Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-25
IN THE oUAKING COUNTRY.
Scenes in and Around AIhama-suffer-
iDgs of the PeODIe.


iDgs of the People.
In ten days, says a letter from Albania,
Spain, have visited all the principal
points affected, and ascertained that in
| nearly every instance the houses destroy
ed are those built of mud, called adobe in
the southwestern States and Mexico.
This cheap material was used in the con-
struction of houses in the rural districts
of these lower provinces, and to that fact
to a great extent the disaster may be at
tributed. American towns built of wood
have had no such loss of life and property.
The clearest idea of the horror on that
Christmas night, when the first two shocks
in quick succession occaslQned nearly all
the distress, was given me by Lieutenant
| COlonel OF the Ninth Cuirassiers, whom
met at the Kings headquarters at the
Albania baths.
A NIGHT OF HORROR.
This officer said he had permission to
! spend the Christmas holidays with his
| family at Alb una, and had few friends
/ to dinner. After dinner the friends left, and
/ he sat talking with his wife and children.
/ i've in number, when suddenly one end of
| the room rose up three feet. The shock
/ threw the whole family to the floor. with
/ the lamps and other articles on the tables
and shelves. They remained in total
darkness, dazed and wondering what had
happened. Presently he supposed it was
an earthquake, and called to his wife and
/ children to come into the street. He
reached the street door, and the street was
IN total darkness. The air was filled with
the dust Of crumbling buildings. Afraid
! to go out, he stood shivering and unde-
clded, when a second shock came and the
kitchen fell in, killing two servants.
A piece of wood fell upon his wife, break
ing her leg. He then carried his
wife out over piles of ruins. The
narrow, dark streets were so changed by
the debris that it was hard to recognize
them. He reached the open fields, where
ne found that many had preceded him.
he left his wife with friends and returned
tor his children. He brought three the
next trip, and then the other two. All the
| way, While crawling over piles of ruin,
he heard the cries of those who had been
| caught and could not extricate them
! selves. Every voice was familiar. He
met nelghbors telling each other of the
loss of relatives and friends. The horror
| OF such an experience was unparalleled
The night was spent in the open fields
shivering on the ground, entertaining
fears and suffering grief, terror and hOr-
| rid uncertainty, for not even at daylight
! U
sustained throughout the city,
MOUNTAIN HEROINE.
As followed my guide was RECALLED
with such recitals as ''Here two bodies
were dug OUT" "a man and wife over
there's" -Four children on this side;'
cone man caught in this doorway anC
| could not get out; he died shortly aftel
being removed'-until the tale became toC
narrowing to listen to. Arrived at the
outskirts Of one part the town, where tn
houses are built on the edge of a Cliff. anC
almost perpendicular and forty-five fee
to the first plateau, the officer pointed t.
one of which the gable end had disap
peared. "There," said he, "tWo girls were
in the kitchen when it was shaken down
Both rolled with the debris to the
bottom of the cliff, where you see tina
pile. One was killed; the other, thanl
God, escaped without injury" anC
taking off his hat he piOusly crossed
himself. This girl has since become
heroine, and all visitors to the ruined
city are constantly importuned to allow
themselves TO be introduced. Passing
around under the edge OF the mountain
he showed me where a number of houses
had been built under the shadow of the
OVerhaDging cliffs, now buried with all
their inmates. Many bodies are still re.
naming under the pOndeTOus rocks. The
odor is pervading and sickening to the
passer-by. Far down in the valley were
huge powders, many Of them fully as large
as an ordinary seaside cottage, which
had been hurled from their position or
high, in many instances passing the cliff
over the intervening houses, and tearing
up the ground where they gtrubk at least
90 yards from the base OF the cliff.
TREMBLING OF THE EARTH.
While taking a cup of coffee at the Ho
tel Albania, two shocks disturbed my
equilibrium, and though slight in com
parison with others, were still sufficient
to occasion much uneasiness. These
slight shocks are of daily occurrence, anC
at intervals of a few hours. Meantime
the inhabitants have not slept in a bee
since the first shock, 20 days ago. The
whole community is completely panic
stricken throughout the province o.
Granada and a large portion OF Malaga
When it will end. there are no means o.
knowing, and as there is recurrence
many times daily, all business is sus
pended and the people are helpless as
| children.