A Mighty Upheaval

From tbc Star and Hcrald, of Panama, we glean the following details of the disasters and destruction caused on tl ie South Pacific coast by the earth quako aud tidal wave of May 9, brief mention of wliich lias been herctofore made in these columns : Tli e towus oí' Arica, Iquique, Ponta dé Labos, Pabello do Pica, Chanavaya, Hiiamalies, Teocapilla, Cobija, Megillones de Bolivia, Autafagasta and Oanaralal are nearly all destroyed. About (500 lives were lost. The destruction of property is cstimated at $20,000,000, eonfined mostly to the coast of Tarapaca, twenty-three leagues inbind, and the villages of Pioamatilhi and Canchones far in the interior, are more or les ruined. The shipping of guano from the southern deposits will be indeiinitely suspended, as all facilities in the way of launehes, shutes, wharves, water-condensers, and buildings of all kinds have been swept a way. The destruction of and damage to shipping has been very great, and was attended by very serious loss of life. At Mallendy the railway was torn up by the sea 300 fett, and at Ilo the railway was also iujured. At Arica the people were preps r.ng temporary fortilications to repel the tbratened assault of the rebel ram HauKcar at the very moment when the roar of the earthquakc was heard. The shocks were very numerous, and caused immense damage. The' sea was suddenly perceived to recede from the beach and a wave from ten to flf teen f eet high rolled upon the shore, carrying all before it. Eight times was repeated this assault of the ocean, and four miles of the embankment of the railway melted away like sand. Locomotivos, cars and rails were hurried about by the sea like sornany playthings, and left in a turnbled mass of rubbish. The United States steamer Wateree, stranded in 1868, was lifted bodily andfloated two miles north of her old position. The cable buoy was moved a quarter of a mile northwards. Merchandise from the Custom House and stores was carried flve miles distant. The damage done was greater than that of the calamity of 1868. The earthquake had leveled the Custom House, railway station, submarine eable office, hotel, British Consulate, the steamship agency, and many private dwellings. The people passed the night on the hills. Thieves began to rob, when the troops fired upon them, killing and woundiiig several. Iquique, built .of wood and cine, tumbled down at the first onset. The lumps were broken, and the buming oil spreading over the debris started a general conüagration. Three oompanies of firemen were instantly at their posts, although it was difficult to maintain an upright position, shock following shock with dreadful regularity. To procure water, the two best fire engines were stationed on the beach. Just then the cry aróse. "The sea. the sea!" and the waves rushed in. The engines were carried out by the reflux, and the fire continued unopposed. Three elements of destruction were busy at one - fire, water, and the earthquake. The affrighted people left the city to its fate, flying to the neighboring eminences. The fire destroyed a large portion of the town, the oarthquake leveled nearly all the rest, and water covers the ruins whicli it took 'out in its reflux. The water-condensers along the shore are ruined. This is an irreparable loss for Iquique, as no potable water is found there. Nearly 400,000 quintáis of nitrate at Iquique and the adjacent ports of Mollo and Pisaqua were destroyed. A small loss of life took place, probably ten in all. Coasting craft and smull boats in the harbor were broken to pieces. As in Arica, robbery of goods lying in the streets was attempted, but the guards of citizens took such severo meaKures that tbc robbers were speedily checked. Away up on the pampas, eleven miles from Iquique, tliesplendid nitrato establishment, "La Neuva Carolina," was completely destroyed. The suiï'ermgs of the people of Iqniiin' Hjftte intense. Tbc absence of water ind Uie destructioii oí their principal stores fvjided i" tJieiv haidships. It is estiinated tbat tbr dnniiigc dono in Trauque will imount to nearly 4,000,000 ölos. Gbanavaya, a little town at the guanoloading deposit known as Pabello de I.Va, with 400 housen, bas only two atemling. Kere the enrthquukc was ioltowed Ly fire. There were no fireeugiues in tbe town, and the sea carne in and extinguisbed the üames, but as it riïtired it carried oñ" all that remained of the place. In one of tbe guano cuttings thirty laborers weiv Lmied by the falling earth. Among tiie shipping the bavoc was terrible. The town of Tarapaea, two .or three leagues inland, and the vlllagt s of Picamatilla and Canchones aro more or less ruined. The loss of life is reported as uot being great. TJie eartbquake was especially severo at Cbanavaya. Tho earth oponed fifteen Boeiers in depth, and tlie whole surfaoe of the ground cbanged. At least 200 poople were killed. Bodies were floating in the bay, and a pestilence was feaivd. At Huamalies, a gaano-loading station, the damagf1 inflioted was fearful. All the houses were destroyed. The guano cuts have fallen in, and, as at Pabello, all the loading must be suspended for at least two niontbs. Tho wave which succeeded the carthqiwke, and completed the work of destructiojj, was nearly sixty feot in height. Many vessels were lost liere, togethcr with several persons on bi.uiril. In short, everything except a Vw buts in tbe back part of the town has in en destroyed, At MegilionB the tidal wave was sixtyfive feet in hek-ht. Two-tbirds of the town aiv cuinpk'tely obliteratéd] Tbe guano chutes, wharves, launehes, boats, water distilleries, railway station, locomotives, cars, and furniture - all swallowed up. Six persons were drowned. At Ti-oeapilla little ornothing remains in the town. Tbe mine called "La Pena Blanca," four miles to the southward, sank in, smothering 200 workmeu, of whom forty wei e Comish min. -rs. Ool.úja, the principal town on the Bolivianj[coast, bas lost thröe-fourths of its houses. Tlie wave, tliirty-iive feet high, swept along the mam business street, and left it level as a desert. Wharves ann launcbes were all carried out to sea. Sf.nd us, from evovy town and county in Ani'.'i'if1:!, Biid, RWfiet, dreainy poenig on " rtiiinnn v." Write only on one siile of tbt' pttpieï, pífate. We ;v;ui! tb'1 othei siilc OÍ Ü.' ;- r i t - fc to pditorialaon.