South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-17

nau hts of The Pacific fleet were
shaken by az earthquake of the
coast ~ MeXif0 recalls an amazine
incident in the annals of the Amcri-
can navy in which United States
man-of- war was carried on the crest
of "a tidal wave three miles up tho
coast two miles inland and set
down. entirely upharued. upon the
beach. within a hundred fee, OF the
Andes. says bulletin from the
Washington headquarters of the Ma
tiOna Geographic society
This thrilling incident is recount
ed in a communication 60 the society
by one Of the participants. Rear Ad-
miral T. 6. Billings. u. s. n. Re
tired. 10 follows
By Rear Admiral J.. 6. Billings,
4. 81.
Tn 1858 ] was attached 90 the T..
IS S "Wateree." then on duty i'm the
South Pacific -one of a class of
boats built az the close Of our Civil
war TO- ascend the narrow. tortuous
rivers Of the south; she was termed
a I'd bubble ender," having "a rudder
lat each end and was quite fat-bot-
tomed-a conformation which.
while il did not add 70 her sea
worthiness. enabled her 10 carry
large battery and crew. and even
tually saved our lives. i'm the catas-
trophe which was soon TO come up
on US
August 1868. found us quietly at
anchor off the pretty Peruvian town
of africa. whittier we had towed the
old United States store-ship Fred
onia" TO escape the ravages OF yell
low fever, then desOlating Callao
and Lima
There lurked the ever present
fear IN the native mind of another
for africa seemed d sort
of head center" for such seismic
disturbances. having been twice be-
fore destroyed, with great loss of
life.
While the anchorage at africa was
an open rOadstead of almost unlim-
tied extent il was partly protected
from the prevailing winds by Ala
Gran island, small and apparently a
lump of rock broken off from the
MORO by some prior CONFUSION. All
the merchantmen were clustered
rather closely under the lee of this
island, near the MORO, maybe a
quarter Of a mile from the usual
man Of-war anchorage, and about
the same distance from the shore.
The men-of-war anchored more
abreast of the town and possibly
half a mile distant.
IL was Aug s that the awful cal
amity came upon us, like a storm
from a cloudless sky, overwhelming
us all in one common ruin.
Startled by Shock.
was sitting in the cabin with
our commanding officer. about 4 p.
m. when we were startled BY a vio-
lent trembling of the ship. similar TO
the effect produced by letting go the
anchor. knowing il could rot be
that. we ran on deck. Looking
shoreward. our attention was in
stantly arrested by a great cloud of
dust rapidly approaching from the
southeast, while a terrible rumbling
grew IN intensity, and before our
astOnished eyes the hills seemed 10
nod. and the ground swayed like the
short. choppy waves of troubled
sea.
The cloud enveloped africa In
stantly through its impenetrable veil
arose cries for help, the crash of
falling houses, and the thousand
commineled noises of a great calam-
ity, while the ship was shaken as if
grasped by a giant hand; then the
cloud passed on.
As the dust slowly settled we rub
bed our eyes and looked again and
again, believing they must be play
ing us a trick: for where but n few
short moments before was a happy.
prosperous city. busy with life and
activity, we beheld but a mass of
shattered ruins, hardly a house left
standing; not one perfect. the streets
blocked with debris through which
struggled frantiCaIy the least
wounded of the unhappy wretches
imprisoned in the ruins of their once
happy homes; while >groans. cries,
and shrieks for help rent the air.
Prepared For Worst.
our prudent commander. how
ever gave the necessary orders 20
prepare for the worst. Additional
anchors were let go. matches batten-
ed down. guns secured, life lines
rove fore and aft, and for a few
moments ali was the orderly cOnfu-
sion OF well-disciplined man-of-