Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-09
THE PANAMA PARTICULARS.
A Graphic Description of a Terrible
Shake.

Panama Cor. Net0 Orleans PicdNttne,
On the morning OF the 7th, about 8
o'clock, l was lying awake, revolving in
my mind the question as to whether or
not l should rise to open our windows,
as the heat had become oppressive, and
it is considered unhealthy here to sleep
with windows open. | had decided in
the affirmative and had started up, when
| heard, as l thought, rats scampering
backward and forward across the floor.
AS we were in darkness and being a
woman, it is unnecessary to say, perhaps.
that l concluded to let the rats amuse
themselves without any disturbance from
me. Besides, in this country if you put
your foot on the floor in the dark YOU
sometimes come in contact with an affec-
tiOnate scorpion, whose sting, though
not so deadly here as represented, is
sufficiently poisonous to cause a very
painful wound, for which the usual
remedy is an application of alcohol.
At the same moment l heard what
seemed to be large heavy wagon, like
a cotton float, numbering down the street.
paid no attention to this at first. but the
sound Immediately increasing in volume.
as though several heavily loaded wagons
were coming, it occurred to me that there
were no such large vehicles in Panama.
and even if there were any, they would
scarcely be abroad so early. AS
this flashed through my mind the house
began TO tremble, and in an instant we
were wildly rocking backward and for
ward. Then we forgot scorpions and
rats, and bounded to our feet 1t was
almost impossible to maintain an upright
position. The rocking, which was at
first moderate deepened in intensity, and
toward the end became so violent, that
had it continued but few seconds lon
ger the Panama of to-day would proba-
bly, be city of the past
Every one, of course, rushed for the
streets, which were soon filled with a
throng of excited, chattering human be.
ings, all frightened, yet all eager to re-
late his own particular experience. 1t
was the first visitation of the kind which
Panama has ever experienced within the
memory of the present generation, al
though such occurrences are frequent
enough in the surrounding countries.
1t was all over in about one minute.
but what a terrible minute! What
amount of agony can be compressed into
that short space and what amount of
destruction can be done by an earth.
quake in that time In the terrible dis
aster of the city of Caracas, not so far
from here, in just one minute, on Holy
Thursday, under a bright and cloudless
sky, the city was leveled to the ground
and ten thousand people buried in the
ruins.
Here, in Panama, all sought refuge in
the open plazas or squares. Still the
plaza in front of the Cathedral was the
scene of the most destruction. The Ca
thedral suffered severely. The edifice is
old and in bad condition, and as anti
guilty and ruin are the prominent feat
ures of most of the buildings here, it is
probable that it will not be repaired, as
its restoration would necessitate an ex-
pense of some $4,000. However, as
every arch in the nave is split, and plas-
tering and stone have fallen in all direc-
tions, self preservation may induce some
attempt to repair the damage, especially
as it is positive that another shock like
the first would level the CathedraI.
Part of the roof of the Assembly
House was crashed, and the pillars sup
porting its immense balcony gave way,
the balcony falling into the street. drag
III.
accident happened in the evening many
lives would doubtless lave been lost, for
the ground floor of the Assembly Rooms
is occupied by refreshment saloon, and
in the evening many people congregate
there The Canals Company's Office.
also fronting on the plaza, was damaged
to the extent of having several of its
walls badly cracked.
Private houses are greatly damaged
some walls splitting so that ones head
might be put into the gap The Grand
Hotel suffered also, and the grester part
of its guests left the building the next
night, preferring to spend the night on
cots and blankets out on the plaza to in
curing the risk of being crushed by
falling walls. Many hundreds slept in
the streets for several nights, and in con-
sequence contracted severe colds and fe- |
vers. Those who had country houses |
moved out to them, and the ships in |
the harbors are filed with refugees, to |
whom they have shown a generous hos
pitality.
The hospital was badly damaged also |
Fortunately the canal company had re.
moved their sick to their own magnifi- |
cent new buildings couple of days pre- |
viOus, or the damage would have been |
greater, as the wards they occupied in |
the hospital here suffered especially. The
good Sisters have been severely exer-
cised by their patients, who, many of |
them, insisted afterward on sleeping out |
in the garden instead of returning to
their beds, as well behaved invalids
should do.
The alarm and CONSERVATION have
been general. The next night a few
slight shocks were felt, one of which
created some excitement. On the morn
ing Of the 9th a severe shock, lasting
about four seconds, caused all to rush |
again into the streets, where we passed |
another dreary hour waiting for devel-
opments. Since then few very slight
tremOrs have been felt.
The universal prayer has been for
rain. Although this is the rainy season,
very little has fallen, and this is held by
many to be the cause of our evils. Yet,
though the heavens for many days have
promised rain, it was only on the after
noon OF the 18th that the promise was
fulfilled, and hard shower left the at
IN a mere pleasant condition.
Inc widest rumors have prevailed.
Ensures lnnumerable and wonderful in
extent have been found, which after
wards proved to exist only in the imagi-
nation OF the discoveries. A telegram