622 EARTHQUAKES IN CHILE. 



A young and beautiful lady, whom her mother had left shut up in the second story of a house, 

 threw herself from the balcony, and was crushed. These are the only personal accidents of 

 which notice has been given to us. 



[Prom " El Progreso."] 



EARTHQUAKE OF APRIL 2, 1851. 



Since yesterday slight shocks have been felt from time to time, occasioning the greatest alarm. 

 It is said that not less than eleven have occurred ; but, as we have not felt so many, there is 

 possibly an exaggeration of the number. 



A passenger coming from Valparaiso assures us that Casa-blanca is almost entirely in ruins, 

 the posada being the only house which has not suffered. 



Among the public edifices, the churches have received the greatest damage ; but, notwith- 

 standing this, there was service in them all last night. At the cathedral and La Merced 

 there were dangerous injuries, and it was really imprudent to have opened them until they 

 had been examined. Souls may be saved whilst forwarding the objects of missions ; but bodies 

 may perish by the excessive zeal of ecclesiastical prelates. 



[From "El Mercuric," of Valparaiso.] 



GREAT EARTHQUAKE. 



Another misfortune has afflicted the provinces of Santiago and Valparaiso during the present 

 month. On the 2d instant, at 67*. 41w. A. M., the earth was violently shaken for the space of 

 fifteen seconds, the terrible shock being prolonged with irregular oscillations through two 

 minutes. Since the earthquake of 1822, in which Valparaiso was laid in ruins, none has 

 occurred in any degree so frightful as this. 



The houses were moved like ships upon a troubled sea ; articles of furniture were thrown 

 from their ordinary places ; book-shelves fell to the ground ; the papering of the walls was torn 

 with loud reports ; the plastering fell ; some walls split and opened ; some were inclined ; 

 others were laid in ruins ; many tiles were thrown from the roofs ; windows were smashed, the 

 sashes broken and twisted ; and families in consternation rushed to the streets, in the midst 

 of the tremendous confusion and overthrow. 



The direction of the movement, according to some, was from the north to the south, and 

 according to others from southwest to northeast; which course appears to us the most probable, 

 keeping in view the fact that the provinces to the north and south have not suffered any damage 

 whatever, all the destruction being in those of Valparaiso and Santiago from the sea to the 

 cordillera. 



Vessels felt the shocks distinctly at a distance of forty miles from the coast, experiencing 

 a sensation on board similar to that of striking upon a reef of rocks. The lead which was thrown 

 from the American frigate Raritan immediately buried itself three or four feet in the sand from 

 the effects of the movement, and it was difficult to pull it out. 



The air was heavy in the morning, but the thermometer denoted no change in the tempera- 

 ture of the atmosphere. 



The shaking of the earth produced very different effects in the two wards into which the city 

 of Valparaiso is divided. In that of the port, which is occupied by commercial establishments 

 and offices, the houses have suffered nothing, no doubt because of the solid foundation upon 

 which they are built; but in the Almendral, where the ground is a stratum of light sand, the 

 greater part of the houses gave way. Nevertheless, we have seen no house there entirely 



