A DESTRUCTIVE EARTHQUAKE.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 152, 3 September 1880, Page 3

A DESTRUCTIVE EARTHQUAKE.

It will he seen from our cable messages that Manilla, the beautiful capital of the Philippine Islands, has again been laid in ruins by a most destructive earthquake. This is the third shock, we believe, which lias occurred during the last two or three months, and now, we are told, the destruction of the place is completed. Manilla was a magnificent city, of about a quarter of a million inhabitants (including the suburbs), and possessed many fine public buildings. About 20,< Opersonswere engaged in the to baecomanufactories alone —Manilla cheroots being famous all over the world. The site of the city is most picturesque, placed as it is, on the beautiful by which bears its name and surrounded on all. sides hay the most luxuriant tropical flowers and vegetation. Manilla, however, has always been subject to visitations of this kind. A frightfully destructive earthquake took place in ISO 3, throwing down the cathedral (built in 1702) all the churches, save one together with the palace of the Spanish Viceroy, the British Consulate, and a large number of other buildings. The full number of victims who perished on that occasion was never accurately ascertained, hut it is known that £t least 2000 lost their lives. The fearful catastrophe as may be imagined, almost ruined the city. Latterly it had begun to recover from the dreadful blow, and now as the inhabitants were hoping to see their beautiful city again prosperous and flourishing, this further calamity has occured, and probably will have the affect of completely crushing the commerce of the city—at any rate for a long time to come. We, m New Zealand, when we feel the slight tremblements tie ter re, to which ave are occasionally subjected, may well feel profoundly thankful that we are spared such frightful convulsions as that which has just converted the populous city of Manilla into a howling wilderness of ruins and devasntatio. — Punt.