Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-06-12
THE EARTHQUAKE IN VENEZUELA.


800 Lives Lost--Damage in Other
Parts of the Country The Inhabitants
TerrOr-StrickeD.
New York Times
A passenger who arrived from Puerto
Cabello in the bark Rocket yesterday,
eives some additional particulars of the
great earthquake in Venezuela last
month. This gentleman was in Valen-
Cha 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 Tuy. 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
18th. A terrible shock was suddenly
felt at about $50 in the evening. The
ground seemed to roll like sea waves,
throwing down the walls of the houses,
crushing many, and tangling others in
the debris. The roofs were made of
light material, which caught fire from
the lamps which were overturned. and
q general conflagration ensued. In
vain the poor unfortunates VINO had
escaped the falling walls endeavor-
ed to gain open ground. The flames
spread rapidly, and the people on
the outskirts of the village were I'M
able to offer any assistance. The
shrleks of the dying were to be heard for
a long time above the cracking of the
flames. Fully 500 lives were lost at
Qua that night. Repetitions of the
earthquake were looked for, and those
who had escaped were in constant
state of terror for number of days.
Word was sent to Caracas, and subscrip-
tons were made in all the large towns
of the neighborhood to aid the sufferers.
The president of Venezuela started for
the scene, and on the way was thrown
from his carriage, owing to the rough
ness of the road, but was not seriously
injured. Shocks were felt all over the
country up to about 4th Of May, when
the Rocket sailed. Telegrams were
sent out frequently from Caracas to the
towns with which there was telegrahic
communications, stating that another
severe shock was hourly expected 1t
was during Holy Week that the first
shocks were felt, and the inhabitats, who
are superstitiOus, seemed to regard the
occurrence as ominious. The widest
rumors were constantly afoat. The
town Of Ocumare, about twenty 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
stand-still, and the greatest terror pre-
vailed whenever kilograms prophesying
the approach of heavy shock were re-
ceived. The people in the towns on
such occasions would remain in the
streets during the greater part Of the
night. The shocks have severely dam
aged 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 cannot yet be estimated. The earth
quake was the severest experienced in
Venezuela for many years, it being
1872
A gentleman of Venezuelan birth we'll
acquainted with the devastated neigh
borhc cd, writes: Having received COM
plete files of the Caracas daily papers, 1
should like to give you some more in
formation IN reference tothc earthquake
which destroyed, on the 18th of last
month, the beautiful, wealthy, and
tlourishing town of 'Cua.' 1t appears
that the number of deaths resulting
from that sudden calamity must have
been several hundreds, including about
50 or 80 of the most prominent inhab-
tants Of the place. Charity in those
countries operates swiftly. The instant
the news reached Caracas the President
Of the Republic not only forwarded
large supplies of everything needtul in
such cases, but headed the list of sub
scriptions, which at last accounts show
ed respectable amount, the money
being distributed among the survivors
as fast as received. The Venezuela
Congress voted a large sum for the re-
building of the city.
"The action Of invisible fires in that
region Of the globe has caused, COM
paratively 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 when an appeal on behalf
of the Chicago sufferers was made
to the world. [ have taken this liberty,
feeling double interest in Venezuela.
The Government of Venezuela has,
through my efforts, and after years of
perseverance, granted a subsidy, the
first in the history of that country, for
the establishment Of a line Of steamers
between her principal ports and New
York. as an evidence Of her. sincere de-
sire to cultivate friendly and CONNER
cial relations with the great Northern
Republic. I Only returned from Cara
cas- last month, and in that beautiful
city, where the climate is one of her
principal charms, the heat was so in
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