Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-09-14
CotopaAi's Lates. Eruption.
DARKNESS AND D1sMAI-THE INCA RUIi
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DARKNESS AND DIsMAI-THE INCA RUINS
DEsTRoYED-oNET THOUSAND LIVES LOST.
The eruption took place on the 26th of
June, with every circumstance that could
increase its terror-utter darkness in the
broad day, thunder and lightning, fearful
explosions that made the earth tremble,
subterranean noises and wild gusts of wind,
accompanied by arsin of ashes. An eye
witness told me that the volcano poured
out a cataract ten times the bulk OF Niaga-
ra, which carried all before II in lis head
long course, and submerged the whole sur
rounding country. The torrent divided it.
self In two opposite directions, as If toglve
greater scope to its devastation aud 10 make
the confusion still more dire. One branch
took a southerly direction toward the city
Of Latacungs, situated twelve miles from
Cotopaxi. On its way the torrent convert
cd the plain of Callao into an immense
lake. There is but faint hope that the ru-
ms of the palace Of the Incas described by
Humboldt and all other travellers through
the central valley of the equatorial Andes,
have escaped the ravages OF the food.
Near Latacunga the furious current tore up
from its very foundations the cotton facto-
ry of Don Jose Villagomcz, whose value
was estimated at 100000; crops, cattle,
| buildings we're swept away the massive
bridges of Cutuche and Pansalvo were de-
stroyed, as well as part of the fine car
rage road (scarce equalled even in Eu-
rope) which connects Quito with the towns
in the south of the republic.
The branch that headed toward the south
of Cotopaxi devastated the prosperous and
enchanting valleyof Chilo, and in particu-
lar the estate of the Senores Aguirre, noted
| for having been the residence of Humboldt.
There too, as in Latacunga, arose the build
ings Of thriving factory, which, only the
| year before had been destroyed by fire,
and had just been repaired at great ex-
pens1. The torrent rooted it from the
ground, and bore it away in a thousand
fragments. 1t is asserted that mill of
| Don Manuel Palacios floated on the water
| like ship at sea until shattered by the cur
rent. 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 il likewise calculated that the
number of the dead exceeds one thousand.
| A third cataract took an easterly direction,
destroying the bridge of Palate, and doing
grievous injury to the estates in that neigh
borhood, of which the most important is
celebrated for its fine wine, well known as
"Vino de Patate."
Although the surroundings of Quito have
been laid waste, the city itself suffered
from only a rain of ashes and complete
darkness, which began on the Goth of June,
at three in the afternoon. At Machache and
other places the night lasted for thirty con-
secutive 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 a species Of frenzy for
the means of satisfying their hunger. 9th
err beasts, frantic with terror, careered hith-
er and thither, as If in despair, aud the pit
eous bowling of the dogs pierced the air
with its ominous sound. In Quito the dark
ness was not as that OF night; it was like
that described by the younger Pliny ia
letter to Tacitus, In which he relates the
err upton of Vesuvius and the destruction
of Pompeii. at was" he says, "as If the
|
At Quito the shower, at first, was of course,
heavy sand, which subsequently turned
into ashes, so fine and impalpable that they
penetrated not only into apartments, but
into the most carefully closed receptacles.
In the depth OF the darkness, men and wo-
men, Drawing the rain OF ashes, sailed forth
into the streets, screening themselves with
umbrellas and lighting their way with Ian
terms, and all the while these strange APP
partitions rent the air with their cries and
prayers for mercy. The umbrellas, as we'll
as the green Eyeglasses used here on jour
neys, were no superfluous precaution, al
though they afforded but scant protection
against the subtle powder, which it was re-
me mbered had in many cases produced
blindness during the eruption of 1913, and
the rain of ashes of thirty hours that at
tended it.-QUito letter TO N. Y. Nation.