THE EARTHQUAKES AT MANILA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 3961, 13 October 1880, Page 2

THE EARTHQUAKES AT MANILA.

EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENA. DEPLORABLE SCENES. A marine correspondent sends to a Hong Kong paper the following particulars of the severe earthquakes at Manila on the 18th July and following days, taken from his diary : — Manila, Sunday, 18th July. — I had scarcely finished writing my diary this morning when I felt a great shock, and heard a hissing noise, as thoueh some steamer was blowing off a great pressure of steam, feeling our ship at the same time careening and bumping as if she were on a reef in a heavy seaway ; being down below in the mess-room at the time, I did not know what was the matter, but supposed that some other steamship had collided with us. I immediately rushed on deck and saw to my surprise that every ship in the harbor was in the same condition as ourselves. I immediately surmised that an earthquake waa the cause of all the commotion, and so it eventually proned. The water in the river was actually boiling and seething, as if under some chemical process — as if,, for instance, some tons of carbonate of soda and tartaric acid had suddenly become infused in it. The steamers and craft of all descriptions lying in the harbor were swaying about in all directions ; the houses, godowns, churches, cathedrals, and all the public buildings on shore were swaying to and fro, as if they had suddenly got out to sea. The inhabitants came trembling out of their houses in all directions and in all fashions, falling down on their knees and faces in the middle of the street, and calling on all the saints in Heaven to save them. It was a very deplorable sight to see the poor women clinging to their children and their children to them ; some faiuting right out through fear and terror. The Spanish women were by far the worst. 1 saw a great many of them, almost dead with terror, being taken on board the Spanish steamers lying alongside the quay. It was without doubt a great shock to their nervous system, and some of them will take some time to recover from it, especially those that have lost their relations or their property. The roofs of a great number of houses toppled down into the street, no doubt inflicting great personal injury upon the people beneath them, although I myself saw nobody hurt j nevertheless. I haye heard from other sources thai there have been quite a number of lives lost. Very few houses have escaped damage in one way or the other ; many houses which look very well outside are perfect wrecks within. The earthquake occurred a little before 1 p.m., and when I went on shore this afternoon to gain some little knowledge as to the extent of the injury caused by it, I noticed that all the clocks had been stopped. When on shore I felt two slight shocks, one at 3.30 p.m. and another at 4.15 p.m. The natives on each occasion came trooping out of their houses into the street, but there was very little noise ; they came out very quietly and knelt down in the inid.d]e of the street, with, theirchildren nestling about them, and when it was all over they went in again as quietly as they came out. Monday, 19th July. — It has been ascertained that the earthquake which- took place yesterday afternoon lasted 1 minute and 40 seconds. One of the churches was quite demolished, and a great tower appertaining to one of the largest cathedrals in the place waa rent in several places, besides the walls; other large buildings ha.ye suffered iipmensely by the shqek. Earthquakes have been felt almost e.ve.ry two or three hours ever since. I have no doubt that the inhabit- < ants are in a state of anxiety respecting these slight shocks, which are very probably the precursors of something far more dangerous. There have been several Europeans dangerously hurt by falling bricks arid tiles, , it being about tiffin time when the earth- j quake took place, they were injured whilst j they were endeavouring to escape from their houses. li has. not been asoeptau\ed, prat least 1 have not heard, how many of the natives have been killed. The weather here has been exceedingly cJqsb. all day, but towards evening a nice breeze sprang up, and it now looks very much' like rain. , Tuesday, 20th July,— Whilst lying on the j skylight on deck last night I distinctly felt | the shock of two earthquakes — one at 8.30 p.m., and another at 10 p.m. j they were also felt ou shore very slightly about the same time. We are now lying in Manila Bay ; we came out of the river this morning ; we are supposed to leave for Hongkong at .4 p.m. Wednesday, 21st July. — We are now at sea and bound for Hongkong, having left Manila at 4. 30 p. m. 5 yesterday. A bout half an hour before we left Manila we fe|t the shock pf a gre,at 'earthqu^k'e'"-' the' vibration of the yessel was very similar to that of bumping on the ground. The'ship being at anchor in the bay at the t^ine, we' could not see distinctly the effect Is. l}ac| upon' the town it being for the most part hidden from, our view by the fqrfe and churches, The tower that I spoke of as being rent in several places is now a complete ruin • the dome on the top of it fell to the ground with a great crash, and it is split from top to bottom to such an extent as to make it extremely dangerous for people to walk near it. Cathedrals and churches are numerous in Manila, and most of them have a tower or turret attached to them, some of them exceedingly beautiful to gaze upon, or-at least theyw^re very boautiful > but now most' of them will have to be rebuilt, for they are" in a very bad state. Some of thenvliave lost, their i'oofa: ftind, tiipjr. waU§ are split in several plaoes; and no doubt

some of them have sustained some internal injury. After the earthquake was over nothing was to be j3een of Manila but a great cloud of dust, caused^ I-.presume, by the falling of walls, roofs 1 , and; houses. There has been for some time past a large vessel sunk in/: Manila Bay,. of which you could only see the three lower masts to indicate her position, f During the concussion she was lifted bodiljjr tip, , losing at the same time one of her masts, but the most remarkable thing of all is that you can , now see part" of her hull, which suggests the fact that there must be less water in the bay than previously.