The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-06-12
THAT TIDAL WAVE
Destros Whole Towns on the South
Pacific Coast.

Destro s Whole Towns on the South
Pacific Coast.
New York, June 1.-THE Star and
Herald, Of Panama, received to-day,
has the details of disasters and des-
truction caused on the South Pacific by
the earthquake and tidal wave Ma
9th. About six hundred lives We're
lost. The destruction of property is
estimated at twenty million dollars,
confined mostly TO the coast. At africa
the people were preparing temporary
Notifications to repel the rebel ram
Hanscar. AT the very moment when
the roar of the earthquake was heard
at africa, the sea was suddenly per-
ceived to recede from the beach, and
then q wave from. ten to fifteen feet
high rolled upon the shore carrying all
before 1t. Eight times was this assault
of the ocean repeated and four miles of
the embankment of the railway melted
away like sand. Locomotives, cars and
rails were hurled about by the sea
like so many %playthings, and tumbled
mass of rubbish.
The United States steamer Wateree,
stranded in 1868, was lifted bodily
and floated two miles north of her pos
session. The cable buoy was moved a
quarter of a mile ~northward. Mer-
chandise from the custom-house and
stores were carried five miles distant.
The damage done was greater than
that of 1868. The earthquake had
leveled the custom-house, railway
station, submarine cable office. hotels,
British consulate, steamship agency
and many private dwellings, The
people passed the night on the hill.
Thieves began to rob, when troops fired
upon them, killing and wounding
several.
At Iquique lamps were broken and
the burning oil spreading over the
debris started a general conflgrution.
Three companies of firemen were i'm
mediately at their posts, although it
was difficult to maintain an upright
position, shock following shock with
dreadful regularity. To procure water
the two best fire engines were stationed
at the beach. Just then a cry arose:
1.-The sea! the seal" and the waves
rushed in. The engines were carried
out by the retluN and the fire continued
unopposed. Three elements of deStruc-
ton were busy at II moment-ire,
water and the earthquake. The af-
frighted people left the city TO its fate,
flying to neighboring eminences. The
fire destroyed 4 large portion of the
town, the earthquake leveled nearly all
the rest, and the water covered the
ruins which it took out. The water
condensers along the shore are ruined.
This Is an ~irreparable loss for Iuuique,
as no. palatable water can be found.
Small loss of life took place; probably
ten persons in all. #s aa-
Coasting RATS and small boats in the
harhor were broken to pieces. Away
on the pampas, eleven miles from
Iquique, the splendid nitrate establish
ment was completely destroyed. The
sufferings of the people of IquiQue We're
intense. The absence of water and
the destruction of the principal stores
added to their hardships. 1t is esti-
mated the damage done in Iquique will
amount to four million reals.
A little town at the Guano landing
deposit. known as Pabellon De Rica,
with 450 houses, has only two standing.
In one of the guano cuttings 80 laborers
were buried by the falling earth.
Among the shipping the havoc was
terrible.
The town of Tarabaca, two or three
leagues inland, and the villages of
Rica, Matilda and Canchones were
hhoic Va 1903 AuAiSa, put shC ioss VI liit
is reported small.
The earthquake was especially severe
at Chanavaga. The earth opened Is
metres in depth, and the whole surface
of the earth changed. At least 200
people were Killed. Bodies were float
ing in the bay and II pestilence is
feared. ssss -.4
AT Huniallas, a guanO landing sta
ton, the damage inflicted was fearful.
The wave which succeeded the earth
quake and completed the work of des-
truction, was nearly sixty feet in
height. Many vessels were lost here,
together with several persons on board.
AT Nexillones the tidal wave was
So feet in height and two-thirds of the
town was completely obliterated.
AT Tecopiilr little or nothing remains
of the town.
Malenha Balenca, four miles to the
southwark, sank in, s%mothering 200
workmen, of whom 40 were Cornish
miners. Cobija, the principal town on
the Bolivians coast, fhas lost three
fourths of its houses.
As soon a this lamentable intelii-
gence reached Lima, the government
chartered a steamer and organizing a
relief commission, loaded the vessel
with provisions, clothing, ETC., to-
gether with fifty thousand gallons of
water, and despatched her on the 10th
for the south. One hundred thousand
reals in silver coin also formed mart of