Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-04-11
FOREIGN NEWS.
TIE EARTHQUAKE IN CHIC.
Terrible Scene Of Desolation ans
Suffering.


Terrible Scene Of DesOlation and
Suffering.
LONDON. April 8. A dispath from emo 10
the Times saws a medical commission Is no"
sitting to consider the expediency OF covering
the rubbish in the fortress win earn" %
there is no hope of saving any lives, and as
;nterment of the dead might produce an epi.
demic II is believed throughout the Island
which contained 10000 inhabitants, that SIX
or seven thousand are killed, and quarter OF
the survivors are wounded. French, British,
United States and Austrian gun vessels are In
the harper doing all in their power 10 assist
in the work of relief. Only ten lnhaDitahts
of Chesme were killed; but many houses are
in ruins, and 10000 people are without
shelter.
4 Times correspondent at Chic telegraphs
under date of the It'll inst: have Just ar
rived here from Constantinople, AMI ma
picture of desolation such AS Is rarely VIII
messed. The town looks as if 1t had been
terribly bombarded. Hundreds of houses are
transformed into shapeless mass OF RUNS
nnder which lie buried an unknown number
of victims. A majority of the remaining
houses are already cracked and roofess ana
NAV fall at any moment; nearly every build
inc in town has suffered more or less. The
inhabitants wander about anxious to search
for missing relatives or lost property, but
are afraid to risk their lives in the perilous
work of clearing away the rubbish. Many
who are willing to expose themselves 10
danger are prevented from doing so by their
friends or the police Fear, grief and dispair
are depicted on nearly every face. All have
some tragic tale to tell The first shock was
felt on Sunday afternoon, about l.3O O'Clock.
Immediately houses began to fall, wild
shrieks were heard on every side, then fol-
lowed an awful silence of some minutes.
The terrified survivors gradually ventured
into the open lanes and reached the open
spaces. Shortly afterwards another terrible
shock completed the devastation, then it re-
NAMED quiet until sunset. when it again
shook the Island throughout severity as
before. All night shocks sue
ceeded each other at short intervals
and each one was proceeded by
dull sounds like subterranean explosions.
Since that, frequent shocks have been felt. A
few minutes ago while this dispatch was be-
ing written, distinctly heard an explosion.
and felt the earth tremble, but as l am under
canvass, have nothing to fear. The old
Genoese fortress, containing about 400 houses
and inhabited by Musselmans Jews, suffered
more than the rest of the town. The
ground there sank about half q metre, and
nearly all the houses were Immediately de-
stroved. Several hundred persons must
have persisted. 1t is known that about 80
Musselman women were assembled in one
of the houses, not one of whom escaped.
The southern part of the island is said to have
suffered more than this town.
Her Majesty's gun-vessel Bittera arrived
here this morning. The captain at once
came ashore, and after consulting with the
Governor of the island organized relief par
ties for tending the wounded and extricating
the dead from the ruins. He then went over
to Chisme and made careful inquiries regard
ing the state of the town and inhabitants.
Tomorrow he intends to visit the southern
part of the island, where less has been done
for relief of the sufferers.