EARTHQUAKE IN GUATEMALA.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 69, 3 July 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

EARTHQUAKE IN GUATEMALA.

FOUR VILLAGES DESTROYED. The brisr Sunny Srmt.h, from San ■Tose de Gautemala, brings the following full particulars of the late earthquake, the notice of the occurrence of which we received by telegram some days since : — On the 18th of December, 1862, at half-past seven o'clock in the evening, heavy earthquake was felt all along the coast of Gautemala and Salvador. It lasted, according to observations made at the Jesuit's College, in Gautcmula, two minutes. The movement was a soft one, like the rolling of a ship, but it caused a considerable damage in al the villages near the coast. It is supposed that the earthquake was caused by the eruption of the volcano at Q,uereltenango, although the village that lies near it did not suffer very much. In Antigua, Amatillan, San Jose, and Escuintla, most of the houses are in ruins, but as they are built of mud, and only about One foot in the ground, it is not astonishing. All the churches in those places are destroy d, but, of the few brick buildings, none were greatly injured. On the road from the city of Guatemala to Salvador it was felt, but not very heavy ; onlycfld huts tumbled down, and parts of the churches. In San Jose, the ground was cracked to a considerable depth. Fortunately, it was low water at the time : if not, the only seaport of that republic would have been destroyed. y