The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-10-24
FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE KILLED
Great Shocks of Earthquake Rend
Mountain and Valley. Wreck VII
iage, and Entail the Most Horrible
Destruction.

CoNsTANTINoPLE, October 1S.-
The meager advices previously sent
OF the earthquake at Smyrna on Tues
day are supplemented by details
which show the CONFUSION 10 have
been among the most serious that
have ever visited that unfortunate
country.
The extent of the field of action
shows that the forces which produc.
ed this gre at earthquake were mani
tested deep in the interior OF the
planet, and not on the surface only.
The peeuniary loss to the city of
Smyrna will be very great, but the
loss of life will hardly exceed three
hundred persons. In the Island of
Chois, in the archipelago, a few
miles beyond the promontory be-
hind which Smyrna is situated the
shocks We're felt with terrible sever
ity The entire four hundred miles
of territory of Chois seemed to be
for the time but one undulating sea
of earth waves, following each other
rapidly like the swell of an ocean
storm. Frightful noises succeeded
the shock, causing terrifying cries
and fearful howlings of human be-
ings, and crushed animals. A thick
dust was diff'used in the atmosphere,
and the sky was darkened as in the
darkest nights. The limestone
rocks dotting the island We're rent
asunder. The beautiful valleys
were scanned with enormous fis-
sures, and the course of .he streams
which irrigate the fertile plains sud-
denly changed. Nearly all of the
extensive wine cellars on the island
were utterly ruined, and the los. to
the owners will aggregate an enor-
nous sum. At Kastro, the capital
of the island, the castle built i'll
front of the city as means OF de-
fense in the olden time, was level
ed to the ground. Three small silk
factories were totally destroyed, and
one cotton factory was damaged
almost beyond repair. Ofthe towns
population few people escaped some
injury, and large proportion were
seriously hurt. The loss of life in
Kastor will aggregate fully nine
hundred souls.
In other parts of the interior the
loss of life and destruction of prop
erty were also very great The earth
quake waves seem to have followed
the coast line all the way from Aivah
to Mala. sa, and the whole territory
over which the great shocks extend
ed was at times heaved simultane-
ously, and sensations similar to sea-
sickness were experienced by nearly
all the inhabitants. Those who
watched the sky noticed that the
drifting clouds seemed at times to be
arrested in their motion.
Later advice from the interior in
dicate that the loss OF life in that
section may reach four thousand
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 one hundred and fifty. From
Sart the loss Of seventy-tive lives is
reported. In Milasca the damage
was slight, and the loss of life will
not lmber fifty, the earthquake
seeming to have spent its force near
that point. AT Geira the dead num-
Der about eighty. From mar,y 9TH
er villages similar reports are con-
stantly coming in at Smyrna, and
it Is very difficult mt this time to
make even an approximate estimate
of the loss of life. The Porte has
issued an appeal to the people to
assist the sufferers by the earthquake
in Asia Minor, stating that 10000 of
servivors of the disaster in that re-
gion have been rendered homeless.