THE EARTHQUAKE WAVE IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 409, 21 November 1868, Page 5

THE EARTHQUAKE WAVE IN SOUTH AMERICA.

A correspondent of a Panama paper who had visited the country devastated by the great earthquake gives the following description of the waves which followed : In Arica tho poor people had hardly recovered from their fright, when they saw the water in the bay rise higher than usual, which put them into a new alarm, and everybody who could, fled to the adjacent hills to save their lives. The water rose about eight feet above high water and then receded about one mile, leaving the whole bay dry. The receding water, however, had such strength as to draw the anchors of the American ships-of-war Wateree, the America, and English barque Cyren and several other vessels. The wave returning carried everything before it, and reached half way into the town, taking with it the wounded and dead. During the nights of the 13th and 14th there must have been a terrible state of affairs in the town. The mob were drinking all night, and of course robbing all who fell into their hands. The whole town was completely strewn over with empty bottles. Four heavy pieces of ordnance were washed by the second wave from the fort, which is on an island in the bay, aud one was "carried about If miles. One large guncarriage is in the middle of the ruins. The water rose 5G feet above water inai'k. In this way the wave came and returned three times; the second wave was, however, the heaviest. This set the Wateree 450 feet from shore, high and dry, the third one brought the America on shore, the hulks of the English barque and the brig were placed about one hundred .yards from the beach dry ; the American steamship Fredonia was too fast anchored to have her anchors drawn, and after the sea had calmed again nothing could be seen of her, or of two other sailing vessels. The number of lives lost in the ships are as follows : Steamer America 185 men (others say 85) ; Wateree 1; Fredonia 27 ; English bark, 8 ; other vessels not known. How many inhabitants were lost here cannot be stated, as many left the place immediately after the catastrophe. Borne estimate the loss, including that of the ships, to be 800. In Iquique the shoek lasted about six minutes, and the water rose 60 feet. The greater part of the town is destroyed, including all the business houses. Some houses were carried a distance of three or four blocks into the town and landed in the streets. The number of live.* lost is estimated at 200. Ariquipa, at the foot of the Volcano Miste, was nearly destroyed. The number of lives lost is said to be 3000: In Callao and Lima, the damage was very trifling. Quito and six other towns in Ecuador were destroyed. Quito was not entirely swallowed up, but the loss of lives is said to be 30,000.