THE FEARFUL EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 504, 22 August 1871, Page 2

THE FEARFUL EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA.

20,000 SQtTAEE MIXES OF COUNTETDEVASTiTED.

2298 lives lost.

The American Minister in China, General Lowe, has forwarded to the Secretary of Statiat Washington the following account of n fearful earthquake which occurred _in the Bathaug, in the province of Szcliueri.'on tin11th April, which he has had-translated from the report of the Chinese Gov^Pnor-iießera) tot"'the province in which it occurred :— " General Lowe sayß that Bathang lies on v very elevated spot beyond the province, about 200 miles west of Li-Tang, and about thirtj post stations from the district:town 0 f Tatsein, on the high road to Thibot. About eleven o'clock on the morning of the 111 th April the earth at Bathang trembled so violently that the Government offices, temples, granaries, stone houses, store-houses,: and fortifications, with all the common dwellings and the temple of Ting lin were at • once overthrown and ruined; the only exception was the hall in the temple's grounds called Ta-Chao whioh stood unharmed in jits isolation. A few of the troops and" people escaped, but most of the inmates were crushed and killed under the falling timber and stone. Flames also suddenly burst out in four places, which strong winds drove about until the heavens were darkened with the smoke, and their roaring was mingled with the lamentations of. distressed-people. Oh the; 16th the flames were beaten down, but the rumbling noises were still heard underground like distant thunder, as tho J earth rocked and rolled like a ship.in a storm. The multiplied miseries of the afflioted inhabitants were increased by a thousand fears, but in about ten days matters began to grow quiet and the motion of the earth to cease. Tie grain collector at Bathang says that for several days' before the earthquake the water had overflowed the dykes, but alter that the earth cracked in many places; and black foetid water spurted out iv a furious manner. 1 one poked the earth the spurting instantly followed, just as in the case with the salt wells and fire wells in the> eastern part of the province; and this explains how it happened that fire followed the earthquake in Bathang. As nearly as can be ascertained there were destroyed two large temples, the offioes of the collector of grain tax, the local magistrates' offices, the colonels' offices, the Ting-lin temple, and nearly 700 fathoms of wall arouud.it, and 351 rooms, besides 1849 rooms and houses of the common people. The number of people killed by the crash, including .the soldiers, was 2298, among whom were the local magistrate aud hii second in office. The earthquake extended from Bathang eastward to Pang Ohahemuth, westward to Nan-Tun, on the south to Lintsah'r shih, apd, on. the north to the salt wells of Atimtoz, a circuit of over 400 'miles. It occurred simultaneously over the whole of this region. In some places steep hills split and sunk into deep chasms, in others mounds on level plains became precipitous cliffs and the roads and highways were rendered impassable by obstructions.^ The people were beggared and scattered like autumn leaves, and this calamity to the people of Batlmng and the vicinity is renlly one of the most distressing and destructive that; has ever occurred in China." - ''- --'*• * A. .