“Awful Calamity”

Date

4-29-1812

Newspaper

Norfolk Ledger

Page and Column

page 2, Column 2 and 3

Newspaper Location

Norfolk, Virginia

Serial Number

1086

Abstract

Long report on the March 26, 1812 earthquake at Laguria.

Transcript

PHILADELPHIA, April 22. From LAGUIRA. By Capt. Betts arrived at Baltimore on Monday last from Laguira, we learn, that on the 26th of March, at 4 o'clock, P. M. there was a very severe shock of an Earthquake, which destroyed nearly the whole of the city of Caraccas, and all the town of Laguira, with all the neighboring villages-TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE were buried in the ruins-two thousand three hundred in La Guira-one American only perished, viz. Mr. Crowell, of New-York. Four shocks were heard and felt on the night following, not heavy enough to do any damage. On the 27th the survivors were employed in digging the dead from under the ruins, putting them in large lighters, carrying them outside of the shipping, and throwing them into the sea. On the 28th, the sea was so rough as to prevent them from taking the dead off-then they built a large fire near the wharf, and commenced burning them, and burned about 40 at a time in one fire. On the 29th, the stench had became so bad that they quit digging the dead from under the ruins. All the survivors pitched tents on the plains of Magetere. On the 4th of April there was a very hard shock, which made the vessels tremble as if they had been on a reef of rocks in a heavy sea; and from on board the Independence, we could see the mountains move like a ship in a heavy sea; and large pieces scaling off them. At half past 5, the Independence sailed, so that we could not tell what damage had been done. Robert K. Lowry, Esq. Writes from La Guira, under date of the 30 April, and mentions the confusion and dismay as indescribable-following the destruction by earthquake, is a terrible scene of robbery. He was preparing to sail immediately, with [unreadable] he could snatch from the hands of plunderers, to Porto Cavello, which had escaped the shock. Extract of a letter from La Guira, to a respectable merchant of this city, dated April 2, 1812. "Many times in my life have I experienced the goodness of a merciful God towards me, but never so conspicuously as in my preservation during the tremendous exertion of his power, which has shaken the mountains to their foundation, and levelled the greatest part of this city, as also that of Carraccas, with the ground. Thousands and tens of thousands have been buried, and most of them now lie beneath the ruins! The stench arising from the dead bodies is intolerable-such of them as could be come at, have been thrown into the sea, or collected into heaps and burnt to ashes. It is imagined that seven-eighths of the houses in this city are demolished-and of those which still stand, there are not perhaps twenty that will be found tenable. The custom-house, which was built very strong, is not much injured-The house which I occupy, is three stories high, and was likewise very strong-it stood the shock without falling, but it was so much injured that I do not intend to sleep in it, especially as we are constantly kept in a state of alarm by the frequent shocks which have daily taken place ever since the 26th ult. When the first great shock occurred, I ran out of my house, and, in my amazement, I turned round, and beheld it rocking like a cradle which, with the roaring of the Earthquake, the screams of the people, and the crashing, perhaps, of a thousand buildings, made the scene [unreadable] beyond description!" Extract of a letter from a gentleman at Carraccas, to his lady in this city, dated April [unreadable], 1812. I have the happiness to inform you that I am [unreadable text] of the most terrible [unreadable text] that nature could [unreadable text] country without entirely swallowing it up-this dreadful catastrophe took place on Thursday, the [unreadable] ult. at 7 minutes past 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and continued one minute and some seconds. It has totally destroyed two-thirds of the houses in this town, and about one-fourth of the inhabitants have perished in the ruins-indeed, such a scene of misery I never witnessed. La Guira has suffered much more than this place being totally destroyed. This letter is written to the open fields, where I have slept since the 26th.

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