The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-06-16
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.

THE LATE EARTHQUAKES AND TIDAL WAVES
COMBINATION OF DESTRUCTIVE ELE-
MENTs-A DEsOLATED COAST.
The Panama Star and Herald of May
30th has Lima letter of May Goth, giving
the following particulars of the Peruvian
tidal wave and earthquake:
At about $50 on the night of the 9th, a
severe earthquake shock, lasting from four
to five minutes, moved the entire southern
coast, even reaching down as far as Anto-
fagasta. So severe was the movement that
in many places it was impossible to stand
upright without support. The first shock
was succeeded by several others of less in
tensity, and then the sea receding from the
shore, seemed to concentrate its strength
for the fearful and repeated attacks it made
upon the land.
A GENERAL CONFEDERATION.
At 1quique, houses built of wood and
cane tumbled down at the first shock
Lamps were broken, and the burning oil
spreading over the debris, Immediately
started general contlagration. Three
companies of firemen were instantly at
their posts, although it was still difficult to
maintain an upright position, shock follow.
order to procure water, the two best engines
were stationed on the beach and work
began. Just then the cry arose, &" The sea.
the sea- and the waves rushed in. The
engines were carried out by the reGux and
the fire continued unopposed. Three ele-
ments of destruction were busy at one mo-
ment. The aifrighted people gave up all
attempt at resistance and left the city to its
fate, flying to the neighboring eminences.
The fire destroyed a large portion of the
town, the earthquake levelled nearly all the
rest and the water covers the ruins, which
it took out in its reflux. Four entire
squares of buildings were swamped and
taken by the waves. All the wharves were
destroyed. The Custom House is gone, the
nitrate stores have disappeared, and the
water condensers along the shore are ruined,
an almost irreparable loss for Iquique, as
no palatable water is found there. Anto-
fagasta, Mexllones, Tocopilla and Cabija,
towns on the coast of Bolina, met with the
same misfortune of
EARTHQUAKE AND TIDAL WAVE
at the same time, and are in an identical
condition with lquique and africa. At
Antofagasta several lives were lost. Mex
illones was visited by tidal wave sixty
five feet in heigh, and two thirds of the
town completely obilterated. At Mexil-
ZONES six persons were drowned. At Terra
pila little or nothing remains of the town.
A mine called La Pena Blanca" four
miles to the southwark, sank in, smother
ing two hundred workmen, of whom forty
were Cornish miners. Cobiga, the prnci-
pal town on the Bolivian coast, has lost
three -fourths of it's houses. The wave
thirty five feet high swept along the main
business street, and left it as level as the
desert. Wharves and launches were all
carried out to sea. All of the towns are in
the greatest distress.
Chila has escaped without injury. The
northern parts of Peru were damaged but
little, although the sea was running re-
markable high. Efforts for the relief of
the distressed are being made. Chanavaya,
the little town at the guano loading deposit,
known as Pebella de Pico, with four hun
dred houses, to-day has only two standing.
Here, as at lquique, the earthquake was
followed by fire. The sea came in and ex-
tinguished the conhagration, but as it re-
tired carried off all that remained of the
place. In one of the guano cuttings thirty
laborers were buried by the falling earth
and suffocated. Among the shipping at
least two hundred people were killed
Bodies were floating around in the bay
and pestilence is feared. At Huaniles
and the guano loading station the damage
inflicted was fearful. All the houses were
destroyed. The wave which succeeded the
earthquake and completed the work of
destruction was nearly sixty feet in high.