The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-03-17
THE GREATEST SEA WAVE
EVER KNOWN.

On August 13, 1868, one of the most
terrible calamities which has ever visited
people befel the unfortunate inhabi-
tants of Peru. In that land earthquakes
are nearly as common as transforms are
with us: and shocks by which whole
cities are changed into q heap of ruins
in Peru, " the land Of earthquakes as
Humboldt has termed it, no such catas-
trophe as that of August, 1868, had oc-
CURED within the memory Of man. It
was not one city which was laid in ruins,
but whole empire Those who per-
ished were counted by tens Of thousands,
while the property destroyed by the
earthquake was valued at millions Of
pounds sterling.
1t was at Arequipa, at the foot Of the
lofty volcanic mountain Misti, that the
most terrible effects Of the great earth
quake were experienced. Within his
toric times Misti has poured forth no
lava streams, but that the volcano is not
extinct is clearly evidenced by the fact
that in 1912 an enormous mass Of husband
ashes was vomited forth from its crater.
On Aug. l3, 1868, Misti showed no signs
of being disturbed. So far as their vol
canic neighbor was concerned, the Al, 900
inhabitants Of Arequipa had no reason
to anticipate the catastrophe that sud
denly befell them. At sos o'clock an
earthquake shock was experienced,
which, though severe, seems to have
worked little mischief. Half minute
later, however, a terrible noise was
heard beneath the earth q second
shock more violent than the first was
felt, and then began swaying motion,
gradually increasing in intensity. In
the course of the first minute this mo-
ton had become so violent that the in
habitants ran IN terror out of their houses
into the streets and squares. In the
next two minutes the swaying move
ment had so increased that the more
lightly built houses were cast to the
ground, and the flying people could
scarcely keep their feet, And now, y
says Won Tschudi, "there followed dur
ing two or three minutes terrible scene
The swaying motion which had hitherto
prevailed changed into fierce vertical
upheaval. The subterranean roaring in
creased in the most terrifying manner
then were heard the heart piercing
shrieks of the wretched people, the
bursting of walls, the crashing fall OF
houses and churches, while over all
rolled thick clouds of a yellowish- black
dust, which, had they been poured forth
many minutes longer, would have suffo-
Gated thousands % Although the shocks
had lasted but few minutes, the whole
town was destroyed. Not one building
remained uninjured, and there were few
which did not lie in shapeless heaps Of
ruins.
At Tacna and africa the earth-shock
was less severe, but strange and terrible
phenomena followed it. At the former
) place circumstance occurred the cause
and nature of which yet remain mys
terry. About three hours after the earth
o'clock in the evening" intensely
brilliant light made its appearance above
the neighboring mountains. It lastec
for fully half an hour, and has beer
ascr1bed to the eruption OF some as ye
unknown volcano.
At africa the sea-wave produced ever
more destructive effects than had beer
> caused by the earthquake. About twent,,
minutes after the first earth shock tn,
sea was seen to retire, as if about tx
leave the shores wholly dry; but present
: ly its waters returned with tremendou
force. A mighty wave, whose lengt
seemed immeasurable, was seen advant
ing like dark wall upon the unfort1
nate town, a large part Of which wa
> overwhelmed by it. Two ships, tn
: Peruvian corvette America, and tn
United States "double- ender" Wateree
> were carried nearly half q mile to til
north Of africa beyond the railroad whic
runs to Tacna, and there left strande
: high and dry. This enormous wave wa
: fully fifty feet in height.
I At Chala three such waves swept i
I after the first shocks of earthquake
! They overlooked nearly the whole Of til
town, the sea passing more than half
mile beyond It's usual limits. At lsla
. and Iquique similar phenomena wer
t manifested.
4 1t has been calculated that the widt
of this wave varied from 100000 t
0 100000 feet, or, roughly, from 200 I
S 1000 miles, while, when in mid Pacifi.
e the length of the wave, measured alon
e its summit in widely curved path frol
L one side to another OF the great ocea1
! cannot have been less than 5000 miles
! We cannot tell how deep-seated we
0 the center of suhterranean action h1
there can be no doubt 1t was very dee
n indeed, because otherwise the shock fe
|. in towns separated from each other /
|. hundreds Of miles could not have been s
o nearly contemporaneous. Therefore II
g portion Of the earth's crust upheave
9 must have been enormous, for Il
length Of the region where the direct e
J. fects Of the earthquake were perceive
S is estimated by Prof Won Hochstetter
no less than $40 miles. The breadth
the region is unknown. because the slol
o OF the Andes on one side and the ocea
/ on the other concealed the motion Of Il
r earth crust.
+ The great ocean-waves swept. as
It nave satlu, III all Ulrecuons around Il
a scene Of the earth-throe. Over lars
= part of its course its passage was u
noted, because in the open sea the E