Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1922-11-30
CHILE'S EARTH
QUAKE VICTIMS
"A Most Interesting Bulletin prepar-
ed and Issued By The National
Geographic Society at Washing
ton, D.. G.

Copiapo, Coquimbo, and Vallenar,
Chile, shaken by earthquake are de-
scribed in bulletin from the Wash
ington, D. C. headquarters of the
National Geographic Society as fol-
lows:
"Copiaco is Chile's most historic
town." says the bulletin, which is
based on communication to the So
ciety by Harriet Chalmers Adams.
civilian Wheelwright an Ameri-
can in 1851 built the first. railroad in
South America from the port ofCal-
dera, so miles inland to Copiapo. The
little stream which borders it, now
nearly dry, now in full flood was our
first oasis after crossing the parched
desert of Atacama. To travellers of
old as to US this strip of meadow
land was God given sight.
"To Copiapo in the fifteenth CEN
tury, marched the Incan Ruler, Tupac
Yupanqui, with his victorious army,
to subjugate the tribes of northern
Chile.
"The Inca's trail from Peru led
down the backbone of the snow clad
Andes and across the burning desert.
In 1886 Diego de Almagro, collea-
que of Pizzaro, travelled the same
road with great army of Spaniards
and Peruvians, horses and llamas, two
Incan princes acting as guides.
"Old Spanish chronicles tell Of the
terrible suffering from cold and thirst
endured by Almagro's men on the
six months march. The desert was
strewn with their bones. Alluring
were Copiapo's meadows to those who
survived!
"Amagro failed to subdue the SOU
thern natives and five years later
a Spanish army was again encamped
in Copiago, led this time by Pedro
de Valdivia, who kept on south to
found Santiago.
"In the halcyon days of '49 when
California's gold lured men round the
horn, Valparaiso became the great
mart of the Pacific coast supplying
-four and other commodities to the
California miners. My pioneer gran
father used to tell me Of those ev-
entful days. When he was in Chile
in the early fifties Copiapo was an
important town, sharing the Euro
pean opera season with Santiago and
Valparaiso.
"Wheelwright's dream was Of 8
transcontinental railway across the
Andes to Tinogasta, in Argentina
and on to the Atlantic, but the road
never got far beyond Copiago.
"This great American also gave
Chile it's telegraphic system and aftel
failing to interest American capita
in a steamship line between Valpar
also and New York, turned to Eng
land and inaugurated in the earl!
sixties the first steamer service be
tween the west coast and Europe.
"In 1882 a donkey driver, Jual
Godoy discovered silver deposit a
Copiapo and put the long-neglecte'
town on the map.
"Godoy's story reads like roman
ce. Tired of loading his train o
donkeys with scanty brushwood fo
town customers, he started acros
the pampa to hunt the rowing qua
naco. Sitting on a rock to rest h
discovered that his seat was of si
yer. Returning home with specimen
he shared the knowledge of his dis
covery with an educated acquair
tance who aided the ignorant ma
to make the most of his find. Goo
oy became the Silver King of ths
period.
It was hard for us to visualize c.
piapo's past splendor in the forlor
little town that we found. Half tt
buildings were still in ruins, after tt
disastrous earthquake Of the prev
Gus year. The hotel, kept by a sal
faced Englishman had decided til
Doors and windows were jammed ar
window panes missing. Our host
pologized for candle-light, saying tt
gas pipes were still out of commissic
The stone bath tub reached by ric
ETY. flight of steps, had a somewh
tipsy appearance.
"But the Copiapinos have not 10
courage. More than once earthqu
kes have completely demolished Il
town. In this land where the e
treme infrequence Of showers is
hardship, they have come to belle
that earthquakes are forerunners
much-needed rain. Between quak
they look to the east, watching +
a heavy fall Of snow in the And'
Then the rivers run full and t
fields smile.
"From Copiapo trail across t
desert leads to the mountains,
sterile, gaunt and forbidding;
there is a majesty in the Ande
contour. From our bleak upla
camp at the sunset hour the COLOR
Of slopes and crags was gorgeous
yond adjectives to describe. RI
deepened to rose; rose to terra co
terra Gotta to purple. Then es
\ towering peak became a sentl
guarding a mysterious Promised LIZ