Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-02

waves-each.
AN UNBRoKEN WALL OF WATER
thirty feet in height, dragging ships from
their anchors and dashing some of then
far inland; then the subsistence Of the
billows swept houses from their founda-
tlons and bore away the ruins, together
with focks and herds, leaving the town
site desolate and the citizens homeless and
poverty-stricken.
Ialcahuano has now a population Of
about 1000, and, like other Chilean vii.
lagos, Is mostly built of adobes, though
there are few brick and frame houses in
the place, belonging to German and Eng.
Ilsn residents. Its narrow, dusty streets
are generally pavementless, and there is a
plaza, where eff you share the native
fonduess for that kind of amusement-you
may wonder about among poems, dogs,
donkeys and heas, and behold women sit
ting in their doorways strumming upon
guitars. During the summer time this
port IS favorite resort for whale ships,
though they are much less numerous than
formerly, and then the streets abound with
drunken sailors who are generally found in
some sort of disturbance. Here, as at
valparaiso, notwithstanding the long pier,
shlps are laden and unladen By means of
launches. The boatmen are distinctive
class OF citizens, who follow no business
but this from generation to generation.
HOW VESSELS ARE UNLoADED.
4 launch Is rowed near the beach and
then pushed up on it, stern foremost, as far as
the depth of water will permit; and then the
men, naked, except for piece of cloth
about the loins and sometimes calico shirt,
Wa6a thronoh The urf -
ashore, no matter what their weight, from q
box of candles to piano case. Their mus
cular frames become wonderfully developed
by this sort of exercise, and it is astonish-
Ing with what rapidity they perform the
work
The country in the neighborhood Of Tai
cahuano amply rewards cultivation, and
some of the valleys back of Conception are
said to be among the richest in tie world.
All kinds of fruits, grains and vegetables
are produced in abundance; beef, mutton,
pork and fowls are well-fattened and cheap,
and fish can be netted in incredible quanti-
ties on the beach at food-tide. Speaking
of the fisheries reminds me of St. Peters
Day, which is made great fiesta in all the
coast towns of Chile. Peter was fisher
man, you know, and this country has
many miles of sea shore, while its greatest
width is not so much but that large pro-
portion of the people can journey to the
saint in fit and becoming manner.
BLESSING THE WATER FOR FISH
Of course it is made legal holiday, for
nobody dreams of working at such time.
At the first peep of dawning all the bells
are rung and in every church the usual
o'clock mass is celebrated. The largest
sanctuary III the place has been decorated
beforehand for the occasion with flags and
flowers and votive offerings around the
shrines of the. holy fisherman; at 10 A NJ
the people congregate and procession is
formed to march down to the ocean. A
Efe-size wax or wooden figure, dressed
richly, representing the Apostle Peter, is
carried at the head Of the procession with
great pomp and ceremony.
Arrived at the waters edge, the image is
placed in boat and held over the sea, and
at Talcahuano it is rowed all around the
bay, while priests bless the waters that they
may produce fish abundantly. Those who
expect to reap the reward of this sanity
patronage, the poor fishermen, are highly
taxed to pay for the performance.
Tome, on the opposite side of the bay
pronounced Toe-may, accenting the final
syllable), is a famous summer resort for the
people of this section. A tiny steamboat
about 30 feet long and Is feet wide, with q
canvas awning to protect the passengers
from sun and rain, plies continually be-
tween Talcahuano and Tome. It was
bought one day by an energetic German for
what loose change ne happened to have in his
vest pocket, and now he realizes no less
than $4,000 a year carrying passengers
across the bay.
A WHOLE CITY SOUND ASLEEP.
The road from Talcahuano to Conception
5raverses a sandy plain, dotted here and
there with dwarf trees. As the traveller
approaches he sees what at first appear to
be few scattered huts at the base of q
range of sand hills, and not far off the
mighty Bio-Bio; and is amazed to find him.
self almost Immediately afterward in the
midst of city of $4,000 or 900 inhab-
itants. It was noon when we entered Con-
,epcion, and in passing through q long
street to our hotel, we saw only three AMI
mated obiects-a muleteer, boy and dom
Key. 1t was the siesta hour, and the whole
,ity was asleep; and in broad day, among
thousands of human beings, utter silence
.eigned.
The hotel to which We were directed is
Iuaint enough to merit description. There
s passage in the center, through which
lonkeys, laden with wood, water, sacks of
,oal, baskets of vegetables, dead pigs,
heep, etc, are driven on their way to the
litchen. The only room to sit in is the
lining room, which Is hoored with brick
nd has bar of liquors in one corner. ALI
he bedrooms open on the patio, or central
ourt, and if you are partial to light and
ir their interiors may be scanned by all
he neighbors.
AWFUL MURDER AND PUNISHMENT
That the quaint old city has made many
dvances in civilization the following true
tory will show. Less than 40 years ago a
beautiful girl, whose parents were among
he wealthiest citizens of Conception, mar
led the son of another equally prominent
amily, and the pair settled down to house.
.eeping with fattering prospects of future
appiness. Children came to the casa, and
or few years their domestic felicity was
Then the demon of jealousy
ook possession of the wife (whether on
grounds do not know; and one
light while the husband slept she de-
iberately poured a kettle of boiling water
yer his face and head.
After few hours of horrible torture he |
so did she in a no less shocking |
tanner. Though her father offered the |
hole of his wealth to save her life, and |
,ndered the Governor million dollars in |
Did, the woman-who was still young and |
eautiful-was dragged to the "Hill of /
eath," or place of public executions. |
here, according to her sentence, she was
lot; and then her yet warm body was sown |
p in sack, together with living rats and |
lakes, and sunk in the middle of the Bio