The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-10-19
AN OLD WORLD HORROR.
Extent of the Ruin Wrought by
the Recent Earthquake.
Four Thousand Live Reported Lost
in Asia Minor.

LONDON, Oct. 1S.-The latest advices from
Smyrna state that the earthquake of Tuesday,
which shook the island of Chios severely, and
extended along the entire coast of Anatolia
and far into the interior of the Western portion
of Asia Minor, was much more severe than in
dicated in the first advices. The first shock
was felt at Smyrna about 7.20 in the morning.
1t lasted, apparently, only about the fourth
part of minute, and was followed by three
lesser shocks in quick succession, which SEEM
ed to be only of about half the duration Of the
first. With the first shock many dwelling
houses came down, the damage being greatest
in the Armenian quarter, ON the lower slopes
of the ancient Mount Pegasus, where the VIZ
brations were much more severe than along
the plain between the hill and the shore,
where the the Christians reside. In the ad-
joining villages of Burnabad and Budia
number of hsndsome villas were demolished.
The loss of life in the city of Smyrna proper
was not very great the wave seeming to have
spent its force before it reached there, brt the
scenes among the people were far beyond de-
scription. The fear and CONSERVATION was ter
rible. Crowds of men, women and children
rushed into open spaces and the middle Of the
streets. The caravan bridge was crowded With
a motley lot Of people, and the camel grounds
adjacent we're completely thronged with hu-
man beings. The castle on the summit of the
crash. The large Roman Catholic cathedral,
a comparatively new building, was damaged
considerably one of the towers falling and
killing some eight or ten people who were run
ming wildly from their home near by. The
railway station was badly damaged, and the
track of the roads are so much out of line and
torn up that it will be impossible to run trains
for several days to come. About an hour after
the first shock several fires broke out amid the
ruins, and added, for the time being, 10 the
terrors of the situation, but they were put out
before serious damage had been caused.
A wave of inky blackness swept from the
Kgean Sea through the Gulf OF Smyrna,
bringing with it disaster to number OF the
many vessels in the magnificent harbor. Sew
eral ships were carried far up on the shore and
landed high and dry in places from which It
will cost hundreds Of dollars to get them afoat
again. The city is in great state of confu-
sion and uncertainty, and nobody yet ventures
to sleep in houses Hundreds OF rude and ina
promptu tents have been put up in the suburbs
and large numbers Of people who cannot be
accommodated even in these meagre quarters
are lying upon cots and even the bare ground,
rather than return at present to their more
dangerous habitatons in town. The tide,
which is ordinarily but % inches, rose 10
height of more than seven feet, sweeping away
much of the portable property on the shore, a.
well as a number of fishermen's huts. Several
thermal springs in Budja wero intercepted for
the time, but appeared again shortly after
ward of the color of blood. The extent of the
field of action shows that the forces which
produced this great earthquake were manifest
ed deep in the interior OF the planet, and not
on the surface only. The pecuniary loss TO the
city of Smyrna will be very great but the loss
of life will hardly exceed 800 persons.
In the island Of Chos in the archipelago,
few miles beyond the promontory, behind
which Smyrna is situated, the shocks were felt
with terrible severity. The first one occurred
almost simult aneously with that felt in Smyrna
The entire 400 miles of territory of Chios
seemed to be for the time but one undulating
sea of earth, waves following each other rapid
ly, like the swell after an ocean storm. The
subterranean rumble was followed so quickly
by the terrible shock that the people were
given neither time to fly nor to throw them
selves into the arms of loved ones and bid them
an everlasting adieu. Frightful noises sue
ceedei the shock, terrifying cries, fearful howl
ings of human beings and crushed animals,
thick dust was diffused in the atmosphere, and
the sky was darkened as in the darkest nights.
The limestone rocks dotting the island were
rent asunder, the beautiful valleys scanned
streams which irrigate the fertile plains sud-
denly changed. Nearly all of the extensive
wine cellars on the island were utterly ruined,
and the loss to owners will aggregate an enorm-
GUS sum. At Kastro, the capital of the island,
the castle built in front of the city as a means
of defense in the olden time was leveled to the
ground.
OF the towns population few people escaped
some injury, and large proportion were seri-
ously hurt The loss of life in Kastro will ag-
OrQU fullU Q00 cOnlg Most 0f the 6aQd
Turks. In other parts of the island over 800
people are so far reported killed, and it is
feared the number will greatly exceed the
present estimates when all the outlying terri
tory is heard from. 1t is, of course, very diff
cult to get reports from places at distance
from Kastro, owing to the difficulties attend
ing travel ano the excited state of the popu-
lace.
Along the coast of Western Asia Minor, or
Anatolis, the shocks were felt with great force
and the latest reports indicate that the effects
OF the earthquake were very severely felt as
far into the interior as Kulah, over 80 miles
East of Smyrna.
All the villages between Chesmeh and YOUR
Ia are totally wrecked, scarcely house being
left standing to mark the sites of the many
thriving places which, Monday, were scenes OF
life and bustling activity, for this Is one OF the
busiest seasons with the people of the peninsu-
la. 1t is estimated that about 5000 persons
lost their lives in this part of the country.
The earthquake waves seem to have followed
the coast line all the way. From Alvah to
Malassa, and the whole territory over which
the great shock extended was at times heayed
simultaneously, and sensations similar to sea-
sickness were experienced by nearly all the in
habitants. Those who watched the sky MOTTO
ed that the drifting clouds seemed at times to
be arrested in their motion.
Advices from the interior indicate that the
loss of life in that section may reach 1000 souls,
and will certainly number fully three-quarters
of that estimate The number of manned will
be very large. At Eskihissar the dead are
about 150 From Sart the loss of IS lives Is re-
ported. In Miarsa the damage was slight and
the loss OF life will not number over fifty, the
earthquake seeming to have spent its force near
that point At Geira the dead numbered about
eighty. From many other villages similar re-
ports are constantly coming in at Smyrna, and
it is very difficult at this time to make even an
approximate estimate of the loss Of life.
The Porte has issued an appeal to the people
10 assist the sufferers by the earthquake in
Asia Minor, stating that 10000 Of the survi-
vors of the disaster in that region have been
rendered homeless.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, Oct. 1S.-AmoDg ether
villages destroyed were Katopanaya, Reis Dere
and Lidya, the latter celebrated for Its baths.
Slight shocks are still felt on the Island OF
Chios British Admiral Hay has sent assist