The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-06-12
BY TELEGRAPH.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
TO THE DAILY LNTELLIeENCER
GENERAL NEWS.
The Earthquake In the South
Pacific.
Six Hundred Lives Lost---$2O,.
100000 Of Property De-
strOyed.
Details Of the Disaster.

Details of the Disaster.
New York, June 1.-THE Panama
Star, received to-day, has details Of the
disaster and destruction caused by the
earthquake and tidal wave on the South
Pacific coast on the 9th OF May. The
towns OF africa, IquIQui, Panta De L.abos,
Habellon De Plea, Chanayous, SAunallas
and AutofagaSta were nearly all destroy
ed. About 600 lives were loHt. The de-
StruCtiOn OF property Is estimated at
$50, 100000, confined mostly to the coast.
although the town Of Iarapaca, twenty.
three leagues inland, and the villages Of
Picamatilla and Canchanez, far in the in
terror, were more or leSs ruined. The
shipping Of guano from the southern de-
posits will be indefinitely y suspened, as all
the facilities in the way Of launches,
chutes, wharVes, water condensers and
buildings Of all kinds have been swept
away. The destruction and damage 10
shipping has been very great, and was at
tended by great loss oflife.
At Mollendoc q railway train was
thrown up by the sea three hundred feet,
and at Ilo the railroad was also injured.
At africa the people were preparing ten.
porary Notifications to repel the assault
Of the rebel ram Hanscar at the very
moment when the roar Of the earthquake
was heard. The shocks were very nu-
merous and caused immense damage.
The sea was suddenly perceived to recede
from the beach and move from 10 TO Is
feet high: rolled upon the shore, carrying
everything before it. Eight times was
this repeated-this assault OF the OCEAN
and four miles Of the embankment Of the
railway melted away like sand; locomo.
tiveS, cars and rails were hurled about by
the sea like so many plaYthings, and left
in q tumbled mass OF rubbish. The
United States steamer Waterec, stranded
in 1868, was lifted bodily and tloated two
miles north Of her old position. The
cable buoy was moved quarter Of
milo northward. Merchandise from the
custom house and stores were carried
fvo miles distant. The damage done was
greater than that OF the calamity OF 1868.
The earthquake has levelled the custom
house, railway station, submarine cable
Office, National hotel, the British cunsul.
alto, steamer agency and many private
houses. The people passed tho night on
the hills. Thieves began to rob when the
troops lired on them, killing and wound
ing several.
Iquiqui is built Of wood and cane, and
tumbled down at the first onset. The
lamps were broken. and oil spread
over the debris, which started general
condagration. Three companies Of fire.
men were instantly at their posts, al.
though it WAS difficult to maintain an
upright position, shock after shock fol.
lowing with dreadful regularity. To
procure water the two best fire engines
were stationed on the beach. Just then
cry arose the sea! the sea! and the
waves rushed in, the engines were car
ried out by the refux and the fire contiu.
ued unoppoSed. Three elements of de-
Struction were busy at one time-the
Gre, the water and the earthquake. The
affrighted people left the city TO its fate,
flying to neighboring eminences. The
fire destroyed large portion Of the town,
the earthquake levelled nearly all the
rest and the water covers the ruins,
which it took out in its reilux. The
water condensers along the shore are all
ruined.
Nearly 100000 quintaIs OF nitrate at
Iquique and adjacent ports OF Molle and
PisaQua were destroyed. Asmall loss OF
life took place, probably ten persons in
all. Costing crafts and small boats in
the harbor were broken in pieces, as in
africa. Robbery Of goods lying in the
streets was attempted, but the guard Of
citizens took such severe measures that
the robbers were speedily checked.
Away upon .the pampas eleven miles
from Iquique, the splendid nitrate estab-
lishment Of La Nueva Carolina was COM
pletely destroyed. The suf1erings Of the
people OF 1quiQue were intense. The
absence OF water and the destruction Of
the principal stores added 10 their hard
ships. 1t is.estimated that the damage
done in 1quiQue will amount to nearly
100000 sales.
Chanavaha, little town at Quano, a
loading deposit known as Pabellou de
Plea, with forty houses, has only
two standing. Here the earthquake
was followed by FIRE. There we're
no fire engines in the town, and the sea
came in and extinguisbed the flames, but
as it retired it carried of all the remain
der OF the place. In one Of the guano
Cuttings thirty laborers were buried by
the falling earth. The town OF Tarapaco,
and the villages Of Plea, Matilda and
Canchose are more or less ruined. The
loss OF life is reported not being great.
The earthquake was especially severe
at Chanavaha. The earth opened and
tho whole surface OF ground was
changed. At least 200 people were
killed, and the bodies were floating in the
bay. FAT Huanatilos another guano load
ing station; the damage done was fearful.
All the houses were destroyed. The
guauo cuts having fallen in, and as at
Paballon, all the loading must be sus-
pended for at least two months, The
wave which succeeded the earthquake
and completed the work Of destruction
was nearly 90 feet in height. Many ves-
sells were lost here, together with several
Of those on board. In short, everything
except n few huts at the back OF the town
has been destroyed.
| At Mexilton the tidal wave was 65 ieet
high, and two.thirds OF the town com.
pletely destroyed. Boats, railroad sta.
lions, locomotives, cars and furniture
were all swallowed up and six persons
drowned.
At Teacopilta little or nothing remains
Of the town. The mine called Lapena
Blancs, four miles southwark, sunk in,
smothering 200 workmen, OF whom forty
were Cornish miners. Cobija, the princi-
pal town on the Bolivian coast, has lost
three-iourths Of its houses. The wave,
thirty.fve feet hight, swept along the
main business street and left it IA level
a. u desert. The wharves and launches
were all carried out to sea. As soon az
this lamentable intelligence reached Lima
the government chartered steamer, or
IFra. .tR tRa.N rnlsaf l..