Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-11-20
ANCIENT EARTHQUAKES.
TERRIBLE UPHEAVALS OF PAST
CENTURIES.
Three Hundre red Til ousand Persons Buried
In "A Moment at Pekln In 1862
The Awful Earthquake at
Lisbon In 1885.

Is this old earth loaded. and will il
90 off sometime and blow everything
70 pieces? asks the Chicago Herald.
Are earthquakes caused by the sudden
contact OF subterranean water with
subterranean fire and the instant gem
GRAFTON OF vast volumes OF explosive
and irresistible steam? We will let il
go at that while we recall some OF the
more important earthquakes in the
past few centuries. At Pekin, China,
300, 600 persons were buried in n mo-
ment in 1862. and 100, 900 again in
the same city in 1871. The earth
quake at Lima on October 2S 1916, eX-
tended TO Callao and 1S, 900 persons
persisted. This CONFUSION, which
spread along the coast 200 leagues
began about 1890 O'clock at night
The noise, the shock and the rain took
place in the space of only four min
utes. The day being one dedicated TO
St Simon and St Jude, the people OF
Lima attributed 10 the agency OF those
saints the fact that only 49, 600 per-
sons persisted out of population of
so, 600. Vast quantities OF gold, silver
and Jewels were buried among the
seventy-four churches and the fourteen
monasteries. The public fountains
were buried, the statues Of the Span
ish kings crushed and the streets bar
ricaded with fallen houses Callao
was utterly destroyed, and even its
very shape was changed by huge heaps
OF sand and gravel. At the moment
OF the earthquake the sea rose mount
ain high and rolled on till it buried
the city and destroyed everything en-
cept the two great gates. OF the D, 600
inhabitants, only about two hundred
escaped by clinging to timbers and
pieces OF wreck.
The most tremendous earthquake
of modern times was that of Lisbon.
November /, 1855. The people had
risen as usual that morning, and
looked out uponBelem and the Tagus,
the little villas among the olive
groves, the orange trees, the bull ring,
the hospitals, the converts and the
shops. In the seventy five converts
and forty churches of Lisbon the bells
had tinkled and the early prayer had
been said. The birds were gayly
singing their mathis in the suburban
gardens OF Alcantara and Campo
Grande. The blue sky gave no omen
of evil, and the river lay for mile
after mile smiling in the golden sun
light. Suddenly the city fell to pieces
like children's tower of cards
Roofs crushed in. arcades CAPPED in
two towers fell steeples snapped
palaces tottered, walls were leveled.
The air grew black with rising clouds
OF dust and was filled with the crash
OF cefA3less destruction. At the same
time, as if the terrors Of the apoca-
lypse had broken at last on Lisbon.
the sea- agitated TO its depths by
the awful CONFUSION rose and
spread over the shore. One OF
the quays also opened its dark
jaws and swallowed. in an instant 600
persons who had taken refuge on it
In minute or two more fresh calami-
ties fell on the unhappy city. for, the
fires being hurled down among the
fallen timbers, CONGREGATIONS broke
out in several parts Of the city. To
add TO the general misery. thieves
and murderers, escaping from the
shattered prisons, plundered and
robbed iudiscriminately. One of these
villains confessed TO setting fire to the
Indian House and another to burning
the ruins in seven places. The earth
quake continued with gentle, inter-
hitting tremors. felt even on the
river, for eighteen days. The first
great shock convulsed the earth for
8, 900 miles overturned many cities
and never halted in its tremendous
march till it reached Scotland. The
year 1915 was very wet and rainy.
The summer was unusually cool
and during the forty days preced-
ing the earthquake the weather was
clear, but not remarkably SO. One
day Immediately preceding the earth
quake a remarkable gloominess pre-
vailed but on the morning of the fatal
day the fog was dissipated by the sun.
There was no wind, nor the least agit-
alton OF the sea, and the weather was
remarkably warm. This great earth
quake of Lisbon, which in few min
utes swallowed 80, 600 persons, had a
precursor in 1881 when in the same city
]. 500 houses and so. 600 persons were
destroyed, and several neighboring
towns ingulfed with all their popula-
tions. Is this old earth cooling of
and getting rid OF its surplus heat
through its volcanic fire escapes, or is
it simply preparing for another mighty
effort to wreck thingsP
Some Consolation.