The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-06
A LEGEND OF CALLAO.
HOW THE ISLAND MOUNTAIN OF
SAN LORENzA GOT ITS NAME.


Midnight Ride Taken by a Peruvian FISH
erman Much Against His WiIl-If Sailors
Are n Truthful Set One Must Wonder at
the Franks Played by the Waves.
,sWhenever seismic disturbances are
mentioned in my hearing it always re-
minds me of the desperately calamitous
affair that took place in Callao, Peru, in
1746," said the cap'n breaking in on
spirited discussion touching the best
quality of oil for pinnacle lamps. It is
needless to say that earthquakes had not
been mentioned or even thought of by
anv one present except tie cap'n him.
self. But if the cap'n sail earthquakes
why earthquakes it was, and the sailors
at once placed themselves in convenient
listening attitudes.
THE CAP'N RILED.
WAS you there, cap'n?" asked the lub-
ber
Certainly was; been there several
times. This seismic ,'iS"-
'How old a man a. yea, cap'n?"
"Forty-two on my last birthday" re-
piled the cap'n. ''Say." Eo continued,
as he OWNED the Dirt of the lubber's
question, eff it wasn't for the sailors
here would ripe down ON this story at
once. You measly, lop cared idiot, did
YOU 'spose meant that was in Callao
at the time of the earthquake 143 years
ago? Couldn't the fact possibly be JAM
med into your skull that l was there
since the upheaval? If 1 didn't have
sense enough to sit and listen to intelli-
gent remarks I'd keep my figure head
closed" and the cap'n looked daggers at
the wretched lubber.
Don't be too hard on the poor cuss,
CAP" suggested one of the sailors. "He
amt never been nowhere or don't know
nothing"
That's fact" said the captain, some
what notified; "but l do get water
logged laying up alongside of such un-
reasonable folks, but reckon I'll have
to stand it. Now, if somebody will tell
me what was talking about I'll get I'M
der way again"
$50 it was" Sc: the cap'n, again
resuming his reminiscent expression.
"The desperate disaster of which spoke
took place at six bells on the night of
Oct %, l746 The people were first
turned out by tremendous shock and a
low rumbling noise like thunder. The
first seismic shake was followed by 200
lighter jerks lasting over a period Of
twenty-four hours. Deep, booming noises
came from far out under the sea, and
the upheavals kept on until they pumped
up great tidal wave eighty feet high.
Callao was built on rising coast, with
the lower portion of the town clustered
along the docks. Like all seaport towns
this was the most thickly populated
part When the big wave rolled in on
shore it was accompanied by a powerful
shock which broke off the lower edge of
the city. And when the wave retreated
it carried the town and $4,000 people
with it down into the sea.
SAN LORENzA'S RIDE.
I'm now coming to the most curious
incident of that terrible night" con-
tinued the cap'n. Before the trouble
the harbor was clear, but now an island
mountain 400 feet high rears it's head
near the northern shore of the harbor
A lighthouse graces the top of the
island, which is down on the map as
San Lorenza, and one of the prettiest
and most romantic of the many Peru
Wan legends is told in connection with
the naming of the island. 1t was named
after San Lorenza, the man who discov-
cred the mountain, and is an intensely
interesting story when told in Spanish.
heard it in that language myself, but
as none of you fellows understand Span
ish I'll tell it in English.
"Mr. Lorenza, or San, as they called
him for short, was fisherman, and went
out to sea every night in his frail Peru
Wan bark to fish for hake and haddock
The native fisherman has light skiff or
canoe in which he plies his calling and
one paddle. He sits on his knees in the
stern of the boat and fishes with a line
200 feet long, using his front finger for a
pole. On the fatal night of Oct. 90 San
had just got bite when he heard the
OulluOuS OclOIc COulu 6lC10T
land the fish or grab his paddle he felt
himself going up in the air. 1t was so
dark that San couldn't see anything, so
he clutched both gunwales of his boat
and hung on. Presently there came an
other jerk, and the fisherman went up a
few more feet.
1.-The unhappy man was too frightened
to move, so he sat there, going up by
jerks, until daylight. Then San peered
over the edge of his boat and found HIM
self sticking on top of a mountain 400
feet in the air. The peak was so sharp
that it pierced the bottom of his boat and
stuck up four feet above Sans head. He
still hung on to his fish line, which had
ahorse mackerel dangling from the hook,
dead, halfway down the mountain. The
survivors discovered San in the morning
and that is the beautiful legend of how
San Lorenza got its NAME"
Glow did they get Lorenza down off
the mountain?" asked the lubber.
Il was just going to tell that" said
the capn in an angry tone, "but as you
seem to be in such devilish hurry I'll
let you wait awhile" And the crusty
old sailor walked away.-Chicago Times.
An Unimproved County.
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