Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-27

iron, which years ago piled between New
York and Norfolk. Even the Custom
House. by all odds the largest and hand
soonest structure In the section, was built by
a New Yorker, OF pine from the forests of
Maine and corrugated iron from Pennsyl-
vania.
Though the old town has been the one
market for more than 500 miles of sea coast
for three centuries and half, it is to-day
nearly destitute of native capital, most of its
merchants being foreigners. Its commerce
would doubtless be much greater were it not
for the alarming frequency of earthquakes.
Though the sea coast is somewhat removed
from the great center of disturbance, and
Ecuador has perhaps suffered fewer shak-
ings-up than Peru and Chilli, yet all this
Andean country is the paradise of earth
quakes, and Guayaquil has been several
times destroyed by them.
EARTHQUAKE ARCHITECTURE.
The most princely mansions in Guayaquil,
even the grand cathedral, the Governors
palace and the City Hall, are hollow squares
of wood and adobe, plastered inside and out,
and rooted with red tiles: while by far the
greater number are straw-thatched skeletons
of bamboo and dried mud. with no windows
and often without doors, the bare earth serv-
ing for flooring. Very properly in this
with a view to Withstand earthquake shocks,
but to admit air instead of excluding it.
Some OF the best houses have a face of un-
plsned boards, sawed by hand and placed
upright, giving them all the dignity of
brown stone fronts on Murray Hill. Others
are made by planting tree trunks previously
hewn square, five feet deep in the clayey
soil, with horizontal timbers framed between
for the support of the floors, and split bam-
boo nailed on for siding, as we put on lath.
The sides are then daubed with mud; ana
when it is thoroughly dried, the fronts are
elaborately succeed, and afterward repeat
ed coats of white paint add the marble-like
appearance that misled us from distance
The poorer casas are like King Solomon's
temple, in one particular only, that in them
the sound Of the hammer was never heard.
for not a nail do they contain, their bamboo
frame work having been tied together with
withes, and the lattice-like foundation Tor
the thatch OF dried grass being held fast in
the same manner. In these airy mansions
the reed partitions meet none of the demands
of privacy, and windows would be SUPER
fuous.
A RAIN WOULD MELT THE CITY.
Fortunately it never rains along this coast,
for one hearty tropic shower would disin-
tegrate the whole city. The most violent
earthquake has little effect upon this style
of architecture and if few houses are
tumbled down now and then it does not cost
much to rebuild them. Confagrations are
more serious matters. as there is no sort of
water works or fire department, and blaze,
once started, sweeps the city clean. Luckily
the domestic arrangements of the people re-
quire little fire, the cuisine being conducted
over a pile OF sticks lighted out of doors, or
a small charcoal pot, or at best sort of
altar made of adobe. Some these bamboo
houses are furnished with real elegance
carpets, hangings and upholstered couches
from England, pianos and harps from Ger
MANY, and ornaments from France, Spain
or Italy.
The greatest danger to the town is from
the torch OF the revoIutionists, before which |
1t would burn like finder; and as revoIts are |
OF frequent occurrence, owing to the divided |
public sentiment between the Liberal party |
and the Papal element, the people live in |
perpetual apprehension. Over the entrance |
to many of the better houses are large |
squares of tin, painted to represent the flag |
OF the country from which the owner halls |
and printed notice to incendiaries or rev. |
oluronary looters, like the following: 'The |
proprietor OF this house is citizen of Great |
brltian-or of Germany, France, the |
y nlteo States, as the case may be: the rob- |
Der or torchbearer beingIexpected to stand In
Wholesome awe Of that foreign Government |
and to believe in the length and strength of |
its protecting arm.
RESIDENCE OF THE PRESIDENT.
During the greater portion of the year the
President Of the Republic does not live In |
his palace at Quito, the capital, but here in |
Guayaquil in gloomy barracks, surrounded |
by bare-footed soldiers, where he can keen |
an eye on the customs whence his revenue
is derived and find easy escap. should some
rival get up revolution strong enough to |
oust him. But tumble-down fortress over
looking the town, the iunny little gunboat |
in the b. rbor and handful of hungry-look-
ing soldiers, serve to keep the ease-loying