The National tribune., 1884-01-24

waited for daylight. When at last we could
distinguish objects in the dawniDg day, we saw
tic America lot FAR from Us, with her masts
gone, and presenting generally wrecked APP
pearance. The English bark. however, or what
was ieit OF her, gave the most striking proof of
the mighty force of that great tidal wave. She
was strongly built, copper-fa fastened vessel,
but she lay on her beam ends without a mast,
with her very decks torn out, and her great
water-tanks from the hold lying hundred
yards away
"0f the other brig not vestige was to be
seen, and of the Fredonia nothing but piece
Of the wheel, with two men clinging to it. How
they ever found strength TO survive that terri
bic night is a question neither we nor they
coald ever answer. OF all the men cast into
the sea they We're the only ones saved.
We looked up tho beach toward africa !;
there was nothing but ono vast confused ruin.
large custom-honse filled with goods had
yielded up its stores to the sport of the waves.
The beach was strewn with boxes, barrels,
bales and crates. Machinery, clothing, pro-
visions. liquors, cigars everything that the
stores Of civilization supply were to be found
there: as some one put il, everything from a
piano to tooth-pick.
The dead were half covered by the sand
washed over them. The living were distract
eddy seeking their separated families. All was
misery and despair. Their houses We're swept
away; the very traces of the streets were
washed away. There was nothing to eat save
what the wreckage on the shore afforded; but
there was food for immediate use-food and
wines, and liquors, too. in abundance. For
several days the lowest natives would touch
nothing but champagne. After that was ex
hausted they TUNED TO the more fiery liquids,
and The result was riot and lawlessness-a state
OF affairs ended only by the arrival of troops
from the town of Iacna, forty miles in the in
terror
The people Of africa who the day before
were unconscious of danger, and had every
comfort, were now h0nseless and helpless.
Their possessions had been taken from them;
they mourned the loss of friends and relatives.
Among the endless variety of things found
on the beach were huge maps of Bolivia, which,
fastened 10 nprights were made to serve as
the walls OF paper houses. To be sure, there
was no roof. but some protection was given,
aud anything that gave the least shelter was
acceptable then, even If il did nod and tTenible
with every shock of earthquake For some
time we had fifty or sixty shocks q day; we
grew accustomed 10 them as we waited anx-
lously for the arrival of a nan-of-war to take
us away. The earth felt very thin about
there, Tom. There were great cracks and fs-
surcs in the ground, and occasionally an en-
bankment would be shaken down to add to
the variety OF cur experience. We had to
Di4ltS wafer from DTooh DlLe away we
captured horses and mules to carry it. and
when we were not using them, tied them TO
our swinging booms and ruider.
L can't tell you now all the incidents that
occurred during the two weeks we remained
there. One morning we aw0ke TO find three
of our squadron anchored off the port. You
may know it was welcome sight. We were
distributed among these vessels glad to leave
the scene of such an awful disaster. It was
wonderful experience TO have had, but hardly
one to be repeated. "-Hdrper's Young People