THE EARTHQUAKES AT MANILLA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3904, 21 October 1880, Page 3

THE EARTHQUAKES AT MANILLA.

A Hong Kong paper gives tho following particulars of tho severe earthquakes at Manilla on July 18 and following days, taken from a correspondent's diary : — Manilla, Sunday, July 18.— This morning I felt a groat shock, and heard a hissing noise, a 9 (hough some steamer was blowing off a great pressure of steam, feeling cur ship at tho came time careening and bumping, as if ehe were on a roef in a heavy seaway. Being down below in the moss-room at I ho time, I did not know what was the matter, bat supposed that somo other eteamship had collided with, us. I immediately rushed on deck, and sawto my surprise that every ship in tho harbour was in the samo condition as ouraelves. I immediately surmised that an earthquake was the causo of all the commotion, and bo it eventually prov. d. Tho water in the river was actually bi i.'ing and seething as if under some chemical process — as if, for instance, Borne tons of cai'onate of coda and tartario acid had suddenly become infused in it. Tho steamer and craft of all descriptions lying in tho harbour were swaying about in all directions ; the houses, godownß, churches, cathedrals, and all the public buildings on the shore were ewkying to and fro, ai if they had Biiddenly got out to ten. The ii.habitanta came trembling out of their houses in all directions and in all fashions, falling down on their knocs and faces in tho middle of the street, and calling on all tho fiaints in Heaven to Eavo thorn. It was a very deplorablo sight to see the poor women clinging to their children, and their children to them : somo fainting right out through fear and terror. The Spanish women wore by far the worst. I saw a great many of them, almost doad with terror, being taken on hoard the Spanish steamora. Tho roofs of a great number of houses toppled down into the street, no doubt inflicting great personal injury upon the people ben?ath them. I have heard from other aomvos that then? havo been quite a numb r of lives log);. Yory fow houses have r^uped damage in one way or the other; l.iiiny houses which look very well outside aro perfect wrecks within. Tho earthquake occurred a little beforo 1 p.m., and when I went on shore this afternoon to gain some little knowlcdgo as to tho extont of the injury caused by it, I noticed that all the rlocke had been stopped. When on shore I felt two slight shocks, one at 3.30 p.m. and another at 4.15. The natives on each occasion came trooping out of their houses into the si root, but there was very litdo noieo ; they came out very quietly and knelt down in the middle of the street, with thoir children neßtling about them, and when it was all over thry went in again as quietly as they came out. Monday, July 19. — It has been ascertained that the c-arthquako lasted lmin 40sec. One of tho churches was quite demolished, and a great lower appertaining to ouo of the largest cathedrals in tho place was rent in several places, besides tho walls ; other large buildings have Buffered immensely by the shock. Earthquakes have been folt almost every two or threo hours ever since. There havo boon several Europeans dangerously hurt by falling bricks and tiles ; it being about tiffin time when the earthquake took place, they were injured whilst they were endeavouring to escape from their houses. It has not been ascertained how many of tho natives havo been killed. Wednesday, July 21. — We nro now at soa and bound for llong Kong, having loft Manilla at 430 p.m. yesterday. About half an hour beforo we left Manilla wo felt the shock oE a great earthquake ; Ilia vibration of tho vessel was very ehuilur to that of bumping on tho ground. Tho ship being at anchor in tho bay at tho Lime, wo could not sec distinctly tho effect it had upon the town, it being for tho most part hidden from our view by tho forts and churches. Tho (owor that 1 spoke of as being rent in several places, is now.a complete ruiii. 'Jho domo on tho top of it fell to the ground vil!i a groat crash, and it is split from top to bottom to such hn extont as \o make it oxtromely dangerous for people to walk near it . Cathedrals and churches aro numerous in Manilla, i»ml most of them have a tower or turr. t attached to them, eomo of them exceedingly beautiful, to gazo upon, or at least they woro very beau'iful; but now most of them will have to bo rebuilt, for they «ro in a very shattered state. Some of them have lost, their roofs, and thi'ir walls are split in ecverul places, and no doubt some of thorn havo sustained Borne internal injury. Aflor tho carlhqimko wai over nothing was to bo seen of Mnnilla but a gnat cloud of dust, c:ui?ed, I pit >,tn)o, by tho falling of wulle, roofs, and lion <••-. ('hero has buon tor ooino time pa.t v lur^e v.-.sel sunk in Manilla Hay, of which yen couiii ouly 800 the thn o Jowor musts t > indicate her position. During Ihe concussion t<!io wan lit tod bodily up, losing at tho same Unto ono of hor masts, but the most reniarkublo thing of all is that you can now ccc part, of her hull, which suggests the fact thai there muet. bi< loss water in tho bay than previously.