The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-20
ERUPTION OF COTUpAXI.
More than One Thousand Elves Lost
Ecuador brre.poadenes Mew York Nation


More than One Thousand Elves Lost.
Ecuador Correspondence Ne,s York Nation.
QUITo, July 4.
The last eruption of the volcano of
COtopaxi, the tenth according to nv com.
putation, took place on the Goth of June
last, with every circumstance that could
increase its horror-utter darkness in
broad day, thunder aud lightning, fearful
explosions that made the earth tremble.
subterranean noises and wild gusts OF
wind, accompanied by rain Of ashes.
An eyewitness told me that the volcano
poured out cataract ten times the bulk
of Niagara, which carried all before It
in It's headlong course, and submerged the
whole surrounding country. The torrent
divided itself in two opposite directions,
as II to give greater scope to its devasta.
tion and 70 make confusion still more
dire. One branch took southerly
course toward tho city Of Latacunga, ait
uated twelve miles from Cotopaxi. On
its way the torrent converted the plain
OF Callao into aa immense lake. There
is but faint hops that the ruins of the
palace of the Incas, described by Hum
boldt, and all other travellers through the
central valley of the equatorial Andes,
have escaped the ravages of the flood.
Near Latacunga the furious current tore
up from its very foundation the cotton
factory of Don Jose Villagomez whose
value was estimated at $30O,00O; crops,
cattle, buildings were swept away the
massive bridges of Cutuche and Parsal-
vo were destroyed, as well as part of
the fine carriage-road (scarce equalled
even in Europe) which connects Quito
with the towns in the south of the re-
public.
THE TORRENTS OF BOILING WATER.
The branch that headed toward the
south of Cotopaxi devasted the prosper
GUS and enchanting valley Of Chillo, and
III particular the estate of tho Scnor
AguirTe, notcd for having been the resi-
dence of Eumbolt. There, too, as in
Latacunga. arose the building of thriv-
ing factory, which, only the year before
had been destroyed by fire, and had been
repaired at great expense. The torrent
rooted it from the ground, ard bore it
away in thousand Fragments. 1t is as
serted that mill of Don Manuel Pala-
co.'s floated on the water like ship at
sea until scattered by the current. The
loss in the valley of Chillo alone is esti-
mated at over two millions of dollars,
and SAC iO55 IN other sections In equally
great. It is likewise calculated that the
number of the dead exceeds enc thou
sand. Although the surroundings of
Quito have been laid waste, the city itself
81 cred only from rain Of ashes and q
complete darkness, which began on the
10Th of June, ut 8 o'clock in the after
noon. At Machache and other places
the night lasted for thirty consecutive
|
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 ter
ror, careered hither and thither as If in
despair, and the piteous howling of the
dogs pierced the ear with its ominous
sound. In Quito the darkness was as
that of night; it was like that described
by the younger Pliny in letter to Taci-
tus, in which he relates the eruption of
Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii.
ut was" he says, "as if the lights in the
room had been extinguished." 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
women, Drawing the rain of ashes, sailed
forth into the streets, screening them
, selves with umbrellas and lighting their
way with lanterns, and all the while these
strange apparitions rent the air with their
F cries and prayers for mercy. The um-
brellas, rs we'll as the green eyeglasses
used here ON journeys, were no superhu-
GUS precaution, although they afforded
but scant protection against the subtle
: powder, which it was remembered had in
many cases produced blindness during
| ashes of thirty hours that then attended
, it.
sUPERsTITioUs FRENZY OF THE PEOPLE
From the outset the people had unani.
mously ascribed the disaster to chastise-
, ment of heaven, brought down by the
, irreligiOn of the government, which hnd
prived the people of those spiritual con.
, ry by the sad condition of things in gen.
, oral The idea of divine punishment
, spread like wild-fire, and as the tempes,
: ragged more wildly this conviction gath.
, cred intensity, until at last groups o
. men, without leader, without any con.
, certed plan, and without arms, threw
: themselves upon the guard at the military
hospital, while others attacked the guartt
7 stationed at the powder magazine on the
3 hill of Javira. There were but few
f troops in the garrison, the greater par
3 having been sent to suppress the insur
! rection in Imbabura but the assailants
lacking arms and direction, were prompt
, ly overpowered, with no further loss thar
, that of two soldiers and two citizens
3 On the day following, before the city h.t
recovered from its CONSERVATION, anC
5 w;h;lo clouds of ashes still hoveEed in th.
! air and peryaded the streets, five of tht
: unhappy prisoners who had been takes
r during the tumult, suffered the barbaroul
! punishment of Eve hundred lashes.-
Q Some lave died in consequence. Ths
Q fact needs no comment. 4 number o.
J.. respectable citi Eens have been arrested
q and are to be subjected to court-parlial
a In the present wretched condition o
0 Ecuador, xuined as it is by arrics O
/ disasters, the recent eruption Is the cul
a mination of its woes. Ten year, o. peace
a and prosperity, of which there is Lin
prospect now, will not suffice 10 rcp,ii
a The evils which few hours have wrought