The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-06-20
The Earthquake In TenezusIa-Details
OF the Catastrophe.

A passenger who arrived from Puerto
Cabello in the bark Rocket, at New
York, gives some additional particulars
OF the great earthquake In Venezuela in
April. This gentleman was in Valencia
ct 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 grow
ing sugar. The towns of Qua, about
thirty-hve miles southwest of Caracas,
was entirely destroyed on the 18th. A
terrible shock was suddenly felt at about
thirty minutes after eight O'Clock in the
evening. The ground seemed to roll
like sea waves, throwing down the walls
of the houses, crushing many, and
entangling others in the debris. The
roots were made of light material which
were overturned, and q general coDfag-
| ration ensued. La vain the poor
unfortunates who had escaped the falling
walls endeavored to gain open ground.
The flames spread rapidly, and the peo-
/ pie on the outskirts of the village were
unable to offer any assistance. The
! shTieks of the dying were to be heard for
/ a long time above the cracking of the
! flames. Fully three hundred lives were
lost at Qua that night. Repetitions OF
| the earthquake were looked for, and
those who had escaped were in a constant
| state of terror for a number of days.
| The business of the country was at q
/ stsnd~stiil, and the greatest terror pre-
4 vailed whenever kilograms prophesying
/ the approach of a 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
| damaged the industries of the whole
country. Workmen had not the heart
| TO work in the sugar factories, many Of
| which bad fallen in. The losses win be
very large. but can not yet be estimated.
The earthquake was the seVerest ex
perienced in Venezuela for many years,
it being considered much heavier than
that of 1912.
A gentleman of Venezuelan birth well
acquainted with the devastated neigh
! borhoOd, writes: g Having received
complete files of the Caracas daily
papers, should like to give you some
more information in references to the
| earthquake which destroyed, on the
18th of Last month, the beautiful,
wealthy, and fourishing town of Qua.
1t a, pears that the number of deaths
resulting from that sudden calamity
must have been several hundred, includ-
ing about eighty or ninety of the most
prominent Inhabitants of the place.
Charity in those countries operate
swiftly. The instant the news rescued
| Caracas the president of the republic not
only forwarded large supplies of every
| thing needful in such cases, but headed
the list of subscriptions, which at last
! accounts showed a respectable amount,
the money being distributed among the
survivors as fast as received. The Vene-
zuelan congress voted a large sum for
the rebuilding of the city.
" The aetisn of invisible fires in that
region of the globe has caused, COM
paratively speaking, greater sorrews,
greater losses and mors enduring misery
than the great external fire which de-
/ strOyed the beet part OF Chicago in 1871.
/ | only returned from Caracas last month,
and in that beautiful city, where the
climate is one of her principle charms
the heat was so intense nearly the whole
Ave months remained there, that the
recent calamity is evidently the result
of that phenomenon for the climate OF
Caracas is usually delightfully."- cool al
/ the wear ruund