THE EARTHQUAKE IN ECUADOR!

Star (Christchurch), Issue 122, 3 October 1868, Page 3

THE EARTHQUAKE IN ECUADOR!

A NUMBER OP CITIES ENTIRELY DESTROYED. — THOUSANDS OP LIVES LOST. Our Guayaquil correspondent writes us under date of the 26th August, giving full particulars of the terrible ravages committed

in Ecuador by the earthquake. We translate the following from his letter : — On the 16th of the present month there occurred in the provinces of Pichincha and Imbabura a tremendous eathquake, unequalled in the history of Ecuador. The towns of Ibarra, capital of the Province of Imbabura, San Pablo, Atuntaqui, Imantad, &c, are iv ruins. Where Cotacachi was is now a lake. Iv Ibarra, Otovala, and Cotacachi, almost the entire population has perished. In Quito the earthquake and its effects have been proportionately less, but the buildings are so mu -h injured that the slightest movement will throw them down. There are already in ruins the church and convent ot St Augustin, the two churches of tenora dt-1 Carmen, the towers of the cathedral and San Marcos, the college of San Luis, &c. The towers of the other churches, the Government palace, and many private houses have been all cracked, and are momentarily threatening to fall to pieces. The townß adjoining Q lito, as Perucho, Puellaro, and Cachiguanjo have almost entirely disappeared. The number of deaths in Quita have fortunately been very small, but in the other towns it is calculated that not less than twenty thousand have perished. The few who are left uninjured in these places have been unable to assist those remaining alive or dying under the ruins, and have been obliged to fly from the stench of the dead bodies which commenced to putrify and infest the atmosphere. Letters from Quito bring dates to the 19th, up to which time the earthquakes continued at intervals of a few hours. It has been impossible yet to obtain data as to the cause of the terrible phenomena; some attribute it to the volcano of Agualongo and others to Cayambe. The news which was received in Guayaquil up to the sailiug of the steamer had beeu forwarded under the influence of great fright, and probably may not be quite correct. The next steamer will bring us fuller accounts, but they may be even worse, but in Quito nothing was known of the fate of the neighbouring towns either of Ecuador or Colombia. The venerable Patriot Teodore Gomez de la Torre was saved in a most miraculous manner in Ibarra, where scarcely a soul was left alive, but he escaped sadly injured. His brother Francisco was equally fortunate, but Don Jose Maria, their brother, perished with all his family. Senor Valenzuela, Minister of Colombia, remains in Guayaquil, having resolved not to continue his journey to the interior at present. In Guayaquil the earthquake was felt at various times between the 13th and 16th, and another at a later date, but it did no damage. The first lasted forty or fifty seconds, the direction being from east to west, and the movement regular and slow. It i* expected that there has been immense damage done in Esmeralda. In addition to the foregoing we have received the following items from another correspondent, written on board the Peru. I saw a letter from Quito, stating that a terrible earthquake had at 1.20 a.m. on the 16th inst., convulsed that Republic, resulting in the complete destruction of Itaburo, Ibarro, Otavalo, and Cotocachi, the loss of life was estimated close upon 30,000. Quito had been more tenderly dealt with although it had been shaken considerably, and some 20 lives lost, the populace had deserted their dwellings, and were living in tents in the square and open spaces about th city.