“Tremendous Earthquake”

Date

5-8-1812

Newspaper

Augusta Chronicle

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 5

Newspaper Location

Augusta, Georgia

Serial Number

833

Abstract

Report of the Carracas earthquake of March 26, 1812.

Transcript

New York, April, 23. TREMENDOUS EARTHQUAKE. Our Baltimore Correspondent, having favored us with a proof-sheet of the Federal Gazette, enables us to anticipate the following melancholy particulars of an Earthquake at Carraccas, Laguira, &c. "By captain Betts, from Laguira, we learnt that on the 26th of March, at 4 o'clock P.M. there was a severe shock of an EARTHQUAKE, which destroyed nearly the whole of the city of Carraccas, and all the town of Laguira, with all the neighbouring villages, ten thousand people were buried in the ruins, two thousand five hundred in Laguira--one American only perished, viz-Mr. Crowsend of New-York. Four shocks were heard and felt on the following night, 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 the shipping, and burying them in the sea. On the 28th, the sea was so rough as to prevent them taking the dead off; then they built a large fire near the wharf, and commenced burning them, (unreadable) burned about forty at a time in one fire. On the 29th, the stench had become 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 (unreadable) 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 (unreadable), (unreadable) Independence failed, so that we could not tell what damage had been done. "Robert K. Lowry, Esq. Writes from Laguira, under date of 3d instant, 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 what he could snatch from the hands of plunderers, to Porto Cavello, which he escaped the shock."

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