The Dickinson press., 1884-11-29
A EARTHQUAKE
The Story Of the Collapse Of h City o:
Conception.

There is at present stopping in this
city an aged gentleman, who has spent
the greater part of seventy-five years
of an unusually adventurous life abroad.
The gentleman's name is A. D. Hol.
comb, and he is now on his way east to
end his days, as he says, amid the
scenes of his youth, after an absence Of
a quarter of a century. In view of the
interest recently excited in earthquakes
in the United States, a Call reporter
visited Mr.. Holcomb and asked him to
relate some of his experiences during
South American shocks. II will tell
you," said he, "of the destruction of the
city of Conception. The dav wal a burn.
ing one. In the afternoon a slight
shock of earthquake occurred, but
nothing was thought of it. As night
approached the heat appeared to be-
come more intense. I retired to my
hammock early that night. I do not
know how long 1 slept, but I was
awakened by the cries of many
people. I arose to find the city
in confusion. 1 locked at my
watch. 1t was half-past IL. The
people were preparing to leave thetown
and seek the highlands of the noun
tains. Great distress prevailed among
families; members were missing and
were sought for with walls and lamen-
t%ations. The heat had become so that
it waslike sitting in an oven and I'M
dergoing a gradual baking.
II remember 1 packed what availa-
bles l could find in my valise and pre-
pared to join in the general migration.
But departure had been delayed too
long. [ had no sooner placed my foot
upon the main street of the town than
there came q distant rumbling from the
west. 1t increased in sound till it re-
sembled the approach of a band of
horsemen over o wooden bridge, Al
the same moment the earth seemed te
me to rise perpendicularly and crash
against the sky. I heard the shrieks
that went from the fleeing people as ]
was tossed like a bauble by the rocking
earth. I recollect no more. When !
recovered consciousness it was yet
night, and I heard the groans o fwound-
ed people in agony all about me. Even
as I opened my eyes the earth trembled
underneath me with the restless mo-
ton of the sea.
"All that night I lay in that spot,
agonized by fears and terrors indie
scribable. Is was useless to move or
attempt to do anything in the darkness.
There were shocks of more or less Sc
verify every few minutes, and as each
SILVER passed [ heard groans of pain
and expressions of fear on every
side. I hailed the first flush of dawn
in the east with q feryent prayer Of
gratitude. The sun rose v the cor
dilleras like a circular plate Of brass
and revealed a dreadful scene. The
town of Conception lay in ruins and
hundreds of its people were dead.
Great assures and openings in the earth
were visible here and there, from which
volumes of gaseous matter poured
forth. How many were swallowed up
in the assures and openings will never
be known.
"The suffering and destruction at the
city of Conception was only a mite in
comparison with what took place in
other parts Of the province. At Telca-
huana, the seaport of the province,
some seven miles distant from Concep.
cien, a tidal wave over forty feet in
height rolled in from the ocean and del
uged the place. Thousands were
swept away. The following day the
shore was strewn with corpses and
masses of dead fsh."-San Francisco
Call.