GEOLOGY. 269 



cloinl of dust ascended «ind dispersed, and light was restored. 

 Then quakes at short intervals succeeded, as though subterranean 

 explosions or collisions were taking place. 



" At this time, people I'rom all parts of the city fled to the hills, 

 amidst falling stones and timbers, whicli descended from s\va3-in<j- 

 walls and broadly-rent buildings just on the eve of crumbling'into 

 perfect ruin. Some were struck dead by the falling materials, and 

 others were maimed, while all were made to stagger from side to 

 side like people in a state of intoxication. 



" As the rush for the hills continued, and stones and materials of 

 all kinds were falling, and houses and parts of these were crash- 

 ing, numerous people were struck down and either killed or dan- 

 gerously hurt." 



A most notable circumstance occurred at Lima, which is worthy 

 of note. The atmosphere, immediately after the first shock of 

 earthquake, was so charged with an elgctric fluid, that in passing 

 the hand through the hair or shaking one's clothes, sparks, as if 

 from burning tow, would escape in great abundance. This phe- 

 nomenon lasted for some time and produced much alarm. 



At half past 5 o'clock, that is 17 minutes from the cessation 

 of the initiatory shock, the first wave was experienced. These 

 waves for a short period followed each other with great regularity 

 and rapidity. The experience of those in the U. S. Steamship 

 *' Wateree," at Arica, was peculiar. The water retired from the 

 shore, and then, unlike the regular pulsation or roll of the sea, 

 rose from beneath, placing the ship, as it were, poised on the apex 

 of a cone-like hill. This wave fell as suddenly as it rose, the 

 steamer meantime shaking like a leaf in the wind ; and then com- 

 menced a series of tidal rollers, first moving in grand masses 

 toward the shore, and next retreating until those on the ship 

 could see the ground of the roadstead from their anchorage to the 

 shore. 



The vessel was swung and thrown hither and thither like a cork, 

 and finally, on the ninth movement of the waters, — the earth 

 trembling without cessation, while the sky overhead was exceed- 

 ingly clear and not a breath of wind stirred, — was driven from 

 her moorings and carried, losing one anchor and chain and takin(r 

 the other with her, over the shore line and across the railroad, the 

 track of which was destroyed some distance inland, and finall}'' 

 left on an elevation of about 12 feet on an otherwise level plain 

 immediately north of the cit}', which was, previously to the earth- 

 quakes, exceedingly fruitful. It is now covered with sand several 

 inches, and in some places feet, in depth. 



Captain Gillis estimates that there were in all 11 great tidal 

 waves experienced on the 13th of August. 



Subsequent soundings have shown that, while the shore lines 

 have not been disturbed, where the depth of water in the road- 

 stead was upwards of 30 fathoms, it is now, in some places, less 

 than seven. 



During the whole of the 13th of August, and even while the 

 city was falling to pieces and the sea rising in enormous waves, — 

 in one instance, as was shown by subsequent examination, 43 feet 

 23* 



