The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-26
EARTHQUAKE.
Story Of the Disaster in Venezuela
from an Eyewitness.
A TOWN DESTROYED,
How the Inhabitants Of Qua Saw Two
Hundred OF Their Number Slain.
CARACAS, Nay 1. 1878.

CARACAS. Nay I, 1878.
We have been suffering for weeks past from uncou-
mon neat; the sky has boon overcast and hery, our
expected rains have mot come our fields parched
and the death roll In the city has greatly increased.
Our city surrounded by high mountains and those
have been all abazc TOR weeks AZ night the scene
grand and weird High above all sides, the flames
cnwrapping tho mountain tops and tho inaccess
ibe points, whirng and cddying the Gtui gusts and
dancing In and out OF the holiows as II we're 10 merry
SPORT bidding defiance to tho hundreds OF people
Ing 10 stay It's wild fury which scemsd determined 10
consume all the green things around and loavo VI
bare OF verdure; or IL might be a determination u
give US specimen OF fireworks ana illumination foI
our Holy Week, about to begin However that mpy
be, our attention TO the suspended on tbs
18th ut, at about twenty minutes to nincP NJ, by
something much more interesting AT that moment
heard a noise ike thousand ton engine rushing n
full speed tho rough pavement, with the
unear,hy shrisKing OF dozen locomotives
mad. Then tho ground beneath mo began 70
and roll ana shake, and tho walls OF thu
house seemed disposed Tor dance. and the ce,ling
began to drop specimens OF It's plastering. About
that time ana my household found the open yard .
very pleasant place, and tnon In three four
ouds over, and NIL quiet In nature Not So
however, WITH tho people. They kept up . terrible
amount OF screaming praying and knsel,na
u stroll through the different parks open places
anu iound them ali filed with people, with bcd&
some without, but all determined 10 keep out OF the
houses which might tumble upon them II anoIhei
shake as severe should conc All had the fear Of
another catastrophe like that Of 1872 before their
minds But ouly slight shocks felt aftcrward.
About nine o'clobk tho next night another quite
severe one ielk No damage Of importance o.
CURED IN vhe city Ono hssss in tho suburbs had ss
fn~s a an
from the walls saint or two in tho churches fcli
from their places and were broken--io from grace
suppose.
OUT OF DOORS SAFETY.
The next evening took u stroll through the differ.
ent squares parks aud open places and iound every
loot OF open space occupied by the extraor-
binary gathering OF tents tvsr There wsrs
old tents and tents tents msdc OF bed quilts.
shoets blankets, gunny bags, olclohs, oil pa
perrin TACT any aud cvory thing useful uso-
less TO keep or the dew and the expected RAIN
In and about the tents congrcgatcd MI tho ia
hsbnants or the city who could not get away from
town ana into tho country. Thou sands had Ion
ing the day Hundreds OF othcrs were spread around
loose in the streets and sidewalks with protection
ut all from tho weather Aboat two thousand sol.
dicrs also calnpcd out In the Streets lying
without shelter IL vas a strange sight
A PROPHECY PERIL UxPULYiLLEp
supposed 70 be seon.iGc "a which l. was said shn, as
the uling of the moon on the morning OF tho 18th.
Saact worse ,ssn sbS, 40 a
course sot the people wild again, and more people
sought tho opon country and sre.'sr numbsrs
family, who had been iivsrg iu tent in the Plaza
Bolivar. lett Tor the country spent an hour two
IN plaza about the tim0 OF the predicted shock
and ain happy 10 say that the propneey was .
failure When the cathedral bell tollod nali-pas. ono
thcre general feeling OF Toiief and many,s
bosom uttered sigh Of thanks that the threatened
danger had passed.
But II Caracas has escaped unorun atoly other
places IN tho vicinity dd not Several villages towns
Il WA reserved Tor the town Of Qua to suffer 10 q
most fearful manner, receiving about all tho serious
ssou niles from hore, aud is. or was. a handsome,
nourshng town. rho shock OF the l2.h entirely dc.
