The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-08-18


| to ships from strong winds and great
| damage is done to vessels during
| storms. On June 2, 1903, severe storm
] did much damage, destroyed the mole
| along the waterfront. "On an average
| of every seven years." adds the Amer
| lean, "some terrible disaster occurs
| there, resulting in great loss of life"
The form of the city is determined
| by that of the shore-line. A long quay
skirting the curved beach presents a
frontage to three parallel thorough
fares, which fill the whole space be-
1ween the sea and the foot of the hill,
and which are intersected at intervals
by transverse streets. The two rows
of houses lying nearest to the road
stead stand on level ground which has
been widened several hundred yards,
either by the effects of an earthquake,
or by matter washed in by the waves
Continuous lines of suburbs climbing
up the slopes are connected with the
low-Iying quarters by means of lifts.
Being entirely devoted to trade, VAL
paraiso has scarcely any noteworthy
monuments, but possesses large ar
senals and workshops. The fashion
able quarter is Vinu de Mar, where are
situated the bathing establishments,
hotels and suburban villas.
LAND OF EARTHQUAKES
Chill, like other South American re-
publics, is subject to earthquake shocks
of terrific violence, and the loss of life
there is appalling at times. There is
no country on the surface of the globe
more subject to earthquakes than South
America, especially on its western
coast at the base of those gigantic
mountains which extend through the
country from north to south. Peru
has especially been visited, and Ecua-
dor almost as much, while Chill has
felt them with more or less violence.
In Peru on the night of October %,
1746, while the churches in Lima were
celebrating with great pomp and zeal, |
the city of Lima was almost wiped out
of existence, and in 112 days Lima |
alone experienced no less than 430
shocks. And then. to add to the hor-
ror, the ocean burst its bounds and |
rushed inward.
In the district of africa, Chill, at the
of the main axes of the !,
Peruvian and Gillian Andes, frequent
vibrations of the ground are caused by
the subterranean disturbances. Oc-
casionally the shocks are extremely
violent, and the town of africa which
was destroyed in 1905 suffered much in
the middle of the 18th century. The
of 1868 and 1877 We're still
more disastrous, because africa had
become fourishing trading place.
The chief danger, however. comes from
the sea. which first retires, leaving the
shipping stranded on the beach, and
then returns in prodigious wave, roll
ing in with irresistible force and sweep
ing away all obstacles In the earth
quake of August 16 1863 a United
States man-of-war, the Wateree, was
torn from its mornings and hurled to
distance of over mile inland. In 1877
another wave bore the ship back to
within half mile of the sea. without
drowning the numerous families that
had taken up their abode in the hull.
HONOLULU AND VALPARAISO.
In some ways the history of Homo
lulu and Valparaiso are closely linked
In the early 40's the Catholic ProvencalI
Of Chill and Hawaii was vested in the
authority at Valparaiso,
and continued for many years. 1t was
n Valparaiso that Bishop Maigret, the
first Catholic Bishop of Hawaii was
before sailing for Homo
ulu.
In the steeple of the Roman Catholic
Cathedral on Fort street is clock and
chimes with a history. They were
originally in the steeple of the cathe-
1ral at Valparaiso A clock and chimes
had been ordered from France for the
Honolulu church. On arrival at Val
9araiso from which place they were TO
De reshipped, the Honolulu clock was
ound to be SO much larger and better
han Valparaisos old one, that the
ecclesiastical authority there decided
o make a change. The clock and
chimes We're taken from the Valparaiso
;teeple and the ones for Honolulu in
stalled instead and the old ones ship
oed to Honolulu.
Bishop Libert and Father Vaientin
state that the largest college OF their
rider is in Valparaiso.
APT. DOWDELL'S EXPERIENCE.
Captain Dowdell. commander of the
Oceanic S. s. Alameda which arrived ,
rom San Francisco yesterday morning
vas at Valparaiso four days after the
shock OF August Is. 1868.
I then had the ship Wisconsin and
old her in Valparaiso he said. Then
took passage on steamer for San
Francisco We stopped at africa which