Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1875 — The South American Earthquake. [ARTICLE]

The South American Earthquake.

On the morning ofthe 28th insto this . community was startled by the appalling news of the entire destruction by an earthquake of tlie city of Ban Jose ue Cucuta, in Colombia, oh the 18th Inst., at 11:30 a. m. The first shock, accompanied by loud subterranean detonations, leveled every’ wall in the city and buried under its ruins in that single instant of time some 8,000 human beings, out of a population of 10,000 souls, and ofdwwj then spared many have since died of their injuries, and others remain seriously affected in mind. The account given by the unhappy beings, who have fled the doomed, spot and are daily arriving here, is harrowing in the extreme. The first care of thefew saved, after they could collect their shattered settees, was to succor those whose shrieks fiir aid filled the air on every side; but their efforts in many cases were rendered futile by the continued trepidation of the earth, by jjie explosion of powder and fireworks stored in many parts of the city, and by bands of robbers, who roved overthe ruins, robbing the dead and murdering those they’ fancied had saved anything. Thus all who have reached here from Cucuta have landed iu the clothes they wore on that fatal day, as few or none were able to save even their wearing apparel. The following details are furnished by one pf the survivors: The population of the city at the time of the disaster is estimated at about 12,000;' it had a large commercial Business and was the great depot for coffee and caca for shipment either through the Venezuelan port or dixvn to Magdalena. * At half-past five O’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 16th, a strong shock was observable, lasting twenty seconds. A little later another "trembling of th® earth took place, which gradually died away through the space of "five minutes. At a quarter past five the same day the entite population was brought to its feet by a strong shock, which lasted for some time. During the 17th and the following night occasional tremblings were experienced. On the morning of the 18th everything was serene, and the day advanced without anything new, with no premonitions of tlie awful fate which awaited the doomed city. The hour of half-past eleven arrived. A great part of the citizens were at .table. The earth commenced shaking with great force, and from all sides the people rushed to the streets with ® despairing cries for mercy. For fifteen seconds iheittbvement continued, the city nioving like a great ship without ballast.* Instantaneously a cloud of fine dust enshpppded the streets and houses, impeding the vision and c&fi l ing forth renewed cries of horror and appeals for mercy from the populace. These were of short duration, however, as the dust soon became so thick as to impede respiration, and, as if by the touch of an enchanter’s wand, an awful silence succeeded. Many who might have been saved from tlie ruins of the falling buildings fell victims to suffocation. No longer than two minutes did this terrible situation continue. A wind rapidly’ carried away the dust cloud, revealing the terrible scene. What was a few moments before a beautiful city, instinct with life and happiness, was now- the hideous tomb of thousands. Tfie ruin was complete. A contemplation of the few who survived the awful disaster was even more terrible than thesight of mins and tlie dead which lay bgUieath them. Crazed with horror, men, women and.chiklren ran about crying for help and to their friends who lay dead near at hand. Here a mother frantically called to her child; there the child, horribly aisfiured, perhaps, wailed out for its parent. Husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers and mothers were running about in wild dismay. Some hours passed before quiet was restored and a realization of the event obtained. The tremblings of the earth continued, and, to add to the horror of the situation, fires broke out in various localities amid the ruins. The so fearful day was followed by a still more horrible night. The survivors had moved to the suburbs of the city, where encampnienta were established. The rain continued to fall in torrents, and amid the impenetrable darkness the groans of the wounded filled the air, varied only by the sharp detona-

tions proceeding from explosive materials amid the ruins. The coining of a new day showed that not more than 2,000 remained alive. Beneath the fallen houses lay from 8,000 to 10,000 dead. Reports from other localities furnish new- of equal destruction. San Cayetano was destroyed; also the larger part of Santiago. In Garmalote there was great destruction. Arboledo, Cucntilla and SanChristobal are nearly all destroyed, principally the four last. The population of these towns is estimated by a person well acquainted in that region to be over 20,000. The section of country above referred to t embraces the regions aliout where Colom-' bia and Venezuela join, the Colombian portion embracing the State of Santander. It is in some respects the most productive part of the Republic, and the coffee of this section is familihl'To all the world The shock was felt sharply’ at'Bogota and adjoining sections. A gentleman who was at the time in Facatativa says that the movement lasted for three-quarters of a minute. It was also strongly felt in Barranquilla. .Maracaibo, though removed a degree and a half from the scene, yet felt at the same moment a gentle but long-con-tinued undulation of the ground, and not a day has passed since tlie memorable 18th of May that we have not here felt shocks more or less strong.— Maracaibo (May 29) Cor. N. Y. Herald.