Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-16

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The earthquake by which the island
of Scio, the ancient Chios, the birth
place of Homer and Theocritus, was
devastated, is certainly the worst that
has visited the civilized world since that
of Arequipa, Peru, where q tidal wave,
produced by the action of an earthquake,
swept over the Pacific coast of South
America, drowning thousands of persons
and destroying millions of dollars of
property. For many months symptoms
OF an earthquake have been observed in
the East. Almost every week during
last year came reports of convulsions in
various parts of Europe, but worst of ali
in Austria. The town of Agram in that
country suffered greatly in November,
hardly a building being left uninjured in
the city, although fortunately few lives
were lost. Several other shocks followed,
and, in February Of this year, a severe
earthquake again threw down a number
of the recently erected buildings. Asia
Minor, during all this period, suffered
from these commissions. In May, 1880,
the village of Heleddi was engulphed by
the sea so that not a trace of a building
was left. Near Smyrna, which blythe
by, is but a short distance from Scio, the
earth opened in July in one hundred and
sixty different places, swallowing up two
thousand houses and a number of small
rivers. The earth apparently was never
at rest, for no sooner had these
commissions ended than others broke
out in the Philippine islands,
then in India, Java, South America and
Mexico. The latest disaster was at
Casanucciola, in the bay of Naples. We
were just receiving the mail accounts of
this unfortunate affair when the cable
told us of the still more fatal earth
quake of Scio. The latter is probably
the most fatal catastrophe of this kind
which has occurred since the celebrated
earthquake of Lisbon in 1855, which
swallowed up 20, 600 inhabitants of that
city. The Scian earthquake, it is now
learned, killed no less than 5000 and
wounded IS, 900 people, a total of a.
900, out of a population of 65. 900, or
nearly one-third of the entire population,
and left standing only fifty houses on the
island. Heavy as is this loss,i it is notwholly
fair to estimate the damage by it, as
earthquakes of this kind, like that of
Lisbon, are nearly certain to be followed
by a pestilence. The bodies of the thou
sands of victims, as we'll as the domestic
animals buried beneath the fallen build
ings, infect the air, and plague or typhus
soon follows. 1t is to be hoped that this
will be escaped in this present instance
by the charity and philanthropy of the
civilized world. Great Britain has al
ready contributed large relief funds.
Greece has sent a corps of physicians
and samaritans. Turkey has furnished
tents for the houseless Chians. The
United States has ordered its Medlterra-
mean fleet to the island with relief stores,
and nearly every civilized power has
furnished some assistance.
Of the people afflicted it may be said
that they are, or rather were, among the
best of those inhabitipg the Grecian
islands. At the outbreak of the Grecian
war of independence Chios enjoyed un
told prosperity, wealth and education.
1t was the centre of Grecian commerce.,
the head of Grecian learning. It's
citizens warmly embarked in the
war, only to meet with a horri-
BILE catastrophe exceeding the earth
quake of last week in the damage
done. Invaded by a Turkish army, over
one hundred thousand of the Chians
were slam or sold into captivity, and
the prosperity of the island forever
wrecked. These outrages were soon fol
lowed by the glorious exploit of George
Canaris. which will ever live in history
as one of the most patriotic deeds on re-
cord Canaria and hic fo1lomara in
their fire-ships, sailed up to the Turkish
fleet, fixed their vessels thereto, set fire
to it, and sent the Pasha and his whole
navy to the Moslem heaven. Such is a
fair sample of the Scians of to day. For
them the whole world must feel a keen
sense of sympathy.