Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-08-24
t ashiugton $ tandara
OI.AwI'I WASH.
tn.hN MORNING. AUGUST d, 1905
The South American Horror

The South American Horror
Just a. our people had begun 10 re-
cir,! the >an Francisco disaster a. ont
IL tnn>c unusual occurrences that hap
pen at 30 long periods a. t. constitute
no special menace to the present gen
Grafton, or our chlldrens Children
another horror j. announced. that
may equal !! not excel the l"-~ 81 til,
chief city on The North American
Pacific Coast on the 18th oi April, by
earthquake and the lew days succeed
ing it by the most devastating con-
iagration of modern times.
The recent disaster is IN Chile,
South America, n long, narrow strip
Of country bordering on the Pacific
Ocean and extending from Peru to
Cape Horn. The length Of Chile is
given at 200 miles and its average
width at 100 miles. The mainland is
an inclined plain rapidly sinking from
the base OF the Andes range Of noun.
iains to the Pacific, billy and crowded
with spurs as the coast is approached.
Covering so many degrees of latitude
the country OF course presents a versa
tility of resources, largely in timber
and minerals. Dense forests OF valu-
able timber are common and nature
has been prodigal OF gold, silver, cop.
per, iron, tin and lead, and an abund-
ance OF coal gypsum, borax, sulphur,
karoline nitrates and other salts, clays
and minerals useful in arts and me-
chanical industries.
The main shock was felt on Thurs.
day OF last week, the 10th, and the
center OF the disturbance was in the
northern part OF this strip of country.
Santiago, the capital, and Valparaiso,
the principal com mercial port of the
South American Pacific, being princi-
pally affected, although the shocks
extended for hundreds OF miles along
the coast and considerable distance
inland.
Many OF the characteristics OF the
San Francisco calamity are noted in
the conflicting reports that come from
the scene of the recent disaster,
and apply to both the cities OF note in
volved, and as we'll will the experience
ofsmaller cities correspond with that Of
the outlying districts in California. II
WAS but few minutes after the shock
had FRUSTRATED hundreds of buildings
that the flames burst forth, and scar.
city of water and misguided efforts oil
q panic.stricken people, afforded but
little hindrance to their progress
The horror of the misfor tune, as in
San Francisco, did not stay the hand
Of rapine and plumber and it had to be
checked by the only remedy available
when Misfortune releases the british
Instincts of man and renders him in.
sane with the lust for plumber. That
was the last alternative, of death to the
marauders. Then Want made her
hideous presence felt and the ever.
vigilant, untiring angel of Charity
at once followed by her side dispensing
bounty with lavish hands.
Provision WAS at once made by the
home government for relief of i'm
mediate wants, but thanks to the
telegraph, it could not be much
antedated by subscriptions from this
and other countries, again demon
strating that the worlds akin and
further establishing a gratifying knowl-
edge OF the great brotherhood of man.
The experience OF Santiago and Val.
paraiso was substantially the same,
and each repetition of that of San
Francisco. There were, after the fret
tremor, . succession of shocks, mum.
bering several hundred, and extending
over wide scope of country. Scores
OF small towns and villages were
shattered and some of them entirely
ruined by the earthquake and ito
invariable attendant, fire. The esti-
mates OF loss OF life, range all the way
from five hundred to five thousand,
and Of the value Of property destroyed
from fifty millions to two hundred and
fifty millions OF dollars. It is probable
that the latter amount is the nearest
correct, for the first impulse of O
people, as Of an individual, is to make
the best possible showing of adverse
circumstances. The full extent Of
San Francisco's loss of life, il is now
we'll known, was never told, and it
doubtless will be true of our foreign
friends and will account to some
extent for conflicting statements.
That the less has been large natur
ally follows from the conditions that
existed. Santiago was city of nearly
if not quite 100000 inhabitants, and
Valparaiso had, according to the esti.
mate of last year, 1872 900 people. The
former city, the capital, was founded
in l514, and was located on q fertile
plain 1000 feet above the sea. Hel
public buildings were fine specimen.
of architecture, as was the University
buildings and other educational ant
religious edifces. Its Alameda, OF
principal avenue, was 100 yards wide
and two miles long. Valparaiso wal
solidly built, and from the fact of be
ing situate in an earthquake country
extra labor and cost for material wa
expended in making all buildings mas