New Hampshire Statesman And Concord Register

EARTHQUAKE AT BOGOTA.

Extract of a letter from Bogota (Colombia,) dated June 18, 1826.

"We are all here in a state of great excitement and anxiety. Last night was the most awful one I ever passed. We were sitting at whist as the clocks chimed a quarter to eleven: at that moment we were all sensible of the shock of an earthquake, not however violent enough to make any extraordinary impression, and we pursued our game. About two minutes elapsed, when we experienced a most awful repetition.—The walls of the house were dreadfully agitated our candles were overturned, chairs and tables thrown from one side of the room to the other—we could ourselves scarcely maintain our erect positions, and were so perfectly paralyzed, that we never thought of getting out of the house: indeed my own belief was that the house must fall all before we could possibly get out of it, and that it was therefore useless to move. The ceiling was coming down upon us in large flakes, and the fall of a large mirror at the moment, which we took to be part of the house, added to the alarm. It was indeed appalling—never, never shall I forget it. It passed, having lasted 40 seconds. We then went into the street, where crowds were on their knees praying most fervently. A general rush was made for the square in which the palace is. There we found thousands collecting and collected. Women and men just as they had jumped out of bed, with the addition of a blanket thrown around them—mothers in the agony of grief and apprehension clasping their children to their bosom—mothers and brothers endeavoring to provide them with a covering—groups of females in every direction calling each others names to be assured that all was safe. Dismay and despair were general. No one would return home, and thousands passed the whole night in the square. Three o'clock P. M. I have just returned from making a round of the town to observe the extent of damages. Several houses are thrown entirely down—many are rent asunder from top to bottom. The cathedral, a splendid edifice, has one of its wings rent from the base to the tower.—Scarcely a house in the city is without injury—mine has every one of its principal walls split in several places—dining room in ruins—the partition of my bed room has fallen in, and had I been in bed, I should have been at least severely bruised. A severe shock has not been felt here until now since the year 1805. About six years ago it is said, there was a slight one; but no injury was done. It appears miraculous that only three lives have been lost. Many who are here, and were at Caraccas during the great earthquake there, say that this shock was much more severe: but the houses being better built here, the injury has been less. Half past five. I have been taking another survey, and was surprised to find that hundreds of families are sending beds and bedding into the plain, and erecting booths there for the night. All fear another shock. 9th. 12 o'clock noon. The night has passed quietly and the alarm is subsiding."

Courier.

Another account says the damage by this calamity amounted to a million of dollars.