The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-22

OF wood, with fiat roofs and low CHM
neys, on account of the earthquakes Inc
cathedral OF stone has bu'ti essed base
ment for safety, which gives # pyra-
nidal appearance. The corner stones,
roofs and beams are mortsed, the houses
are built i'm solid blocks and oft "a girded
across the street II an architect were 10
put up tall chimney Keystone aIch,
or dig "A vault under a house, he would
probably be mohbed A simple wooden
Intel to doors is all that is permitted.
In the houses a bed is always put IN
the middle Of the floor. never near wall.
door or window. and when a slight trem-
bling Is felt the whole population thrones
the spacious plazas. Every house has an
earthquake ben, hung from 7 frame
I'm the ceiling The lightly hung bell re-
sponds to the most delicate vibration, the
lateral push, like q tidal wave. When the
bells ring violently the inhabitants rush
20 the streets, fan on their knees ana
cry, "Dios, ten piedad.' and God Is gem
orally merciful, for there are scarcely
as many deaths caused by falling walls
IN year as there are by the trolley ana
surface roads in Chicago.
Yet there Is scarcely a house in Caracas
that has not been rebuilt at least half
dozen times, and the city is gradually
moving eastward toward the junction OF
the Catucho river. with the La Guayfa,
where 10 is comparatively safe. Even as
II IS some streets are immune, the san
Martin district particularly so. 'cca-
sionallv a house stands for a generation,
while those around St topple and are re-
built and have blood on the hearth
stones
Under these circumstances the rear es-
tate business IS q lively one, and certain
favored spots bring fabulous prices ana
rents. There are on the average sixty
"tremblings" in n year, and six de-
structive shocks i'm a century. Three
times in three hundred years has the city
been destroyed and the repairs are est-
mated at a cost Of $4,000 annually
Yet the people go on in an easy, pro-
sperous way They have the opera, rail-
roads. electric cars and lights, wine AMI
cards and old SPANISH feuds thar sur
vive despotism. They swear by Bolivar
they put him on their notes and stamps;
their standard Of value is coin worth
% cents. and they call il a bolivare. They
have twenty statues Of him in the city,
they paint medallion portraits of him on
their pink and blue and yellow houses
fronting the plazas. lie is a legend, an
alIegory, and some of the stories of him
are mixed no with those Of Washington,
whom they almost defy. II is TO he
doubted if any city i'm the United states
honors the father Of our country as does
Caracas. His name recurs in statue, tad
let. painting. street. plaza, park.
Meantime the citizens watch the seismic
signs: Low water not preceded by a
drought-the devil drinks. they say pie
turesquey-a mist ia the afternoon, a
haze on the wooded heights OF San Sebas-
tan. unusual waves on the ocean when
there is little wind. and low water IN
Cura spring. They listen for the little
bell. watch the British ships i'm the har-
Sor. and say they could do without En-
elish calico better than England could
do without coffee and sugar and copper
and gold And they watch Crespo won
dering what he viii do ext, ready with
their pistols and knives 20 march to the
front with him 10000 strong where they
are well aware he had rather be IMAM IN
the "yellow house"
TO one who has been there N looks not
unlikely that the ultimatum may come
from Venezuela This would be good
time while England Il busy In the Medi-
terranean and watching Russian en-
crolchments in Asia.-Chicago Times
Herald.