The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1891-01-25
But 1t is frequently Shook Up by
Earthquakes.
THE GREAT SHAKING UP OF TWENTY
YEARS AGO.
Scenes Described by an Eyewitness
To-day Digging Out the Bones From
the Debris of the Woman's Hos
pital-Arequipa as It Is.
Especial correspondence of the REcoRp-Us1os]

Especial correspondence of the REcoRp-UNIoNl
APEQUIPA, Peru, 1890.
More than 400 years ago this second city
of Peru was a halfway hating place for
travellers between the loftier Andes and
the sea land hence came by it's name, Are
q!lipa, the word in the aboriginal tongue
signifying 'Place of Rest" AS early as
the days of Rocca, the sixth Inca, who
conquered all this part of Peru, it was
military colony. In 1910 Pizarro trans
formed it into a Spanish stronghold, but,
with better taste than characterized most
of his nomenclature, did not change its
ancient name fgfs I1t
Just back of the town towers the lofty
volcano Misti, quiescent now, but ready
to burst forth again, perhaps as the accom-
paniment of another tremendous earth
quake, something as Mount Etna rises be-
hind Catania. Nearly $4,000 feetin hight,
perfect cone, topped with eternal snow,
with perpetual summer at its base, Misti is
one of the most beautiful mountains OF
the whole Andean system. On one side
of it stands the lesser mountain, Pichu-
pichu, with foothills stretching away in
the distance, and on the other side snow
crowned Cerchani; the comes Coropuna
and then the elevated Pampa (plain) de
Arrieros, stretching away to the volcano
Utinas, dimly seen toward the Bolivian
frontier.
Modern travellers have lizened Are
qulpa to Damascus, not only because OF
its low walls and gray surroundings, but
because, like the Oriental city, it stands
upon the edge of a desert, all its yerdure
depending upon river flowing through
the arid waste. The valley of Arequipa
is only about ten miles long by five miles
wide, environed on every side by desert
sands and barren mountains. The rapid
| river named Chile, which runs through
the middle of the town, does not furnish
sufficient water for bountiful irrigation,
but wherever it can be turned on the
land is rendered wonderfully productive
and is worth 81 600 per acre and up
ward.
The altitude of Arequipa is not quite
! 5000 feet, just high enough, in this lati-
tude, to insure perfect weather from year
to year. No words can do justice to the
beauty of the climate, never excessively
hot and never cool enough for fires, with
| scarcely any change between midsummer
and midwinter, a light cover being neces-
sary every night in the year and open
windows whatever the season. There is
wet time and a dry, but rains seldom
fall during the day and never to excess.
Frost and snow are unknown, except
away up in the mountains, and the most
beautiful roses one can imagine blossom
perpetually and in unexampled profu-
sion.
may mention that, toward the
end of January Ia year ago. some
friendly -Arequipians gave the writer
a birthday fete in the form of
picnic. The party went by special train
to point eighteen miles or more from
the city, where we were landed in sand
bank, not even a house or tree or blade of
grass being in sight, everywhere nothing
but gray and broken bouiders. By dint
of scrambling, sliding and rolling down
| a very steep hill, which was foot deep
in loose sand and stones, we came at last
| to the level of the river, dashing noisily
along in its rocky bottom and crossed by
charming old arch of adobe, as quaint
as the early Spaniards could make
it. Then following the devious windings
OF the stream, past several bamboo cdSdS
OF local farmers, we came at length to
the dense shade of natural grove of fig
trees, whose broad leaves and far-reach.
ing branches rooted a carpet of soft
est grass sprinkled with wild flowers,
| the rocky wall of the lower hillside
draped with thick curtain of golden
nasturtions and the river bank fringed
with heliotrope, musk and blue
reach of our hands, there grew ripe
and luscious figs, grapes, strawberries,
apricots plums, pears and peaches, the
three latter varieties only having been
planted by the ranchman, the others
being the spontaneous products of the
soil.
The present population of Arequipa is
about 10000, not nearly SO great as in
times long past. Yet it is still one of the
principal places in Peru, second only to
Lima; and being the capital of a rich de-
partment and the place of residence of
Bishop, has always exercised consider
able influence on the politics of the coun-
try. The Indian population Of the higher
attitudes are much more courageous and
turbulent than those living nearer the
sea, and are fully alive to the pleasures of
revolution or an election riot while the
higher classes are Opulent, proud, indie
pendent, and prone to resist the govern
mental fats sent forth from Lima In
deed the people seem to be as uncertain,
politically and socially, as the ground
upon which their city stands, if one may
judge by the frequency of revolutions
and instructions. During the last three
centuries there have been as many as
twelve severe earthquake shocks and in
Vulnerable lighter ones; and in the same
length of time scarcely season has gone
by without one or more political revolts,
while plots and counter plots against the
powers that be are constantly going on.
In 1867 the city was bombarded for three
days by the President of the Republic,
who failed to capture it, and doubt if
there has ever yet been a peaceable cleo
ton. "a
During our stay here we have had sew
eral glimpses of incipient revolutions and
bloody skirmishes. We had been in the
habit of going out on horseback with a
few friends about once week to a
suburban village called Paucarpati, where
1t is the correct thing to breakfast on
guinea pig and other local delicacies. But
the next day after our last visit there
another party ''came to grief'' in terri
BILE manner. 1t seems that two groups of
rival political factions happened to meet
In 'front.' of the breakfasting place and, as
usual, at once resorted to such convincing
arguments as are contained in pistols,
daggers. stones and clubs. "A young Eng
l1shman of the visiting party received
bullet through his hat, as shots and
missiles came flying through the windows;
the ladies tainted, the landlord was
wounded almost unto death, and one
servant was killed. The party was COM
PEELED to remain there all day and night,
for lighting was kept up at irregular in
teryals along the road to town, though
troops were sent out twice to disperse the
insurgents; and the record of the days
casualties amount6 to more than one
hundred killed and wounded.
In earlier days there was no town in
the interior of South America so well
built as Arequipa, but numerous earth
quakes have taught the people the wis
dom of sticking religiously to certain
not pretentious style of architecture.
There is great scarcity of timber here or
it would be popular in the construction of
the houses, for those made of wood can
hold out against quaking and heaving
foundations better than others made Of
more solid materials. The very best and
safest are those of the poorer classes-a
,,fa{xr 81 frn,l -
mud outside and in to fill the chinks be-
tween the poles and intervening MitheS: