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Show The (jlreut Furtti4uke and T id ut live I luiuense l)e-Htriicliou l)e-Htriicliou ol Litle uud i'rvit-erlj'. i'rvit-erlj'. New York, 11. By a Panama newspaper we have further details of the unparalleled destruction by the tidal wave and earthquake of the 9:h inst. on the South Pacific coast. A large number of towns were nearly destroyed and about GOO lives lost. The destruction at Patallon is estimated esti-mated at $0,000,009. Homo villages twenty-three leagues inland Were ruined. Tbe facilities employed lor ahipmeutol guano were Bwept away, so that the bu&iniea will have to be indefinitely suspended. Ihe coast railways were very badly injured, and tbe rolling stock swept away like sand. Iquique, which was built ol wood and cane, tumbled down at the first onset. The lamps were broken, and the burning oil spreading over the debris, started a genera) cjnflagra-lion. cjnflagra-lion. Three companies of firemen were instantly at their posts, although it was difficult to maintain an upright oosition. shock following shock with dreadful regularity. To procure water the two best fire eugiuta were stationed sta-tioned at tbe beach. Just then a cry arose, "The Seal the Sea!" aud tbe waves rushed in. Tho engines were carried out by tho reflux and tbe tire continued unopposed. Three elements of deBlrucliou were busy at one moment, mo-ment, fire, water and the earthquake. Tne affrighted people left the city to its fale, Hying to the neighborinK eminences. The firo destroyed a large portion of the town, the earthquake earth-quake levelled neaiiy all the rest, and the water covered the ruins, which it took out in its reflux. The suflerinys of the people of, Iquique were intense. Tbo absence ol water aud destruction of their principal sforit-s added to their hardships. hard-ships. Tho estimated damage douo in Iquique will amount to nearly $-1,000,01)0, At Cbanavagi tbo earth opened fifteen metres iu depth, and the whole surface of the ground changed. At least 200 poople were killed. The bndics were dilating in Uic o.iy ana n pestilence was feared. At hluanillas, a guain Umlin station, tho damage iullicted was fearful. fear-ful. The wave, which succeeded tin-earthquake tin-earthquake and completed the work of destruction, w.m nearly sixty five feet in height. Many vessels were lost here., together with several of these on board. At Mexillones the tidal wave was sixty-five feet in height. Two-thirds ol the town was completely oblitur-ated. oblitur-ated. At Tecapilla little or nothing remains re-mains of the town A mine caded Lapena Blanca, four miles to the southward, sank in, smothering in the ruins 200 workmen, of whom forty were Cornish miners. Cabija, the principal town on th? Bolivian coast, has lost three-fourtlifc of its houses. As soon as this lamentable intelligence intelli-gence reached Lima the government chartered a steamer, and organizing a relief commission, loaded the vessel with provisions, clothing, etc., together to-gether with 50.000 gallons of water, and dispatched her cm the lGth ior t.ie south. One hundred thousand soles in aiivar coin also formed part of her cargo, to be distributed between the unfortunates. A commission of engineers accompany accom-pany the expedition. It has been urged by the government to recommend recom-mend rebuilding the ruined toivua on sites, which may ufler greater security, more remote from tne shore, since this is tho second instauce of a similar simi-lar calamity on the positions actually occupied. Subscriptions are being made ip Lima and Caildo tor the relief of the distressed. Tho northern porta of Peru are damaged but little. |
