The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-09-15

The New York correspondence of the
Nation, under date Quito, July 4, says
The last eruption of the volcano of Coto-
paxi, the tenth according to my computa-
tion took place on the 26th of June last,
with every circumstance that could in-
crease its horror-utter darkness in broad
day, thunder and lightning, fearful ex-
ploslons that made the earth tremble, sub.
terranean noises and wild gusts of wind,
accompanied by rain of ashes. An eve
witness told me that the volcano poured
out cataract ten times the bulk of Mag
ara, which carried all before it in its head
long course, and submerged the whole
surrounding country. The torrent divided
itself in two opposite directions, as if to
give greater scope to its devastation and
to make the confusion still more dire
One branch took u southerly course toward
the city Of Latacunga, situated twelve
miles from Cotopaxi. On its way the
torrent converted the plain of Callao into
an immense lake. There is but faint hone
that the ruins of the palace of the Incas,
described by Humboldt and all other trav,
eIers through the central valley of the
equatorial Andes, have escaped the rava-
ges of the food. Near Latacunga the
furious current tore up from its very foun.
dations the cotton factory of Don Jose
Villagomez, whose value was estimated at
100000; crops, cattle, buildings were
swept away; the massive bridges ofCutuche
and Pansalvo were destroyed, as we'll as
part of the fine carriage road (searce
equaled even in Europe) which connects
Quito with the towns in the south of the
republic
The branch that headed toward the
south of Cotopaxi devastated the prosper.
GUS and enchanting valley of Chillo, and in
particular the estate of the Senior Aguirre.
noted for having been the residence of
Humboldt There, too, as in Latacunga,
arose the building of thriving factory,
which, only the year before, had been de.
stroyed by fire, and had just been repaired
at great expense. The torre Mt rooted il
from the ground, and bore it away in a
thousand fragments. 1t is asserted that n
mill Of Don Manuel Palacios foated on
the water like ship at sea until shattered
by the current. The loss in the valley of
Chillo alone is estimated at over two
millions of dollars, and the loss in other
sections is equally great. 1t is likewise
calculated that the number of the dead
exceeds one thousand Although the
surroundings of Quito have been laid
waste, the city itself suffered from only
rain of ashes and complete darkness,
which began on the 26th of June, at three
in the afternoon. At Machache and other
places the night lasted for thirty consecu-
tive hours. In the midst of this OPAQUE
gloom one could hear the believing of the
cattle and the cries of other animals, who.
deprived of their usual food by the shower
of ashes, sought, in species of frenzy.
for the means of satisfying their hunger.
Other beasts, frantic with terror, careered
hither and thither as if in despair. and
the piteOus bowling of the dogs pierced
the air with its ominous sound. In Quito
the darkness was as that of night; il was
like that described by the younger Pliny
in letter to Tacitus, in which he relates
the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruc-
tiOn Of Pompeii. at was" he says, "as
if the lights in room had been extin-
guished.' At Quito the shower at first
was Of coarse, heavy sand, which subse.
quently turned into ashes so fine and i'm
palpable that they penetrated not only into
apartments, but into the most carefully
closed receptacles. Ins the depth of the
darkness, men and women, Drawing the
rain Of ashes, sailed forth into the streets,
screening themselves with umbrellas and
lighting their way with lanterns, and all
the while these strange apparitions rent
the air with their cries and prayers for
mercy, The umbrellas, as well as the
green Eyeglasses used here on journeys,
were no superfuous precaution, although
they afforded but scant protection against
the subtle powder, which it was remem.
bered had in many cases produced blind
ness during the eruption of 1S43, and the
rain Of ashes Of thirty hours that attended il.
From the outset the people had unani.
mously ascribed the disaster to chastise-
mert Of heaven, brought down by the ire
ligion Of the government, which had arbi-
trarily closed the churches and deprived
the people of those spiritual consultations
that were made doubly necessary by the
sad condition of things in general, The
idea Of divine punishment spread like
will-6rep and as the tempest ragged more
wildly this conviction gathered intensity,
until at last, groups Of men, without a
leader, without any concerted plan, and
without arms, threw themselves upon the