Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-01-02
AN EARTHQUAKE IN SPAIN

THE WHOLE COUNTRY SHAKEN UP FIFTY TOWNS
AND VILLAGES DESTROYED MORE THAN
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE KILLED.
very severe earthquake was felt in Spain
on Wednesday night Of last week. One
shock lasted fully 90 seconds and was felt
throughout the whole Of Spain, but more es-
pecially in Audalusia, where q number Of
towns suffered severely. At Grenada the
houses rocked violently and the earth trem-
bled beneath the feet Of the inhabitants as
they fed panic stricken from their homes to
tie fields. A number Of buildings were bad
ly damaged. At Malaga the shock was more
dsastrously folt, many houses being wrecked
and number of inmates being buried in the
ruins. Many persons were killed aud large
number wounded. Those who escaped with
out injury deserted their homes and camped
in open squares and in the field outside of
the town. Fainter shocks occurred at inter
walls during the night which increased the
alarm OF the people and prevented them from
seeking shelter in any Of the buildings.
Large gangs of men are at work among the
ruins of the wrecked buildings, searching
for the bodies of the missing persons. Al.
ready number of bodies have been reoov-
cred and many more are known to be still
buried among the debris. The government
has sent provisions clothing, etc, for the re-
lief of the sufferers and a subscription list
has also been opened. At Madrid the dam
age was slight, but the shock was sufficiently
felt to frighten the inhabitants. The places
of amusement wero quickly emptied of the
audiences and the performance brought to
an abrupt termination.
The above information was given by the
earlier dispatches. Later dispatches say
The extent of the destruction wrought by
the earthquake in southern Spain cannot be
ascertained, since telegraphic communication
throughout Andalueia is cut of Official re-
ports received at Madrid show 2G6 deaths in
the provinces Of Malaga and Granada, but il
is estimated that the loss of life cannot be
less than 5000. Over 80 towns and villages
are known to have been left wholly or partly
in ruins. Every place along the base of the
Sierra Nevada, which stretch across Andalu-
sia, and among their foothills, felt the shock,
which WAS most severe in the neighborhood
of the large cities of Malaga on the coast
and Granada, 80 miles northeast in the noun
tains.
In Granada the people are still encamped in
| the squares, aud the richer classes are lodg-
| ing in carriages along the promenade. The
| facade of the cathedral was seriously dam
aged. At Albania, directly south of Grana-
da, 800 lives were lost and $50 houses and
church were destroyed. Thirty persons were
| killed at Psriana. Over half the inhabitants
]
are said to have been buried in their houses
by the first shock at Albuquero, near Grana
da. Forty bodies have been recovered from
the ruins of Arenas del Rey.
A special despatch from Madrid gives a de-
| scription of the earthquake at Velez Malaga,
a town of 1900 or To- 900 inhabitants, stu
ated on the river Velez, near the sea and u
miles northeast of Malaga. Two converts
were shaken down, and the ruins of the
II. 4 Al.
were scanned and split by the succession Of
shocks. Almost every house in the place
has fallen or exhibits great cracks and ifs
sures in its walls. 1t is thought that at least
| 1000 persons were killed.
A survivor who reached Malaga Friday
evening says that the shock came without any
warning. The earth seemed to rise up
foot and sink and rise again. He was on the
plaza at the time aud was knocked to the
ground. The crash Of the falling buildings
followed almost instantly upon the indesctb.
able rumbling in the bowels of the earth
He saw one spire topple over, the bells in il
ringing rs they rocked to and fro before fall
ing with the tower. The cries Of the people
could scarcely be heard amid the din. It
seemed at FIRST to him that vast body Of
steam had arisen from the earth and then
that a dense cloud had suddenly come down
from the heavens, but it proved to be a dense
cloud of dry dust that had arisen like smoke
above the topped and fallen houses. He lay
as he fell for some moments until the noise
ceased and the dust blew Oh or settled.
Then the horrible extent of the disaster met
his eye. Shrieks aud groans came from the
fallen buildings. A crowd had rapidly gath
cred in the plaza, and acted most eKtrava-
ganty. Men, women and children screamed
aloud to heaven on their knees, kissing cru.
cltixes or scapulars, or else tore their hair
and called on their fathers, mothers or rela.
tives. One woman went staring mad and
danced until she fell faintng. In about an
hour some of the authorities appeared and
the search for the dead and wounded began.
1t was continued as fast as volunteers could
be secured, but this Was not easy, as slight
shocks were felt at intervals aud each time
the earth trembled the workers would throw
down their implements and run At night
the houses were deserted, and the people
camped around bontres up the sleeps of the
mountains that look down on the town.
Further earthquake shocks we're expert.
enced Tuesday ut Velez Malaga Spanish
city of ID, 900 inhabitants a few miles from
Malaga. The shocks were of much sever J
and many houses that had been previously
damaged we're utterly destroyed. thous
aud houses at Albania are in ruins. The lat
est estimates place the number of death,
since Christmas al 2OO0.