Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-05
THE EARTHQUAKE IN SPAIN.
Distress and Panic of the People of
Malaga Ehe Wea thy Leave Their
Homes

Distress and Panic of the People OF
Malaga rhe wea thy Leave Their
Homes.
On my journey from Granada to
Malaga, writes correspondent of The
London Standard, [ witnessed at all
the stations scenes precisely similar
to those which [ described upon the
way from Cordova to Granada.
Crowds of people were assem bled up
on the platforms or encamped round
the stations, waiting until the railway
company can take them away. Every
car, track, and carriage on the sidiags
or IN the sheds is occupied, and num
bers are bivouacking ia the carts and
carrl sges in which they drove from
their homes I'd the stations. The rail
way authorities tell me that the great
er part of the weaItDier classes have
already left the country. The emil
grafton was net very large after the
drst shock, but the frequent tremors
which have followed it have frighten-
ed all who have means enabling them
to leave their homes for a while into
Fastening away to some other part of
the country. The absolute damage
done by the earthquake south of Gra-
nada was, so far as [ could see from
the railway carriage, much less seri-
Gus than that suffered by the villages
and towns between that city and Cor
dOva.
Here In Malaga an extraordinary
amount of panic exists, the people be-
ing very much more frightened than
in the towns Which are mere heaps of
ruins, and where the loss of life has
been most serious. Yet the feunda-
tor for all this panic is of the slight
est. There bas, of course, been a sharp
shock, few houses fell, and some of
the others show slight assures and
cracks, but this is all the damage
Which is to be seen. The cracks are
specially noticeable in the facades of
the public buildings, which are for
the most part very old, and IN the
hospital, which was, after the shock,
at once evacuated by order of the
municipality. The total loss of life
in Malaga was fou< killed, and seven
teen were wounded. Fright has done
mere damage than the earthquake, for
[ hear that great many persons are i'll
from pure terror.
By daytime the town remains com
paratively quiet, but it is at night that
the population seem most to dread the
shocks, After darkness falls the peo-
pie forsake their houses, and congre-
gate in the gardens and suburbs The
scene here is far more lively and an-
mated than it was at Granada. The
population there were moody and
silent in their trouble, while here the
excitable southern temperament finds
vent In exuberance of gesture and
animation of speech. People gather
in groups and exchange their expert
ences of the shock, and each vies with
the other IN portray ing by gesture and
facial expression the agony Of mind
which he suffered when he felt his
home rock beneath his feet. The
official accounts and the evidence of
ones own eyes by no means reveal
such terrible state of things as every
person here has, according to his own
account, gone through. Tae hair
breadth escapes are something mar
velous, and the wonder is that instead
Of four people having been killed four
thousand at least have not perished
In such catastrophe.
The shops are almost entirely closed,
trade is at a standstill, the ships lie
idle and unloaded at the warves. The
alcade has issued a proclamation Or
dering all carriages and other vehicles
to traverse the streets at slow pace,
in case any of the houses may be more
seriously shaken than appears to the
eye. The municipal council has also,
aftera deliberatlon, decided to be re-
presented In the the religious process
sions of the bishop and clergy. These
are constantly promenading the
streets, and masses are being celebrat-
ed and the host exhibit. d all day to
stave off the recurrence of the earth
quake.
At half-past 5, and again at quar-
ter past s, yesterday, there were, how.
ever, slight shocks, and the people
rushed stricken into the streets
Screams were heard, and there was d
scene of wild confusion. ALI those
who had not tents, carts, huts, or shell
ters OF some kind or other to betake
themselves to walk about the gardens
and promenades to very late hour of
the night; large numbers never lay
down at all. The railway station was
again invaded by the lower classes,
who insisted upon occupying the cars
and goods tracks every night. As
these, however, were altogether in
sufficient to accommodate the crowd.
fires were lighted, and round ths N
the male part Of the population passed
the night, smoking, drinking wine,
and even raising their spirits by
twanelag their guitars.
But if the damage in the town of
Malaga has been very trifing, it has
not been SO in the province. The dis
tricts which have suffered most have
been that situated on the coast liHe
between this town and Motrl1, the
frontier district Of Almeira, and the
tract of country extending back to the
mountains which separate the provin
ces of Malaga and Granada. Here
the damage has been almost as great
as at the towns On the other side Of