Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-12-12
The Sad Story Of Nepdors.

Al MS IeCcEtly -puOuSne0 DOCK,
"Across the Pampas and the Andes. s.
Mr.. Robert Crawford thus refers to tho
terrible catastrophe which befell the
City of Mendoza less than a quarter of
century ago. when $4,000 to $4,000
people perished from the effects of an
earthquake. Bat the author does more
than simply repeat the sad story of the
calamity. He says:
The 10th of March, 1861, hsd been q
sultry and oppressive day. and. rs the
night approached, the half-sufocated
inhabitsnts of Mendoza, issuing from
their houses, went in search OF cooler
air, or sat at their open doors to catch
each breath that passed, while the more
devout among them assembled in the
churches to o?er up their evening
PRAYER, when, without note of warn
ing. a terrible destruction swept over
the devoted place. The earth shook
and opened in yawning chasms; founda.
tions tottered and houses fell, burying
beneath them nearly the whole of the
population. In less time than it has
taken to describe it all was over, aud
from 1900 to $4,000 people had
perished in the ruins, which still exist
as records of the dire calamity, and
tell, with force that words could not
EXPRESS how terribly complete it was.
Scarcelyf was the earthquake over,
when fires broke out in different places
among the debris of fallen houses, and
ragged for many davs before they could
be extinguiShed. Nature had done al
most her worst, but it was reserved for
man TO add the last touch of darkest
shadow to picture already full OF
misery. With a cruelty and inhuman
ity scarcely to be credited, bands OF
plundererS from other places rushed To
the scene, as vultures to a carcass, and
occupied themselves with endeavoring
to secure what spoil they could, instead
of helping. the few still surviving but
imprisoned sufferers TO escape from
their living tombs ere tho consuming
flames had reached them.
After the catastrophe the Government,
tried 10 induce the scanty remnant OF
the population to abandon the site OF
the ill-fated city. and begin the building
of new one at some distance from it :
but associations proved stronger than
the teachings of experience, and new
Mendoza has arisen alongside the ruin>
of her unfortunate predecessor, evolved
from e state of chaos and confusion
into one of beauty and prosperity. Fine
public buildings, private dwellings thai
indicate comfort and convenience, gar
dens with their fruitful vines and
gtrees, walnut trees, and pop.
lars, both Lombariy and Caro-.
lima, grace the public streets and walks
but above all, tue pleasant promen-
ade more than half mile in length.
with its streams of running water flow
ing on both sides, beneath the canopy
of shade afforded by two double rows
of well grown trees. Add to this the
mountain torrent which rolls past Men
doza along its bed of rounded stones
and gravel, from the mighty Cordillera,
whose slopes reach almost to the CITY.
All these combined to make q lovely
spot, but in spite of this, it is impossi.
bic to divest the mind of the sad mem
ories connected with the locality.
Your host, while he entertains You,
recOunts the hairbreadth escape he had
himself, while many members of his
family periShed. The coachman, driv-
ing through the town, tells similar dis
NAL tales of friends he lost, aud points
to particular spots among the ruin,
where some exceptionally appalling in
cidcnt occurred, while the hair-dresser
not to be outdone. as he cuts your hair
pauses at intervals to tell, with the
garrulity of his calling. more horrors
OF that dreadful day. With such sur.
roundings, it is not surprising that nu.
merous precautions should be taken tc
guard against the possible recurrence
of similar calamity. The new streets
have been laid ont much wider than
the old ones were, and the walls O!
houses are generally composed of a
timber framework, filled in with sun
dried bricks. The people, too, live in
state of continual apprehension, as
may be seen from their using, instead
of doors, heavy curtains drawn across
the entrances to their bedrooms, SO
that, upon the first alarm of an earth.
quake, they may spring from their beds
and rush into the open courtyard, with
which each house is usually provided.