nsity. In the-course of the first minute
this motion had become so violent that the inhabitants ran in terror
out of their houses into the streets and squares. In the next two
minutes the swaying movement had so increased that the more lightly
built houses were cast to the ground, and the flying people could
scarcely keep their feet. "And now," says Von Tschudi, "there followed
during two or three minutes a terrible scene. The swaying motion which
had hitherto prevailed changed into fierce vertical upheaval. The
subterranean roaring increased in the most terrifying manner; then
were heard the heart-piercing shrieks of the wretched people, the
bursting of walls, the crashing fall of houses and churches, while
over all rolled thick clouds of a yellowish-black dust, which, had
they been poured forth many minutes longer, would have suffocated
thousands." Although the shocks had lasted but a few minutes, the whole
town was destroyed. Not one building remained uninjured, and there
were few which did not lie in shapeless heaps of ruins.

At Tacna and Arica the earth-shock was less severe, but strange and
terrible phenomena followed it. At the former place a circumstance
occurred the cause and nature of which yet remain a mystery. About
three hours after the earthquake--in other words, at about eight
o'clock in the evening--an intensely brilliant light made its
appearance above the neighboring mountains. It lasted for fully half
an hour, and has been ascribed to the eruption of some as yet unknown
volcano.

At Arica the sea-wave produced even more destructive effects than had
been caused by the earthquake. About twenty minutes after the first
earth-shock the sea was seen to retire, as if about to leave the
shores wholly dry; but presently its waters returned with tremendous
force. A mighty wave, whose length seemed immeasurable, was seen
advancing like a dark wall upon the unfortunate town, a large part of
which was overwhelmed by it. Two ships, the Peruvian corvette America,
and the United States "double-ender" Wateree, were carried nearly half
a mile to the north of Arica beyond the railroad which runs to Tacna,
and there left stranded high and dry. This enormous wave was
considered by the English vice-consul at Arica to have been fully
fifty feet in height.

At Chala three such waves swept in after the first shocks of
earthquake. They overflowed nearly the whole of the town, the sea
passing more than half a mile beyond i