, 1882-10-11
The Panama Earthquake.
From the "C0naI.")

Sept 7.
The 7th Of September 1882 will be me-
mOrable in the annals Of Panama for q
long time to come as the day upon which
an earthquake Of the Severest character
that has ever visited the Isthmus took
place, causing considerable damage to
public and private property, but fortunate
ly not attended with direct loss Of life.
The first shock commenced as near as pos
siblo at q minutes past 3 o'clock this
morning, Thursday, and lasted, we should
judge, about 90 seconds, or q little more,
as SOM aver. Great alarm at once became
general, and in a very few minutes the
streets of the city became thTOnged with
people in a state Of cutter diSmay, every
moment in the expectation OF another
shock or perhaps a series Of them. FOrtu-
nately the next, which took place about
half an hour after the first, was a very
light one, and if it had been of the same
severity as the first there is no doubt Pa
mama to-day would present a ruinous APP
peaT&nGo. Asst was the streets this morn
ing showed the effects Of the shock to
have been felt all over the city, but in tho
eighbourh0od of the principal square,
better known as the Cathedral Plaza, it
caused the most extensive damage, the
CdUIIilO nav iIG 6tAtIClNNA HiANA "
presents q rOOhess appearance. The Ca.
thedral, we are sorry to say, has also been
rudely shaken in the interior, many Of the
pillars and arches showing cracks and
other injuries. Tho clock OF the church
tower and many ''others also in private
houses stopped at 3.25 am. just the Sc
cOnd when the earthquake began. Many
of the large private editices have been
shaken and show CreviCeS and cracks at
testing the severity of the shock. We
are informed that it was also felt on board
the steamers in the bay, but to what e1-
tent we are not prepared to state. Had
the event taken place in the day we are in
clined to believe that loss of life could not
otherwise than have attended il, for tho
reason that sOme@of tho dead walls of
dilapidated buildings were overthrow
and came crashing down III several tho
roughfares in huge masses.
Sept. 9.
There existed an almost universal pre-
sentiment throughout yesterday that an
Othor shock or more would be felt last
night or this morning, and hundreds OF
people were out of doors during the night,
many resting in the plazas of the city and
others parading the streets, while some OF
the still more timid went on board the
steamers in the bay, as a measure OF pre-
caution. The fulfilment of the public
presentiment proved but too true, for at
10 minutes before 5 o'clock this morning q
sharp oscillatory movement took place,
which lasted about 10 or 90 seconds. 1t
was much lighter han the principal shock
of the 7th instant, but heavier than either
ofthose of the 9Th. 1t was also felt along
the line of railroad, and in Colon, where it.
caused great alarm, but no damage is re-
ported to have occurred there.
No injury to buildings, of a serious ma
ture, appears in Panama as the direct
effect of this mornings shock, but it is
only too evident that in places where fs-
sures appeared previously they now are
greater in extent, while in the "dead walls"
to which we so often allude, blocks of solid
masonry and huge stones may now be seen
displaced and ready to fall at the slightest
motion. Too much care cannot be taken by
pedestrians in traversing the streets IN
some parts of the city. The following tele-
gram has been received by the govern
ment from the Project of Colon
"Colon, Sept. 8, 1882.
Sat 4:40 am there was great excite
ment in the city, caused by the earth'