The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-04-21
The chic Eart.auake,

The N. Y. Times correspondent at
Chic telegraphs as follows:
Ihave just arrived here f'om Con-
stantiuople, and find q picture of des-
olati0n such as is rarely witnessed.
The town locks as if it had been ter
ribly bombarded. Hundreds of hOus-
es are transformed into a shapeless
mass of ruins, under which lie buried
an unknown number of victims. A
majority OF the remaining houses are
already cracked and roofless, and may
fall at any moment. Nearly every
building in the 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 rerileus work OF
clearing away the rubbish. Many who
are willing to expose themselves to
the danger are prevented by friends
or by the police. Fear, grief and de-
spair are depicted on nearly every
face. All have some sad or tragic tale
to tell. The first shock was felt on
Sunday afternoon at about l 30 O'Clock.
Immediately houses began to fall.
Wild shrieks were heard on every
side. Then followed an awful silence
4 vi BOIuc MtuutcS. nc Sus
vivors gradually ventured into the
narrow lanes and reached the open
spaces. Shortly afterwards another
terrible shock completed the deyasta-
ten. Then it remained quiet Until
sunset, when it again began to shake
the island throughout as severely as
/ before. All night the shocks succeed. !.
ed each other at short intervals, and
each one was preceded by dull sounds
like subterranean explosions. Since
that frequent shocks have been felt.
A few minutes ago, while writing the
present dispatch, distinctly heard an
expIosion-like sound, and felt the
earth tremble, but as am under can
vas, have nothing to fear. The old
Genoese fortress, containing about
four hundred 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 Immediate
ly destroyed, and several hundred
persons must have perished. 1t ls
known that about thirty Mussulman
women were assembled in one of the
houses. not one of whom escaped.
A medical commission is now sit
ting 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.
1t is now believed that throughout the
whole island, which contained 10000
inhabitants. six or seven thousand
were killed. and % per cent, of the
survivors were wounded. The Brit
ish, French, United States and Austri-
an war vessels in the harbor are doing
all in their power to assist the author.
tiles in the work of relief. Only ten
of the inhabitants Of Chesme were
killed, but many houses are in ruins
and 80 GOO people are without shelter
The southern part of the island is said
to have suffered more than this town
1 visited Chesme this afternoon. On.
ly about ten Inhabitants were killed
but many houses are in ruins, and very
many more are dilapidated. The May.
or assured me that three-fourths O
the houses are in dangerous condi.
ton. The inhabitants are afraid tc
live even in those which are uninjur
ed, for every night since Sunday fire.
quent shocks have been felt. Nearly
all prefer to camp out. As the wealth
er Is fine, the hardship in this respec
is not great. In Kasiro the work o.
extrIcating bodies and attending the
wounded is progressing satisfactorily
but the sitting odor in the vicinity o
many of the ruins proves that the for.
mer operation is far from complete
On the other hand, some wonderful
escapes have occurred. One woman
was buried under the ruins for fifty
two hours, and at last was rescued
having given birth in the mean time
to child. The child is dead, but the
mother is doing well.