“Extract of another letter dated Coro, April 20”

Date

6-25-1812

Newspaper

Louisiana Gazette

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 1

Newspaper Location

New Orleans, Louisiana

Serial Number

942

Abstract

Letter describing the aftermath of the March 26, 1812 earthquake at Caracas and its vicinity.

Transcript

Extract of a letter from A Spanish [unreadable] Coro, dated 13th April, [unreadable]. The dispensations of God [unreadable] human comprehension; who [unreadable] of a ruling Providence? The [unreadable] which lately occurred at [unreadable]. On holy Thursday the anniversary of the Revolution, at about five o'clock in the afternoon, an Earthquake was experienced throughout Terra Firma, which without doubt, [unreadable] severest and of longer duration, of any [unreadable] remember in the different parts of the globe I have visited. But that part of the province of [unreadable] which remains faithful to their king, has suffered the least injury; the only effect produced at Maracaybo, by this horrible convulsion of nature, was the decrease of nearly two feet in the depth of water on the bar. Caracas is entirely destroyed; the few houses that have remained are mere uninhabitable ruins. [unreadable] troops perished in their barracks: the number of the dead is not exactly known, but it is [unreadable] considerable. Laguira was covered by the mountains which [unreadable] over it. Out of 60 sick in the hospital of [unreadable] place, only one man was saved; he was a [unreadable] condemned to death, on account of his [unreadable] at Valentia; he made his escape, and has since arrived at Curasso. Cape Blanco and Maicasi, have entirely disappeared from the surface of the earth, and their [unreadable] are now covered by the sea. This [unreadable] change occasioned the capture to [unreadable], of an American schooner which was [unreadable] to La Guira, having on board some French passengers and two emissaries of Napoleon [unreadable] captain did not know the coast of Laguira, Porto Cabello, which is entirely changed, and [unreadable] captured by one of our cruizers off [unreadable] and brought into the roads of Vela; the henchmen have been imprisoned; among them [unreadable] is a clergyman, who formerly had been [unreadable] asking charity for some religious communities, and another a known agent of Napoleon, of whom the governor here was already apprized [unreadable] had orders to arrest. [unreadable] Porto Cabello, about 30 houses have been [unreadable] swallowed up,and of the remainder, only [unreadable] houses habitiable, the one belonging to Mr. Limames and the other to Mr. Herera, both [unreadable], the one residing in Coto, the other in [unreadable]. The fortifications are a mass of [unreadable]. From Barquisimeto we learn, that out of 7 [unreadable], only one remains, and the city is [unreadable]. Our troops under the command of Captain Monteverse, of the royal navy, are [unreadable] for the city, after having conquered [unreadable], in the interior, which did not suffer by the earthquake. St. Philipe, St. Carlos, Velles [unreadable] Araqua, and Santa Rosa, have all suffered more or less. Our general Migares, is gone to Porto Rico*, [unreadable] Colonel Gerabana, to hold a council of war; [unreadable] has left here in his absence, Brigadier Gen. [unreadable]. I know not what has occasioned the [unreadable] which is observed in our small army [unreadable] the command of Monteverde, a Canarian; [unreadable] had been at Porto Rico, & the general [unreadable] to that island immediately on his [unreadable text]

Link to Full Text

Share

 
COinS