The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-05-30
DESO.ATlON IN VENEZUELA.
Further Reports CT the Destruction OF
L,feand Towns by Earthquakes.

Further Reports CT the Destr uction o'
Life and Towns by Earthquakes.
NEW YORK, May 22-The Rev.
Joseph Nor@ood, agent for the Amerl-
can Bible Society in Venezuela, arrived
at this port on the Red d Lie steamer
philadelphia late Wednesday night. He
WAS in Venezuela at the time the re-
cent terrible earthquakes, and when seen
at the Bible House early yesterday
morning he gave an account OF the dis
as;er. Mr.. Norwood said that, while be
was only on the edge of the distur Dances
he had received advices before be lett
Venezuela showing how widespread the
disaster was.
TT was impossible to get absolutely
correct statements before I sailed" he
said, loving to the fact that telegraphic
communication was en1lrely destroyed
but learned enough to make lie he
lie7s there had been a terrible loss o
lite. The whole country Westward o1
Caracas felt the disturbance.
The most damage done was in the
lowns Of Merida, Laguuillas and EjIdes
and several smaller towns, sll OF which
we're almost to ally destroyed.
"At Lagunillas lake now covers the
site of the town, which sunk out oi
sight. As this town was in valley be-
t cen two mountains, some Of the many
lakes in the vicinity may have over
whelmed 1t or an entirely new lake may
have been formed.'
Mr.. Nowood said be was in Maracalbc
in the Hotel America, structure two
stories bigh, at 9:45 p. N. On April 2o
when the first shock came, and Sas pre-
pairing to sail on the steamship Merida
the next day. When the shock came,
be though. il was a disturbance in the
street, but when other shocks followed,
be knew there was an earthquake, anc
be noted the time. The trembling OF
the earth lasted for about two minutes,
but the severe shocks only about min.
ute. The shocks negan with undulations
and ended with an oscilatiug movement
''After the disturbance ceased" be
said, "I found several cracks IN the wal!
of my room, one Of them big enough tc
put my arm through"
Mr.. Norwood said that only one house
in Maracaibo fell, and that nobody was
killed there, as far as be knew. He
doubts the story that $50 soldiers were
swallowed up at Merida.
Charles P1lgar, a young Venezuelan
who arrived on the same steamer, said
the military barracks at Merida were
destroyed, resulting in the instant death
of $50 soldiers.
Dispatches from Caracas, the capital
of Venezuela, dated May 9. report the
earthquake OF April % to haye been the
severest since the great earthquake o1
1912, on Holy Thursday, when the en-
tire city was destroyed and over 10000
people perished. 1t ls impossible to es'
innate the amount Of property destroyed
by the resent earthquake or the number
of lives lost. Ruin and desolation have
spread over the entire Western section
of Venezuela, and suffering is intense,
especially in. the State Of Los Audes
Gen. Antonio Fernandez. Governor o.
the State, has notified President CrespC
that Merida, the capital ofthe State, was
totally destroyed,
Later dispatches report that the towns
of San Juan and Chiquara were also to-
tally destroyed, and Jabay, Macurata
Timotes and Truiillo also suffered seve
rely. Acting Minister Bartleman has
cabled to Secretary of Safe Gresham
that any assistance rendered by this
country would be appreciated in Vene
zuels. Already large sum of money
has been subscribed for the relief of The
distressed by people in paris of Vene
zuela not visited by the earthquake.