The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-01-17
The Sad story Of Mendo,a.

IN his recently book
.Across the Pampas and the Andes.
Mr. robert Crawford thus refers to tn
terrible catastrophe which befell IN
City OF Mendoza less than q Quarter q
century ago. when $4,000 to 1900
people persisted from the effects of al
earthquake. But the author does NOR,
Insn simply repeat the sad story Of tn,
calamity. He says:
| Inc zOth of March, 1861, had been ,
suitry and oppressive day, and, as thu
nlgnt approached, the half-suffocated
innaoitants 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
oevout among them assembled in the
churches to offer up their evening
| prayer, when, without note of warn.
ing. terrible destruction swept over
the devoted place. The earth shook
and opened in yawning chasms: FONDA
IONS 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, and
from 1900 to $4,000 people had
Perlshed 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
scarcely was the earthquake over.
when Tires broke out in different places
among the debris Of fallen houses. and
ragged Tor many DAYS 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 q cruelty and inhuman.
ny scarcely to be credited, bands of
Piunderers from other places rushed to
tue scene, as vultures to a carcass. and
occupied themselves with endeavorino
10 secure what spoil they could, instead
OF helping the few still surviving but
imprisoned sufferers TO escape from
their living tombs ere the consuming
flames had reached them.
After the catastrophe the Government,
t!ieo 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 IL:
put associations proved stronger than
Inc teachings of experience, and new
Mendoza has arisen alongside the ruins
u her unfortunate predecessor. evolved
rom state of chaos and confusion
nto one OF beauty and prosperity. Fine
'uolic buildings, private dwellings thai
Indicate comfort and convenience. gar.
lens with their fruitful vines and
lg-trees, walnut trees, and pop-
ars, both Lombardy and Caro-
ina, grace the public streets and walks:
ut ABOVE all, the pleasant promen.
de more than half a mile in length
nth its streams of running water flow.
% on both sides, beneath the canopv
shade afforded by two double rows
weii-grown trees. Add to this the I
'ountain torrent which rolls past Men. :
oza along its bed of rounded stones
nd gravel. from the mighty Cordillera I
hose slopes reach almost to the CITY
u tnese combined to make a lovely
'ot' put In spite OF this, it is impossi-
e 70 divest the mind of the sad mem. a
hes connected with the locality. I
four host, while he entertains Won. a
counts the hairbreadth escape he had 3
mself, while many members of his G
miiy persisted. The coachman. driy- d
g through the town, tells similar dis. ii
al tales Of friends he lost, aud points a
particular spots among the ruins d
here some exceptionally appalling in a
lent occurred, while the hair-dresser q,
It to be outdone. as he cuts your hair B
uses at intervals to tell, with the
rrulity of his calling, more horrors
that dreadful day. With such sur.
findings. it is not surprising that nu.
'rous precautions should be taken to ac
ard against the possible recurrence tn
. similar calamity. The new streets wi
ve been laid out much wider than III
Old ones were, and the walls of pe
ises are generally composed of a r.,
her framework, filled in with sun ",
ed bricks. The people, too, live in 70,
late OF continual apprehension. as su
Y be seen from their using, instead tai
ioors, heavy curtains drawn across 40
entrances to their bedrooms. SO re,
7, upon the first alarm of an earth CHI
ke' they may spring from their beds va
rush into the open courtyard, with dit
On each house Is usually provided. CHI,