S's sssosa. h s.s l s:s Been sa y:
number killed About two hundred have thus far
from tins city, aided by large number volantcers
worked with tho most unreiaxing energy the dii-
cult aud abor'ous task of cxicaiing the bodies rho
stencil almost insuppoftabIe. After the search
had ceased lrc was applied 10 the ruins,
prevent psstiIcucc. Tho government under General
Aicantara used every cxortioh 10 alleviate ihs suffer-
ings or the mo wounded and ouscless Tno
President, Al tho nrst Of Tho disaster despatched
largo body OF men to their rGi,e with oaus Of
provisions. lie also doctors and surgeons 10 care
Tor injured, well rs coaches to bring the people
into the city, ana announced shat ne took suffer
ers under his private protection THIS noble acs
has won Tor hiin 81 cat praise.
NIGHT HAVE WORSE.
The destruction OF tho city sudden Ms IL was
coinp TO- In almost cvoSy house thers were victims
either killed or wounded, or both. Fortunately me
the majority OF people would have been N bed, is
wsola havs boon nscn more dreadful Fortunately.
also, tho Aay and evening had bcen extremely hot
and many people were out trying to catch . little
coelnsss In tho open parks. aud 80 wero preserved
THE CATHEDRAL wREcgED.
one gentleman who WAS IN the PARK says no vas
looking ut the cathedral aud udmirng us architsc.
tnrsi Ueau,y when suddenly II seemed rise
srsigbt up The air. " about ascending to heaven.
aud, bong thrown clear on rs fouadation u Toll
ward the ground IN one mass OF runs Not stick
stone Of tnc noble eaihce remains In place IL L.
total wreck.
Tho river TUT, running through the city, had been.
thoy say, hot that all DAY they had been unable 10
drink rs water; ana tho nshes had been observed
DO uneasy, Jumping frequently out Of the waser
where thoy apparently wore being made uncomfors.
able ny lis heat On The banks Of the ssream great
nssuros opened which became filed with
water that gave forth such stencil that
people VINO had cncampcd on Us banks were Obliged
10 leave the vicinity. Small nilIucks OF sand woro
thrown up IN different spots having tue same smell
Nearly nil the coffee aud sugar pIanaions several
miles around Qua nave been seriously damaged. rho
other towns lying all more or less
Injured, but fortunately no iivcs have boon lost II 10
believed that IN no oher place lvcr have been lost.
POPULAR rxRnoK.
During Holy Week We had impressive ceremonies
ia tho e6uscncs with professions In tho strcoss az.
topdsd with si the pomp ana splsndor wnicn the
Church knows 40 well how 10 display. Beautifully
ornansntsd PATTERNS nied with nowersa nd ribbons,
urssths OF tiusoi aud hundreds OF candies we're
carried from church 10 churgp, and on the different
platforms were lite sizc a:urcs Of Our saviour
ssntsd tho Virgin Others apostles and other holy
psrsonaaoA Soldiers IN full uniform followed ths9
Ing priests and squeezing adde's aud tnous
ands OF 0arehcadsd worshippsrs. VOL, In one Of
these PROFESSIONS woman became frshtcncd and
scsssmsA The people ,hosTht n vas 40 earthquake
aud made a. rush. In tho scramble many fsli and
were injured, and II 10 said one person killed
The President issued order stop tho pro.
cesslous and clossd the churches I'll the 2sth.
To crown the popular terror q prophecy has
Just been pubiished tnat Apri June October of
this year have terrible Of prop
crty, with Ealing loss OF lilo all south Amer
lea. In referring 10 this prediction people laugh, but
thor biancbcd cheeks throw = shade Of incredibly
over their mcrrimoni fhcy are excitabls people.
especially on this subject OF earthquakes they
easily wrought into terror, as seems quito natural.
when they all sides around theln tho ruined
houses aud walls, enduring msmontocs Of tho awful
calamity which bescAved wrecgcd their city In
1917.
ANOTHER SHAKE.
Wc had another earthquake hero yesterday ~ about
nine A. NJ, durlug In church. II drove tho
worshippers out ia a rusn several people