River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-21
PERILS OF LIFE.
If Won Dwell Among south America
EarthQuE kes.


South American advices by mail bring
the following details of the recent earth
quake: At Mollendo the railway was
torn up by the sea for three hundred feet,
and at lea the railway was also injured.
AT africa the people were preparing tenn
porary Notifications to repel threatened
assault of the rebel ram Hauscar, at the
very moment when the roar of the earth
quake was heard The shocks were very
numerous and caused considerable dam
age. The sea was suddenly perceived TO
recede from tire beach and a wave from
ten to fifteen feet high, rolled. upon the
shore, carrying all before it. Eight times
was repeated this assault of the ocean and
four miles of the embankment of the rail-
way melted away like sand. Locomotives,
cars and rails were hurled about by the
sea like so many playthings and left in
tumbled mass of rubbish. The United
States steamer Waterel," stranded by
the wave of 1868, was lifted bodily and
fioated two miles north of her old po-
sition. a cable buoy was moved a mile
further north. Merchandise from the
custom house and stores was carried five
miles distant The damage done was
greater than that OF the calamity of 1859.
The earthquake had levelled the custom
house, railway station, submarine cable
Office, the hotel of the British consulate,
the steamship office, and many private
dwellings. The people passed the night
on the hills and thieves began to rob,
when troops fired upon them, killing and
wounding several.
Iquique, built of wood and cane, tumbled
down at the first onset. Lamps were
broken, and burning oil spreading over
the debris, started a general conf1agration.
Three companies of firemen were Instant
ly at their posts, although it was difficult
to maintain an upright position, shock
following shock with dreadful regularity.
To procure water the best fire engines
were stationed on the beach. Just then
the CRY arose. "The sear The sea-
And the waves rushed in; the engines
were carried out by the refux, and the
fire continued unopposed. Three elements
of destruction were busy at one moment
| fire, water and the earthquake. The
affrighted people left the city to its fate,
flying to'the neighboring eminences. The
fire destroyed a large portion of the town
and the earthquake levelled nearly all the
rest and water covers the ruins which 1t
took out in the reflux. The water con-
densers along the shore are ruined,
an irreparable loss for Iquique, as no
/ palatable water is found there. Nearly
400. 900 quintals of nitrate at Iquique and
the adjacent ports of Molise and Pisaqua
were destroyed. A small loss of life took
place, probably ten persons in all. Coast
| ing crafts and small vessels in the harbor
were broken in pieces. As In Africa
robbing of goods lying in the streets was
attempted, but guards of citizens took
such severe measures that the robbers
were speedily checked. Away up on
/ Pampas, eleven miles from Iquique, the
splendid nitrate establishment, La Neuva
Carolina, was completely destroyed. The
sufferings of the people of Iquique were
intense. The absence of water and de-
struction of the principal stores added to
| their hardships. 1t is estimated that the
damage in Iquique alone will amount TO
nearly four million soils.
Shanaugia, little town of the guano
loading deposits, known rs Pabellion de
Plea, with 400 houses, has only two stand
ing. Here the earthquake was followed
by FIRE There were no fire engines IN
town, and the sea came in and extin-
guished the flames, but as it retired, car
ried off all that remained of the place.
In the guano cutting, thirty laborers
were buried by the falling earth
Amongst the shipping the havoc was ter
rible. The town of Tarabaca, two or
three leagues inland, and the villages of
! PIcv, Watilla and Cochones were more OF
less ruined, the loss of life reported not
being great. The earthquake was espe-
cially severe at Chanavoya. The earth
opened IS metres in depth and the whole
surface of the ground was changed. At
least 200 people were killed. Bodies
were floating in the bay and Pestilence
was feared At Humallas, guano load
ing station, the damage inflicted was
fearful All the houses were destroyed.
| The guano cuts have fallen in and at Pab-
ellon all loading must be suspended for
at least two months. The wave which
succeeded the earthquake and completed
the work of destruction was nearly sixty
feet in height. Many vessels were lost
here. together with several on board. In
short everything except few huts at the
back of town has been destroyed.
At Mercillon the tidal wave was 65 feet
in height and two-thirds of the town was
completely obliterated. Guano shoots,
wharves, launches, boats, water distilleries,
the railway station, locomotives, cars and
furniture, all were swallowed up. Sixper-
sons were drowned. At Teocopilla little
or nothing remains of the. town. The
mine called La Rena Blaneha, four miles
south, sank in, smothering 200 workmen,
of whom 40 were Cornish miners.
Cobya, the principal town on the Bo-
livian coast, has lost three-fourths of its
houses. The wave, 80 feet high, swept
along the main business street and left it
level as desert Wharves and launches
were all carried out to sea.
Speedy Fulfillment Of Presentiment.