The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-07-11
LAND OF EARTHQUAKES,
THE EXPERIENCES or A TRAVELLER
IN SOUTH AMERICA,

In earthquake countries, particularly IN
portions of South America where destructive
earthquakes arc not of rare occurrence, as a
rule tho first shock Is comparatively light
and harmless, II ls considered as a warning
signal 70 look out, and is preceded by a
rumbling sound not unlike distant thunder,
gradually approaching and increasing In
strength until tho crash and full force of tho
shock 10 felt The second shock Of tho same
character soon follows IL Ia, a. rule, col,
dom dangerous Tho third Is looked Tor with
anxiety aud dread, and tho consequences arc
feared, Should II occur iia effects aro AL
most Invariably disastrous Tho relator had
Eeyen years experience IN tho several ropub'
lies of South America and passed through
many ehally scenes AZ first, with no fear or
dread, and was disposed 20 rldluuls tho owl
dent alarm Of tho inhabitants on tho occur
renee of au earlhquakei but soon he became
yerIiable coward, and would outllerod
llerod In hunting Alo place 40 tho Ant
pfhln1ntOry symptoms Of shake,
THE LAST C1uUsE INTERRUPTED,
Ills first experience waa Ia lRuiIRgo Chilli
In 1912 II occurred during tho forty days
VI lanL Religious PROFESSIONS were oi daily
occurrence, atllne.ng tha attention OF mo
dght gug ciu2aW wherever they passed,
! One day no was seated 40 q family dIuuar
table IN tho residence Don Santiago Nnlanr
Ola. Tho several r1urm had been sHryol and
pirtaken Of and chocolate Tor tho gentlemen
and matte nho national toa Of tho country
Tor tho ladies had laHu ordered, Each bad
hIs or hor tiny porcelain cup W hand, slipping
tho frolhy c1ntenla uf tho rich chocolate OF
| uelIng the fragrant tea through tho silver
tube, when, As u by ono impulse, Tho cupi
fell either % tho table OF noOr and were shat
tered, Theory Ot "lemhorI TembluFN was
raised, aud tho guests, both male aud femlIe,
rushed for tho door without standing 0n lNu
order Of their going, Tho writcr simply
looked on with astouishmmt The earthquake
was light aud no had not felt II, and no quiet
ly fet hIa cup down, either thlnldng that hli
companions were crazy ur that something uu-
usual la tho way Of q procession was passing,
Going 30 tho door he found tho oeuler VI tho
| street flled with mon, women and children
on their knees, hands upturnod Ia theHliIIude
Of feryont prayer Tho second shock did uut
occur, aud these doyOteeH H00n arose and re'
entered choir several domlolea Nnd our party
returned 20 tho dining room and ordered
| more chocolate and mnlto aa II II were Uu ur.
dhary occurrence and part Of tAo pro-
gamme
llIa noKt episode IN tho "tomblorn limo was
more onlIyonIng and was decidedly INSTRUCT
I've, 10 occurred several months nl,or bo
had mustered sufficient Spanish 10 know tho
meaning Of tho word, lla had been making
might of II with some Of hia cuuntrymrn
and Europeans who were on q ysIt from
| Valparaiso, and returned about g o, M llls
sleeping apartment wNa ON tho ground floor,
and wHa q large, square room, On retiring
Tor the night 10 II customary IN Hll earth
quake counrloa 20 ua1 a brace rgt against
tho door In place Of turning tho hoy In tho
locl, ~ In tho oyont uf Uu earthquake la'
bolt gotta jamml and cnnnot 10 thrown
back But ho locked tho door aud wuH soon
In bol and sound nlwp lIo dreamed that
ho had hoon bodily t1bon mp by man OF gl'
| gAHtI1 stature Hul thrown Ou tho iluur, and
nWolo 90 become painfully conscious that
such was the fact or 90 least that ho was on
tho iloor Tho frtmo work OF tho building
aud tho onrthon covering uf tiles and cuu
raltew WCro groWmg and cro1kug with 70
fearful din, Tho crash Of falling buildings,
tho serpochca Of men, women Uul ch.lluu,
tho bowling of dogs, tho brnyIug ot nsol and
tho mortue of horses and mulpa produced a
bollnm OF moUthly sounds lio recognized
tho fact that ho was experiencing tho nlloct
Of tho much dreaded thirl hoaI Of ma earth.
quake
ll1 Bt once arose, but reU'.l and staggered
from tho c,Ig1ta of tho unusual movement Of
tho tprtua crust, uul reaching th1 door
found NO brace 10 was securely locked and
b0ltad, ll1tH1d 10 turn tho bug hut utdIluot
succeed lloWuJa prI ouHr expecting oynry
moment thnt tho roof would fan in llo
mldl q frantic movement end tho bolt
dow back and no was FREQ and BOON In the
street, Whom no looked around no iow ruins
In oycry direction Clouds Of dust ob.aurul
tho coming dawn, and mon, wom'n and
children wore Ia the main thlroughiwc and
0djacont plaza praying with fcwor 70 th1
Virgin for glccor Tho roof Of the cathedral
had fallen In and hundreds who had rushed
20 10 Ns place Of afoty from tho coming
wrath woro olthor crushed or killed outright
Tho frantic groons screams, curses Nnd
prayers of tho wounded woro heard oven
above tho din Of tho falling buildings and
mado 10 lnstIng an impression on his momory
that oven now ho ofton imoglnoa that ho
hears th0m repeated. This experience had
tho olloct 10 mako him yCritablo earth
quake coward
Shortly after ho had occasion 10 visit thC
city Of Mendoza In the Argentine Republic,
situated In beautiful and fortilo valley that
lay east Of tho Cordillorn range ofmountoinS
I'm route from Santiago no had to cross d
plain OF forty miles About midway hit
| horse suddenly camo 70 halt aud spread out
hla legs 40 that his feot covered 90 much spncC
os possible AstonIshod, tho rider piled thC
spurs, butt horse was fixture and refused
| 10 moyG Tho narrator soon heard low
runbling sound, tho promonitory sympton
OF an earthquake, which increased In strength
and was followed by crash aud shock that
nearly throw him from bis horse which trcm
| blcd mortod and showed oyory symptom Of
fcnri tho ground cracked and oponcd mm many
places from fow Inches 10 several foot from
which nilphurous vupor and wator issued
nis hrst impulse was TO got oil hls horse ont
erok mioty In hight, hut on sober secont
thought no cnmo 10 tho ggo conclusion thai
tho horso had four legs aud covered NOR,
ground than ho possibly could with his two
and uecidod 10 stay, Fortunately tho dis
turballvo did not last moro than throo or foui
minutes, tuough u seemed an ago whom II wa
over ana all was qulot, with tho exception 0
| tho usual trumors that follow nu earthquake
shock, His horse gathered himself together
and moved on as II nothing nad happened
San Francisco Bulletin.