Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-06-13
GREAT EARTHQUAKE.


new YORK, june 1.-THE Star and
Herald Of Panama. received to-day.
has details Of the disasters and dos.
truction caused on the South Pacific
coast ny the earthquake and tidal
wave OF May 9TH. The towns of Art
ca, Aquiquc, Ponta dc Lafos, Pabel.
lon, DE Plea, Chanavayas, Huavillas.
Torapilla, Cobija, Mcjillous De Boil,
via and Chauaralal are nearly all des-
troyed. About six hundred lives
were lost. The destruction in Pahelon
is estimated at $2O,0O0,0OO, confined
mostly to the coast, althoughthe town
Of Tarapaca, % leagues inland, and
the villages of Picanatilla and Cauc-
choes for in the interior were more or
less ruined. The shipping of guano
from southern deposits will be indefi-
nately postponed as all facilities in
the way of launches, chutes, wharves,
water condenscrs and buildings of all
kinds have been swept away. The
destruction of and damage to ship
ping have been very great, and was
attended by very serious loss of life.
The remainder of the account is only
for the most part an application of
what has already been telegraphed of
the disaster. 1t is stated however
that at Iquique the fire from the lamps
which exploded at every earthquake
shock mingled with the waves which
rushed in huge volumes over part of
the town and rendered the destruc-
ton complete. What the earthquake
left the fire and the water swept away,
| W I'M o Ia -, %c .x-1. 4
to the neighboring hills. The damage
is irrepairablc. Not over ten person S
lost their lives.
Eleven miles from Iquique splen-
did establishment, La Neuva Caroli-
ma, was completely destroyed. The
sufferings CT the people Of Iquiquc
were intense and the absence Of wa
ter and the destruction of the princl-
pal stores added to their hardships.
1t is estimated that the damage done
in lquique will amount to 100000
soles. Chanaua, a little town OF Gu.
avo and leading deposit known as
Pabellon de Peca, with 400 houses
has only two standing. Here the
earthquake was followed by fire and
a deluge of water. In one guano
cutting 30 laborers were buried by
falling earth. The villages of Plea
Mattillc and Comchoua were more or
less ruined, but the loss of life is re-
ported as small. The earthquake was
especially severe at Chouanaya. The
earth opened for L. miles and the
whole surface of the ground was
changed. At least 200 people were
killed; bodies were floating in the
bay and a pestilcnce is feared. At
Humiallas, guano loading station,
the damage inflicted was Fearful
The wave which succeeded the earth
quake which completed the work of
destruction, was nearly 60 feet in
hight.
Many vessels were lost here, to-
gether with several of those on board.
Two-thirds Of the town of Mexillus
was completely obliterated. AT t.
capilla little or nothing remains of
the town. The mine called Lapena
Blanca four miles to southwark sank
in, smothering two hundred work
men, of whom 40 were Cornish miners.
Corbya. the principal town on the
Bolivian coast, has lost threc-fourths
of its houses. AS soon as this intelli-
gence reached Lima, the government
chartered steamer and organizing
relief commission, loaded vessel
| with provisions, clothing, &C., togeth-
er with $4,000 gallons Of water, and
dispatched her on the 10th for the
south. One hundred thousand soles
in silver coin also formed a part OF
her cargo to be distributed amongst
the unfortunates. A commission OF
engineers accompanied the expedi-
ton 1t has been urged by govern
ment to recommend the rebuilding OF
the ruined towns on sites which may
offer greater security, more remote
from the shore, since this second in
stance of similar calamity on the
positions actually occupied. A sub.
scription is being made in Lima and
Calloa for the relief of the distressed
The northern ports of Peru were
damaged but little.
Though the sea was. singh the captain
of the steamer John Elder reports
that when 90 miles west of Autofa.
gasta, at sunset, his ship was com.
pletely stopped by the shock of earth.
quake and she remained almost sta.
tionary for five minutes. The pas
sengers believing she had struck or
a reef, soundings were taken imme.
diately, but no bottom found at q
fathoms.