TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE. GREAT LOSS OF LIFE. New York, September 9.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7269, 17 October 1891, Page 4

TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE. GREAT LOSS OF LIFE. New York, September 9.

The Herald cable from San Salvador ■ays: , . Millions of dollars' worth ot property and many livei were destroyed in this f republic by an earthquake to-day. | Whole towns were wiped out, and 10 far aa advices received here indioate, hardly a oity in the oountry except thoie along ibe ooaet eeoaped the awful efforts « f tho convuliion. There have been indioationa for several days past that * seismio diaturb&Doe of more than tuual power might he expected. The volcanoes of San Salvador, San Miguel, and Izi'co have been unusually itoiive, and deep subterranean rumbling and ali^h'. earth tremors have been (olt. Such things are nob uncommon here, howov^r, and whilo there waq a feeling ot uueasinesH here list n ght, there was no great alarm felt. Ai just five minutes before two o'olooc this morning the earth began to ■hake. The wave had a strong and oioUlatory movement. People rushed Into the streets is their night clothing, and while the shook only lasted twenty aeoonds, before it bad passed away there was a panic«fctrioken mob making; its way to the country outside of the olty. Mod, women, and children were shrieking and praying in the street*. The walls of houses craoked. tottered, tod fell. There was % deep, continuous rumbling, aa if of heavy thunder, The sky was overcast, and the air was filled with fine, penetrating dust. While the shock laBted the earlh rose and fell In long waves, and strong men were unable to keep their feet. The panicstricken people flocked to the open ground outside of the city. Temporary shelters were thrown up wherever possible, but nearly all the men and a great many of the women and children bad only the sky for a cover. All through the morning there havo been slight shocks, but none approaching in intensity that which had been bo destfuotive. The inhabitants are afraid to return to the.r homes, and are making themselves at comfort>bla as possible in their temporary camps until the commotion shall subside. President Ezeta Is dolog everything he can to stop the panic, and cate for the homeless people until it shall be considered safe for them t3 go back to their homes. The towns throughout the country have Buffered more severely than the capital, even .Aoqaito and Comasagua, have toen completely destroyed Cojut:peque, Sant* Teola, San Pedro, and Maaahuet were so badly shaken that they are practically ruined, while the shock was plainly felt and damage was done by it at Santa Ana and Susimtebeque, full eixty miles from here. It is imponiible at this writing to form any idea as to the number of livea nhich b'WO been lost. Two people wete kilted here, though there wero many miraculous eecapes from death, it ib /tared, however, that there have been many people killed in the smaller towns. The loes of property will run well into the millione. This is the third time within less than forty years San Salvador has been destroyed by earthquake shocks. In April, 1854, not a single house was left in the oity fit for habitation, and over 300 livea were lost by the duet and debris from the falling buildings. Again, in Murob, 1873, the c ty was thakon to the ground, over 5,000.000 dollars worth of property destroyed, and upwards of fifty livei lott. So it eeeua that destructive seismic dioturbincea visit the country at intervals of 19 years.