The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-30
EARTHQUAKE In VENEZUELA.
Late Details OF the Catastrophe--The Town
of Qua Wholly Destroyed and 900 Lives
[rrom the Sew YORK rimes. /


Late Details OF the Catastrophe--The Town |
of Qua Wholly Destroyed and 900 Lives
Lost --z
From the New York Times.i
A passenger who arrived from Puerto
Cabello in the bark Rocket, yesterday,
givss soilie additional particulars OF the
great earthquake in venezuela last
month. This gentleman was in Valencia
at the time, and SAYS that, although
severe shocks were felt everywhere; no
loss of life was reported except in the
valley of the river tTuy. This valley
lies between two ranges of mountains
near the coast Of the Caribbean Sea, and
is very fertile, being used, chiefly for
growing sugar. The town of Qua, about
thirty-five miles southwest Of Caracas,
was entirely destroyed on the 14th. A
terrible shock was suddenly felt at about
s 80 in the evening. Theground SEEM
ed to roll like sea waves, throwing down
the walls of the houses, crushing many,
and entangling others in the debris.
The roofs were made of light material,
which caught FIRE from the. lamps which
whre overturned, and a general con-
fagration ensued. In vain the poor n-
fortunates who had escaped the falling
walls endeavored to gain open. ground.
The flames spread rapidly, and the peo-
1 pie on the outskirts of the village were
unable to offer any assistance. The
shrieks of the dying were to be heard for
long time above the cracking of the
flames. Fully 800 lives were lost at
Qua that night. Repetitions of the
earthquake were looked for, and
those who had escaped were in 3 con-
slant state of terror for number
/ of DAYS. Word was sent TO Caracas,
and subscriptions were made in all the
/ large towns of the neighborhood to aid
the sufferers. The President of Vene-
zuela started for the scene, and on the
way was thrown from his carriage,
owing to the roughness OF the road, but
was not seriously injured. Shocks were
felt all over the country up to about the
| 4th of May, when the Rocket sailed.
kilograms were sent out frequently
from Caracas to the towns with which
there was telegraphic Communication,
stating that another shock was hourly
expected. 1t was during Holy Week
that the first shocks were felt, and the
inhabitants, who are superstitious,
i seemed to regard the occurrence as
ominous. The widest rumOrs were
constantly afoat. The town of Ocu-
marc, about 20 miles east OF Qua, and
in the same valley, suffered extremely,
the houses being wrecked and number
of serious accidents occurring, but the
number of the persons killed or injured
had not been ascertained when the bark
left. The business of the country was
at a stand-still, and the greatest
terror prevailed whenever telagrams
prophesying the approach of heavy
Shock were received. The people in the
towns on such occasions would remain
in the streets during the greater part
of the night The shocks have severely
y damaged the industries of the whole
country. Workmen had not the heart
to work in the sugar-factories, many Of
which had fallen in. The losses will be
very large, but can not yet be estimated
The earthquake was the severest expe-
rienced in Venezuela for many years, II
J. being considered much heavier than thai
of 1872, tf .....--..
A gentleman of Venezuelan birth, wei
acquainted with the devastated neigh
borhood, writes: " Having received
!, complete files of the Caracas daily pa
pers, l should like to give you some
more information in reference to tbs
earthquake which destroyed, on the
18th of last month, the beautiful
wealthy, and fiourishing town of Qua.
! 1t appears that the number of death
resulting from that sudden calamit,
} must have been several hundreds, in
, Guiding about eighty or ninety of thu
most prominent inhabitants of the place
Charity in those countries operate
swiftly. The instant the news reached
} Caracas the President of the Republic
} not only forwarded large supplies o
every thing needful in such cases, bu
headed the list of subscriptions, which
at last accounts showed respectable
! amount, the money being distributed
/ among the survivors as fast az received
The Venezuela Congress voted a largt
sum for the rebuilding of the city.
1.-THE action of invisible fires in tha
region of the globe has caused, com
paratiyely speaking, greater sorrows
greater losses, and more enduring mis-
cry than the great external fire which
destroyed the best part of Chicago in
1871. Venezuela, although a poor
country, displayed her natural gener.
: osity WREN an appeal on behalf of the
Chicago sufferers was made to the
world, 1 have taken this liberty, feel.
ing ad0uble interest in Venezuela The
/ Government of Venezuela, through my
efforts, and after many years of perse-
verance, granted a subsidy, the first in
the history of that country, for the es-
adjustment of line of steamers be-
tween her principal ports and New York,
as an evidence of her sincere desire to
cultivate friendly and commercial rela-
tons with the great northern republic,
| only returned from Caracas last month,
4 and in that beautiful city, where the
climate is one of her principal charms,
. the heat was so intense, nearly the
whole five months L remained there,
that the recent calamity is evidently the
result of that phenomenon; for the eli
mate Of Caracas is usually Delightfully."-
cool all the year round" ii5. it
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