Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-10-18
A LE.li'!s,iD OF CALLA0.
HOW THE ISLAND MOUNTAIN OF
SAN LORENzA GOT ITS NAME. 4.

oTH'S NShHlSGH wv 40 %F'NHHE' {
slIdnight Ride Taken by a Peruvian Fish
ernan Much Against His Will-If Sailors
Are Truthful Set One Must Wonder ut
the Franks Played by tho Waves.
Whenever seismic disturbances are
mentioned in my hearing it always re.
minds me of the desperately calamitous
affair that took place in Callao, Peru, in
l74G," said the cap'n breaking in on a
spirited discussion, touching the best
quality of oil for pinnacle lamps 1t is
needless to say that earthquakes had not
been mentioned or even thought Of by
any one present except the cap'n him
self. But if the cap'n said earthquakes
why earthquakes it was, and the sailors
at once placed themselves in convenient
listening attitudes.
THE cAP'N RlLED.
Was you there, cap'n?" asked the lub'
b,r.
Certainly was; been there several
times. This seismic dis
'How old a man are you, cap'n?"
"Forty-two on my last birthday" re-
piled the cap'n. "Say." he continued,
as he OWNED the drift of the lubber'a
question, "if it wasn't for the sailors
here would pipe 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 theta possibly be jam
med into your skull that I was there
since the upheaval? If l 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 tho sailors. "He
amt never been nowhere Or don't know
nothing
'sThat's fact" said the captain, some.
what Modified; ''but do get waite,
logged laying up alongside of such TN
reasonable folks. but I reckoo I'll have
to stand it. Now, if somebody will tel
me what was talking about I'll get un'
| der way again"
Earthquakes" shouted the sailors.
$50 it was" said the cap'n, agar,
resuning his reminiscent expression.
1.-THE desperate disaster Of which spoke
took place at six bells on tho night Of
! Oct 2S, 1746. The people were first
turned out by tremendous shock and 6
low rumbling noise like thunder. The
| first seismic shake was followed by 20(
lighter jerks lasting over period Of
twenty-four hours. Deep, booming noises
| came from far out under the sea, anc
the upheavals kept on until they pumped
| up a great tidal wave eighty feet high
CaIlao was built on a rising coast, witt
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 OF
shore it was accompanied by powerful
shock which broke off the lower edge o.
the city. And when the wave retreatet
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 curiou:
incident of that terrible night" con
tinued the cap'n. "Beforo tho trouble
the larbor was clear, but now an island
mountain 400 feet high rears its hea(
near the northern shore of the harbor
| A lighthouse graces the top of the
island, which is down on the map a!
San Lorenza, and one of the pretties
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, bu
as none of you fellows understand Span
ish I'll tell it in English.
"Mr. Lorenza, or San, as they calle(
him for short, was u fisherman, and wen
out to sea every night in his frail Peru
Wan bark to fish for hake and haddock
The native fisherman has a light skiff o.
canoe in which lie plies his calling ant
one paddle. He sits Oh his knees in tn
stern of the boat and fishes with lin
900 feet long. using his front finger for :
pole. On tho fatal night of Oct. 20 Sal
| had just got a bite when he heard tn
o.ninous rumble. Before he could eithe
land the fish or grab his paddle he fel
himself going up in tho air. 1t was 81
dark that San couldn't see anything, s.
he clutched both gunwales of his boa
and hung on. Presently there came an
other jerk, and the fisherman went up
few mere feet.
"rhe unhappy man was too frightened
to move, so he sat there, going up b,
jerks, until daylight. Then San peere'
over the edge Of his boat and found him
self sticking on top Of mountain 90
feet in the air. The peak was so shar]
that it pierced the bottom of his boat AM
stuck up four feet above Sans head. II
still hung On to his fish line, which hat
horse mackerel dangling from the hook
dead, halfway down the mountain. Tn
survivors discovered San in the morning
and that is the beautiful legend of hov
San Lorenza got its narne.'
"How did they get Lorenza down Of
the mountain" asked the Iubber.
II was just going to tell that, sait
the cap'n in an angry tone, "but as yo'
seem to be in such a devilish hurry II
let you wait awhile" And the crust,
old sailor walked away.-Chicago Times
l
Florida Underground.
Talking about adventures in strang'
places" said j. s. H. Hodge, of Jones