FURTHER DETAILS. THE DEVASTATION IN GREECE.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 174, 16 October 1886, Page 5 (Supplement)

FURTHER DETAILS. THE DEVASTATION IN GREECE.

During the past week terrible earthquakes have occurred in Greece and the United States. They are among the most extenBive on record. The shock in Greece took place just before midnight on Friday. Among the chief sufferers were the lonian Islands, on the west coast of the Peloponnesus. On the mainland, Fhiliatra, Pyrgos, Gargaline, Coronie, and other towns were laid in ruins, attended by considerable loss of \\ite. For 15 seconds the whole island ot Zante shook to its base, but although no single dwelling escaped damage, no lives were sacrificed. From the scanty details at present to hand of the extent of the damage on the other islands, it ie estimated that fully 300 persons have perished, while the damage to property amounted to several million drahmaß, the loss in the province of Elis alone being two millions, and at Fhiliatra ten millions. The shocks extended far beyond the boundaries of Greece. At .Naples, Malta, and Alexandria they were distinct, but no serious mischief was done, At peveral towns on the south-west coast of Italy the terrified inhabitants fled into the fields to avoid the danger of the falling houses. Four days later several sharp shocks were felt at Smyrna, but no damage was done. The earthquake did not come without warning. Extraordinary atmospherical disturbances, excessive heat, dead calms, and unusually high tides had been observed for several days previously.

Tbe Scenes in America, t At Washington, Richmond, Atlanta, Augusta, Louisville, Indianopolis, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Chicago, Memphis, and most of the New England States, the shock was a minute in duration, and was noioeless. In Charleston, when the shock was felt, the inhabitants, in a state of frenzy, rushed into thestreets, many beingonly partially clothed. Cries rent the air from those hurt by the falling structuies, from some who realised that in a moment death bad invaded their homes; and again from others who screamed through fright. The negro population vi ere especially very hysterical, and were unable to afford any assistance to the more self possessed of the white people. Amid the confusion that followed immediately upon the earthquake, five fireß broke out, and raged until 20 buildings were destroyed. Although the houses were blazing simultaneously in several quarters of the city, none but the firemen paid the slightest regard to them. Everybody eeemed absorbed in noting the vibrations of the earth, which were repeated at intervals, and in listening to the fearful subterranean eounds like the groaning of some imprisoned monster. These rivetted the attention of the population, to the. utter disregard of everything else. Up to noon on Wednesday there had been about a dozen shocks, but none of the later ones were equal to the first. i;

Excitement in Charleston. The editor of a Charleston paper gives the following account of the scene in the street? when the first shock was felt :— " On every aide there arose shrieks and cries of pain, fears, prayers, the wailioga of terrified women and children commingled witlj the hoarse shouts of excited men out in' the streets. The air was filled to f the height of the houses with a whiniah cloud of dry Btifling dust from the lime and mortar, and the chattered masonry which wa<? falling upon the pavement had been reduced to powder. Through this cloud, which was dense a<? a fog, the gaslights flickered dimly, shedding but little light, so that you stumbled at every step over piles of brickwork, or became entangled in linea of telegraph wires, which depended in every direction from the broken supports. On every side were seen hurry * ing the forma of men and women, bareheaded, partly dreaeed, some almoat nude, •and crazed with tear and excitement." Telegraphing on Thursday, the correspondent said : " The earthquake has caused a total ceseation of business, the only places open being the drug stores, which supplied help fdr'the injured, and pome grocery stores. The people were qf raid to re-enter their houses, rind hence they were becoming famished. Not a hundred houses were inhabited, and there were not half a dozen •tents in the city. Shelters were improvised with sheets and awnings. Fortunately the weather was good, and consequently the streets and parks contained the entire population, among whom <£he negroes were conepiououq, huddled 'together in abject and help ess terror,' pfayjtag and singing bymn«. Here and' there dead bodies were 'seen.-, ThS vftcctot'* 1 number 6f casunknown. iJ It is believed' that atfbut '30 are 'ki)lbd'°*and ' 100 * injured. ' r The damage to ' property is fivcf'-floU^on dollars. , Ih f /other 'par tß ' of ' thS 1 ftpijntry 'some ' surprising phenomena

themselves.- Geysers sprang ,.up Buddenlp in Atlanta, Georgia. In Lawrence County some volcanic eruption* took place. I ."' At, Belloplain, lowa, an-artesian well was ink progress of construction, and from it there Kuahed, without preliminary warning, torrents utterly beyond control. Sacks of Bandthrown in were toseed ;up like corks by a, solid etreatn of mineral water, the diameter of an ordinary barrel, wbich epouted into the air lumps of coal, pyrites, and stoneft* Reports from other parta . of the Southern States chow that ehocke were felt, but no casualtiee have occurred there, and th© amountof damage done is small."