The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-07-29
TEE HORRORS OF 4 NIGHT.
CITIES IN SOUTH AMERICA DESTROYED BY
EARTHQUAKE, FIRE, AND TIDAL WAVE.
tFrom the Boston Advertiser,

| Valparaiso, May 30.-A few days before
| the events l am about to naIrste took place,
the volcanic mountains OF San Pedro aad
| San Pablo were observed to be sending
| forth high in air, from their lofty peaks,
| flames stones, and ashes. AT night the
| reflected light illuminated the beavens. at
| times giving a Iedish glare to the passing g
and overhanging clouds, and would gradu
ally disappear. Now and then a glimmer-
ing, whitish light would brightly be re-
fected from some bursting forth of the
flames at the cTater's mouth, and with
these frequent charges the night would
pass away. Daylight gave the appearance
of dense smoky cloud hanging high above
of tt sse mountain ranges were situated the
cities of Calama, San Pedro, and Chuichui,
all of which were destroyed.
Wednesday, the 9th day of May, 1877,
was remarkable for the extreme heat and
suffocating atmoaphereZa cloudy day. In
the evening at $3.50, without any announce
ment by the usual rumbling, underground
sound preceding an esrtt quake, :he earth
began to shake, slightly ag fret, and then
the shaking gradually increased in strength.
For the space of three minutes the motion
of the earth's surface was und ulating, rock
ing, and uplifting. The shock was dis
tinctly felt from Callao, Peru, along the
coast of Bolivia to Valdivia, in the south
ern portion of Chilli, it's central point of ac-
tiOn and force being in Bolivia. Upon the
commencement of the tremor the startled
populace of the many different seacoast
cities hurried forth from their dwellings
and found themselves scarcely able to
maintain their foothold in the public
streets some there were who fell upon
their hands and knees. The darkness of
the night, the grinding of the walls of the
buildings one against the other, the crush
ing, breaking, cracking sound of timber,
the tumblipg down of walls and clouds of
dust flying about, the crash of household
goods, crockery, glassware, etc as they
fell, the ringing of the church and other
bells with the sway of the earth-these, to-
gether with the cries of despair and shrieks
of women and children, mingled with the
loud prayers of mercy, were but portion
of the horrors of the passing moments.
With diminished force for hours after
shake after shake occurred, and, to add to
the misfortunes of many of the cities,
flames broke forth from the ruined houses.
Bravely the men contended with the new
enemy, which was fast gaining the upper
hand. The blazing hames as they shot
upward were seen miles away at sea on
shipboard. The light of the confagration
upon the jagged, shapeless ruins Of build
ings in the backgrounds, and the reflection
scared, pale faces of the women they
hastily passed to and fro, hunting some
dear ore or anxious for the welfare of rela
tives eod friends, gave perhaps faint pic
ture of the "last day" Amid 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 women and children, intent
on self preservation, they sought. mad
dened with alright, the steep hillsides for
children, husband from wife; everything
was confusion and confounded the sick
arose from the places in which they had
been left in fancied security, and they too,
rushed on with the res5 many of them
perishing in the attempt.
l. The aea gradually left the shore, and fall
ling back for at least one third of q mile,
aa If to gain strength aud velocity for it's
fearful coming leap, rising sixty feet in
height it advanced, boiling, rolling, and
trembling over and over, with u deafeniDg
noise, bearing all before it in it's course
vessels, some of them, sank in it's embrace
and were never eeen again; others elung
to their anchorage and for time were bur
led in the wave, were lifted up, an d in safety
swayiDg from side to side settled at last in
smooth water many were dragged and
hurried to the land, where they were die
mantied or broken In pieces. The tidal
wave, gaining iu force and power with it's
onward rollipg motion, seemed striving for
the final struggle, and running it's fearful
course it soon entered the thrice doomed
Cities putting out the flames of the burning
buildings and raising dense volume of
smoke aud steam. In receding the wave
took with it all that renamed unde-
stroyed.
With the appearance of daylight was dis
covered the wreck of what a few hours be-
fore had been fourishing cities, now dee-
olate waste. An industrious, thriving
people were homeless and houseless, and
soon to suffer the paDgs of hunger and
thirst, of ruin and despair. The beach
was strewn with the wrecks of their prop
erty, and the sea had destroyed their pre-
via 1or Shnk I'D
and fell, growing each day lesser in force.
1t is supposed to be the most disastrous
wave ever experienced on this coast, and TO
| have been caused by a subterraueRu earth
quake 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, Iquique, africa, Cobija, Calams,
San Pedro, PlscO, Chui- Cbui, Tamboo de
Mora, Mollendo, Pabillon de Pics, Punto de
| IL.