The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-16
nAl-0F.NAR TOSSED
ABOUT BY EARTHQUAKE

Warrington. p. c., Aug. 14.--.Dis-
patches stating that six dreAdnaughts
Of the Pacific neet were shaken by an
earthquake of the COST Of Mexico re-
calls an amazing incident in the annals
Of the American navy Ia which Z
United states man-of-war was carried
on the crest OF tidal wave three miles
up the coaAt, two miles inland, and Get
down, entirely unharmed. upon the
Andes" says a bulletin from the
Washington headquarters OF the Ma
tional Geographic society.
This thrilling incident IL recounted
In q communication to the society by
one Of the participants, Rear Admiral
L. G. Billings. U. s. N, retired, as fol-
lows:
In 1853 was attached to the u.
s. s. 'wateree.' then on duty in the
South Pacihc---one Of a class of boats
built at the close Of our Civil War to
ascend the narrow. tortuous rivers OF
the South: she was termed double
ender.' having a rudder at each end,
and was quite nat-bottomed-a con-
formation which. while 1t cid not add
to her eeAworthiness. enabled her to
carry a large battery and crew. and
eventually saved our lives, in the cat
astrophe which was soon to come
upon us.
August. 1868, found us quietly at
anchor OF the pretty Peruvian town
OF africa. whittier we had towed the
old United States store-ship 'Fredonia'
to escape the ravages Of yellow fever.
then desolating Callao and Lima.
There lurked the ever-present fear
In the native mind Of another earth
quake, for Africa seemed sort of
head center for such seismic disturb
ances having been twice before de-
stroyed. with great loss of life.
While the anchorage at africa was
an open roadstead OF almost unlimited
extent it was partly protected from
the prevailing winds by Alacran Is
land. small and apparently lump of
rock broken of from the Moro by
some prior CONFUSION. All the mer-
chantmen were clustered rather close
ly under the lee Of this island. near
the Moro. maybe q quarter of mile
from 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
mile distant
1T was August that the awful ca
lamity came upon us. like storm
from a cloudless sky. overwhelming
us all in one common ruin
Il was sitting in the cabin with our
commanding officer. about p. M,
when we were startled by a violent
trembling OF the ship, similar to the
anchor Knowing it could not be that.
we ran on deck. Looking shoreward.
our attention was instantly arrested
by a great cloud Of dust rapidly ap-
preaching 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 impene,rahle veil
arose cries for help. the crash of fall
ing houses, and the thousand COM
mingled noise of great calamity.
while the ship was shaken as II
grasped by giant hand; then the
cloud passed on
las the dust slowly settled We rub
bed our eyes and looked again and
again believing they must be playing
US = trick: for where but few short
moments before was a happy. pros
porous city, busy with lie and activ-
Iity we beheld but a mass o! shattered
dlHS% HAIdiy a mousse lct& SidnQt1ks Tot
one perfect. the streets blocked with
debris through which struggled fran
itically the least wounded Of the un-
happy wretches imprisoned in the
ruins of their once happy homes.
while groans. cries, and shrieks for
help rent the air.
Our prudent commander, however,
gave the necessary orders 10 prepare
for the worst. Additional anchors
were let go. matches bat,ened down.
guns secured, life lines rove fore ami
aft. and for a few moments all was
lthe orderly confusion OF a well-discip-
lined man -of-war preparing for action.
Many hands made short work, and in
10 few moments we were prepared for
any emergency
We were startled by terrible noise
on shore. as of a tremendous roar of
musketry. lasting several minutes.
| Again the trembling earth waved to
and fro. and this time the sea re-
coded until the shipping was left
stranded. while as far to seward as
our vision could reach, we saw the
rocky bottom Of the sea- never before
exposed to human gaze. with strug-
Cling fish and monsters of the deep
left high and dry. The round-bot-
toned ships keeled over on their beam
ends while the 'Wateree' rested on
| aSI .HooT-iiAS DCttOIn, ana When the
returning sea. not like a wave but
rather an enormous tide. came sweep
ing back. rolling our unfortunate COM
| panion ships over and over, leaving
some bottom up and others masses
of wreckage, the 'Waterce' rose easily
over the tossing waters. unframed
| From this moment the sea seemed
to defy the laws Of nature. Currents
ran in contrary directions. and we
were borne here and there a speed we
could not have equaled had we been
steaming for our lives At irregular
intervals the earthquake shocks re-
Cured. but none Of them 30 violent
or long continued as the first.
The Peruvian man-ofwar 'Ameri-
ca, said to be the fastest ship in the
world at that time, had hastily got
ten up steam and attempted to get to
sea. She was wei. out when the re-
ceding water left her partly afioat and
broke her back. OF course destroying
] her engines. With her tunnels
still vomiting black smoke and
! apparently under full command OF
!, her people. she backed down toward
the helpless 'Fredonia,' which was
then rapidly setting In towa.si the
MORO, as il intending to help her.
| Lieutenant Commander Dyer,
commanding the 'Fredonia,' saw the
maneuver. and, thinking the America