The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-29

mount Inns portends All earthquake. 1t
Ia beautiful CITY Of Spanish-Amsri-
+; Can character, tut with broad boul'-
wards and spacious plazas, where there
10 always a statue OF Bolivar or Wash.
ington.
, The houses are Of one story and
| built of wood, with fl It roofs and low
| chmneys, on acoouut Of vhe eartn-
| quakes. The cathedral of stone has d
Uuitressed basement for safety, whicr
gives it pyramidal appearance. The
| corner stones, roofs AMI beams are
| mortised, tbs houses are built in SOLID
! locks and often Rirded across the
| stree t. Ii an architect we're 10 put up
tall chimney, Keystone arch, or Dig
! a vault und r a house, he would prob
ably be mobbed. A simple wooden
Intel to doors is all that is permit, d.
In the houses bed is always put III
the middle OF the floor, never near
wall, door or window, and when slight
embling is felt the whole population
thronss the spaci MS pl-zts. Every
honse has an earthquake bell, hung
from L frame in the ceiling. The
lightly hung bell responds to the most
delicate vibration, the lateral push,
like tidal wave. When the bells ring
violently the inhabitants rush to he
streets, fall on their knees and cry,
"Dios, ten piedad!" and God is gener-
ally merclful, for there are scarcely AS
year as there are by the trolley and
surface roads in Chicago.
Yet there is scarcely house in Cara
cas- that has not been rebuilt at least a
half DOZEN times, and the city is grad u
ally moving eastward toward the juno
ton of the CA'ucho river with the La
Guayra, where it 10 comparatively safe.
Even rs it is, some streets are immune,
the San Martin district particularly so.
Occasionally hOus, stands for gem
GRAFTON, and those around it topple and
are re built and have blood on the
hearthstones.
Under these circumstances the real
is estate business is lively one, and GER
J. tain favored spots bring fabulous prices
Y nd rents. There are on the average
xty "tremblinRs" in year, and Six
?, ostruc,ive shocks in century. Three
d lies in 300 years has the city been de-
70 s'lyed, and the repsirs re estimated
n at a,ost of $4,000 annually.
u " the people go on in an easy, pros
IS psros way. They have the opera
J. railrods, electric cars and lights. wine
n ana cads and old Spanish feuds that
l. survive despotism. They swear by
r bollvar;they put him on their notes
d and stau,s; their standard of value il
o coin woth 20 cents, and they call il
g. bolivare. They have twenty statues
g OF him in tie city; they paint medal
9 lion PORTALS of him on their pink anC
/ blue and yellow houses fronting tht
y p'azas. He liza legend, an allegory
he At1 ~ n urr
It mixet up with those OF Washington
y whom they aluost defy. 1t is to b.
d. u5ted il any city in the United
Q % honors the father of our coun
a try as does Caracas His name recur
r In statue, tablet, painting, street, plaza
n park.
d Meantime the citizens watch tn
y seismic signs: Low water not preceded
" by G-Ought-the devil drinks, the
70 say icturesquely-s mist in the after
Il noon, haZe,on the wooded heights O
l. San Sebastian unusual waves on tn
d ocean when there is, little wind, an
d low water in Cura spring. They liste
d for the little bell, watch the BIRTHS
g ships in the har Dor, and say Lhey coul
Q do without E iglish calico bet;ar tina
l. England could do without coffee. AL
It sugar and copper and gold. And the
q watch Crespo, wondering what no WI
do next, ready with their pistols All
!, knives to march to The front with hin
+, 300 900 strong, where they are we
a aware he had rather be than in th
Q "yellow house."
o To ore who has been there it look
It not unlikely tina. the ul,imatum ma
?, come from Venezuela. This would b
q good time while England is busy /
. the Mediterranean and Watching Ru.
e elan tnr roachments in Asia