent of the disaster
which can now only be generally estimated.
No accurate statement of the loss of life car
| now be made, but probably it will not exceed sir
| hundred.
The property lost may be calculated at twenty
millions OF hard dollars, and possibly more, the
government Is heavy loser in guano and nitrate
On the coast the damage is greater than that
| caused by the tidal wave of 1868, but in the in
| terror losses are comparatively small.