Middletown transcript., 1881-04-15
The chic Enrthauake.

A correspondent Of a London news
paper writes from Chic, under date OF
April 7th, as follows:
lttThe first shock was felt on Sunday
afternoon, at about 1.30 o'clock. I'M
mediately houses began to fall. Wild
shrieks were heard on every side. Then
followed an awful silence Of some min
utes. The terrified survivors gradually
ventured into the narrow lanes and
reached the open spaces. Shortly after
ward another terrific shock completed
the devastation. Then it remained
quiet until sunset, when it again began
to shake the island throughout as
severely as before. All night the
shocks succeeded each other at short
intervals, and each one was preceded
by dull sounds like subterranean explO-
siOns. Since that frequent shocks have
deem felt. A few minutes ago, while
writing this dispatch, | distinctly
heard an explosion-like sound and felt
the earth tremble, but as l am under
canvas I have nothing to fear. The
old Genoese Fortress, containing about
400 houses. inhabited by Mussulmans
and Jews, suffered more than the rest
of the town. The ground there sank
about half a metre, and nearly all the
houses were Immediately destroyed, and
several hundred persons must have
perished. 1t is known that about 30
Mussulman women were assembl-
ed in one of the houses, not one of whom
escaped. A medical commission is
now sitting to consider the eXpediency
of covering the rubbish in the fortress
with earth, as there is no hope Of saw
ing any lives. and the disinterment of
the dead might produce an epidemic.
It is now believed that throughout the
whole island, which contained 10000
inhabitants, 5000 or 1000 were killed,
and 25 per cent. of the survivors were
wounded. The French, British, United
States and Austrian gun-vessels in the
harbOr are doing all in their power to
assist the authorities in the work of re-
| lief. Only ten of the inhabitants OF
Chesme were killed, but many houses
are in ruins, and 10000 people are
| without shelter. In the southern part
| of the island, Menita, town of II, ,00C
| inhabitants, and the villages of Mona.
| stir, Virinas and Philatia are masses Of
ruins. Not single house has escaped. ,
| Tscio Skio, Chic, or Khio is an island O.
| Asiatic Turkey, in the Grecian Archipelago
| of the coast of Asia Minor, from which 1t |,
separated by the strait of Scio: area, about 4O
| square miles. Population, previous to th'
| earthquake, about 10000, most of whom were
Turks. The chief productions are silk, cotton
| wool fruit, oil and gum-mastic, the last o
| which is the staple of the island. Its chic
city, Chios claimed the honor of being tn
birthplace of Homer. 1t was invaded by th'
! Persians and devastated in 494, B. c. In tn
early part of the fourteenth century tn
Turks captured the capital and massacret
the inhabitants. From 1916 TO 1855 it was i'll tn
Il hands of the Genoese. 1t then again fell un
der the dominion of the Turks, and, except
ing d short interval during which it wa
subject to Venice, it has since been i'll thei
possession. During the Greek revolution it
fuhabitants rose against the Turks (lS22) bu
were soon subdued. Within two month
23 900 Sciotes, without distinction of age orseN
were nut to the sword, 1900 were sold int
slavery, and 5000 sought safety in other part
. ! of Greece. The former Christian population
Of nearly 100000 was reduced to 2,OOO,-EDITo
TRANSCRIPT.