The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-12
RECORD OF CATACLYSMS.
LIST OF SOME OF THE MOST APP
FALLING IN HISTORY.

the Days of POmpeii to the Present
Time.
By comparing the figures in the fol-
lowing with the latest reports of the
disaster in Martinique, which is cal
culated to have cost 10000 lives, 1t
will be seen that this latest catastrophe
has taken a place among the world S
great calamities which were due 10
natural causes. From the burial of
Pompeii and Herculaneum to the pre-
sent time there have been only two
similar events which were attended by
greater loss of life. 1t has never been
learned how many persons persisted
during the eruption of Vesuvius.
Quesaltenango, and other cities in
Guatemala. April 10 100000 kill
led by earthquake.
Chilpancingo, Mexico. January Is. 1902
300 dead earthquake.
Shamaka, Russian Transcaucasia.
February 10000 killed; earth
quake.
Erzeroum, Armenia, November u,
1901-22 killed; earthquake.
Mt. Koelet. Java. May l90l-About 200
killed; volcanic eruption.
Mt. Azuma, Japan, July. 100000 kill
led or injured; volcanic eruption.
Island of Dram, East Indies, October
10. 1S99-4 900 killed; earthquake.
Adm, Asia Minor. September 90 1893
300 killed; earthquake.
Venezuela. April "a. ls94-3,000 killed;
earthquake.
Southern Greece. April. 1s94-1,0OO Kill
led; earthquake.
Island of Hondu. Japan, October, 1891
10000 killed; earthquake.
Charleston. S. c.. August and Septem-
Der, 1SS6-3S killed; earthquakes.
Mauna Loa, Hawaii 1SS0-79 killed;
earthquake.
Isle of Isehia. 1SS3-2,0OO killed; earth
quake.
Krakatoa, Strait of Sunda, May to Au-
gust, 1885, $50 killed; volcanic
eruption.
Djokjokarta, Java, 1s67-1.OOO killed;
earthquake.
Island of Martinique, 1S67-1,6O0 dead;
earthquake.
Calabria. Italy, 1S57-10000 killed;
earthquake.
Fort Royal, Martinique, 1sSO-70O dead;
earthquake.
Mt Garon, Island of st. Vincent, 1872
10000 killed; volcanic eruption.
Canton, China, May "a, 1S30--6,0 900 Kill
led earthquake.
Mt. Taal, Luzon, 1S14-15, 900 killed:
volcanic eruption.
Lisbon, Portugal. 175S-6OO0 killed;
earthquake
Kuehan, North Persia, 1755-40,OO Kill
led; earthquake.
Canton, China, November 80, 1731-10O.-
900 killed; earthquake.
Palermo. Sicily, 1726-6,OOO killed;
earthouakes
Calicia, Poland, 12S8-2O,OOO killed.
earthquake.
Syria, 115S-2O,OOO killed; earthquake.
Catania, Sicily. 1137--15,00O killed;
earthquake.
Constantinople. 557-Thousands killed;
earthquake.
Pompeii and Herculaneum, A. D. 10
1000 to 5000 killed; volcanic erup-
ton.
one of the most destructive of recent
calamities produced by the forces of
nature was the Galveston hurricane
and flood, Sept. 8. 1900, in which 5000
persons persisted and $50, 900 900 damage
was done to property.
Some other flood disasters are as
follows:
bort, Holland. April II, 1921, 100. 900
victims. This was an inundation by the
sea Seventy-two villages were de-
Canton, China. October. 1888, 10000
victims.
Toulouse, France, June, 1875, 1000
victims
Murcia, Spain, Oct. 1s, 1879, 1000
victims.
Johnstown, Pa, May 81, 1889, 2,142
victims.
History exhibits few catastrophes
more terrible than that which was
caused nv the ~ H.
on Nov. /. 1755, leveled the city of Lis
bon to the dust. On other occasions.
such as that of a siege, a famine or a
plague, calamity approaches by de-
grees, giving it's victims time to meas
ure its growth and preparing them, as
1t were, to sustain an increasing
weight of misery; but here destruction
fell upon the devoted city with the
rapidly of flash of lightning A
bright sun shone over Lisbon on that
fatal morning. The weather was as
mild and beautiful as on a fine sum-
mer's day in America. when. about
forty minutes past in the morning, an
earthquake shock, followed almost i'm
mediately by another and another.
brought down converts, churches, pal
aces and houses in one common ruin
and at very moderate computation
occasioned the loss of $4,000 lives THE
shocking sight of the dead bodies"
says an eyewitness of the scene, to
gether with the shrieks and cries of
those who were half buried in the
ruins, exceeds all description; for the
fear and CONSERVATION were so great
that the most resolute person burst
not stay a moment to remove a few
stones off the friend he loved most.
though many might have been saved
by so doing; but nothing was thought
of but self preservation"
Many of those who were not crushed
OF disabled by the falling buildings fed
TO the Tagus ,vainly hoping that thew
might find there the safety which they
had lost on land. For, soon after the
shock, the sea also came rushing in
like torrent though against wind and
tide, and rising in an enormous wave
overlooked its banks. devouring all 1t
met on its destructive path. Many
large vessels sank at once; others, torn
from their anchors disappeared in the
vortex, or, striking against each other.
We're shattered to pieces. A fine new
stone quay, where about 5000 persons
had assembled for safety, slipped into
the river, and every one was lost nor
did so much as a single body appear
afterward.
Had the misery ended here it might
in some degree have admitted of re-
dress, for, though lives could not be re-
stored, yet great part of the immense
riches that were in the ruins might
have been recovered: but a new calam-
ity soon put an end to such hopes for
in about two hours after the shock
fires broke out in three different parts
of the city, caused by the goods and
the kitchen fires being all jumbled to-