Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-08-16
LAND OF EARTHQUAKES.
THE EXPERIENCES OF A TRAVELLER
IN SOUTH AMERICA.

in SOU n AMERICA.
Sudden Breaking Up of Dinner Party.
The Entire People of City on Their
Knees-How the First, Second and Third
Shocks Considered
In earthquake countries, particularly in
portions OF South America where destructive
earthquakes are not of rare occurrence as a
rule the first shock is comparatively light
and harmless. 1t is considered as warming
signal to look out, and is preceded by a
runbhng sound not unlike distant thunder,
gradually approaching and increasing in
strength until the crash and full force of the
shock is felt. The second shock of the same
character soon follows. 1t is, as a rule, sell
dom dangerous. The third is looked for with
anxiety and dread, and the consequences are
feared. Should it occur its effects are al
most invariably disastrous The relator had
seven years experience in the several repub-
lies OF South America and passed through
many shaky scenes at first, with no fear OF.
dread, and was disposed to ridicule the evil
dent alarm of the Inhabitants on the occur
renee of ain earthquakes; but soon he became
verStable coward, and would out-Herod
Herod in hunting safe place at the first
premonitory symptoms of shake.
THE LAST COURSE INTERRUPTED.
His first experience was in Santiago Chilli.
in 1872 1t occurred during the forty DAYS
OF Lent Religious professions were of daily
occurrence, attracting the attention of the
sight seeing citizens wherever they passed.
One day he was seated at a family dinner
table in the residence of Don Santiago Valen-
cia- The several courses had been served and
partaken Of and chocolate for the gentlemen
and matte (the national tea of the country
for the ladies had been ordered Each had
his or her tiny porcelain cup in hand, slipping
Z the frothy contents of the rich chocolate or
sucking the fragrant tea through the silver
tube, when, as of by one impulse, the cups
fell either to the table or floor and were shat
F., tered. Theory of "Temblor! Temblorl" was
raised, and the guests. both male and female,
rushed for the door without standing on the
order of their going. The writer simply
looked on with establishment. The earthquake
was light and he had not felt it, and he quiet
ly set his cup down, either thinking that his
companions were crazy or that something I'M
usual IN the way OF a procession was passing.
Going to the door he found the center of the
street filled with men, women and children
on their knees, hands upturned in the attitude
of fervent prayer The second shock did not
occur, and these devotees soon arose and re-
entered their several donliciles and our party
returned to the dining room and ordered
more chocolate and matte as if it were an or
binary occurrence and part of the pro-
gramme.
His next episode in the 'stemblorn line was
more enlivening and was decidedly instruct
i've 1t occurred several months after he
had mastered sufficient Spanish to know the
meaning of the word. He had been making
a night of it with some of his countrymen
and Europeans who were on visit from
Valparaiso, and returned about 2 a. NJ His
sleeping apartment was on the ground floor,
and was large, square room. On retiring
for the night it is customary in all earth
quake countries to use brace set against
the door in place of turning the key in the
lock, as in the event of an earthquake the
bolt gets jammed and cannot be thrown
back. But he locked the door and was soon
in bed and sound asleep. He dreamed that
he had been bodily taken up by man of gi-
gantic stature and thrown on the floor, and
awoke to become painfully conscious that
such was the fact or at least that he was on
the floor. The frame work of the building
and the earthen covering of tiles and cane
rafters were groaning and creaking with q
fearful din. The crash of falling buildings,
the screeches of men, women and children,
the bowling of dogs, the braying of asses and
the snorting of horses and mules produced a
bedlam of unearthly sounds. He recognized
the fact that he was experiencing the effects
of the much dreaded third shock of an earth
quake.
A SPECIMEN OF HORSE SENSE.
He at once arose, but reeled and staggered
from the effects of the unusual movement Of
the earths crust, and reaching the door
found no brace. 1t was securely locked and
bolted. He tried to turn the key, but did not
succeed. He was prisoner, expecting every
moment that the roof would fall in. He
made frantic movement, and the bolt
flew back and he was free and soon in the
street. When he looked around he saw ruins
in every direction Clouds of dust obscured
the coming dawn, and men, women and
children were in the main thoroughfare and
adjacent plaza praying with fervor to the
Virgin for succor. The roof of the cathedral
had fallen in, and hundreds who had rushed
to it as a place of safety from the coming
wrath were either crushed OF killed outright
The frantic groans, screams, curses and
prayers of the wounded were heard even
above the din of the falling buildings, and
made SO lasting an impression on his memory
that even now he often imagines that he
hears them repeated This experience had
the effect to make him a veritable earth
quake coward.
Shortly after he had occasion to visit the
city of Mendoza, in the Argentine Republic,
situated in beautiful and fertile valley that
lay east of the Cordillera range of mountains.
En- route from Santiago he had to cross a
plain of forty miles. About midway his
horse suddenly came to a halt and spread out
his legs so that his feet covered as much space
as possible. Astonished, the rider piled the
spurs, but the horse was fixture and refused
to move. The narrator soon heard low,
rumbling sound, the premonitory symptom
of an earthquake which increased in strength
and was followed by crash and shock that
nearly threw him from his horse, which trem-
bled, snorted and showed every symptom of
fear; the ground cracked and opened in many
places from few inches to several feet, from
which sulphurous vapor and water issued.
has first impulse was to get off his horse and
seek safety in fight, but on sober second
thought he came to the sage conclusion that
the horse had four legs and covered more
GROUND than he possibly could with his two,
and uecided to stay. Fortunately the dis
turba4,e Glq not last more than three or four
minutes, though it seemed an age when it was
over anu all was quiet, with the exception OF
the usual trenlors that follow all earthquake
shock. His horst gathered himself together
and moved on as it nothing had happened
San Francisco Bulletin.
What She Liked.
The simple truth has charm all its own,
and is sometimes quite as likely to awaken a |
smile as the most profound witticism