which fronted the N.E. presented a grand pile of ruins, in the midst of
which door-cases and masses of timber stood up, as if floating in a
stream. Some of the angular blocks of brickwork were of great
dimensions; and they were rolled to a distance on the level plaza, like
fragments of rock at the base of some high mountain. The side walls
(running S.W. and N.E.), though exceedingly fractured, yet remained
standing; but the vast buttresses (at right angles to them, and
therefore parallel to the walls that fell) were in many cases cut clean
off, as if by a chisel, and hurled to the ground. Some square
ornaments on the coping of these same walls, were moved by the
earthquake into a diagonal position. A similar circumstance was
observed after an earthquake at Valparaiso, Calabria, and other places,
including some of the ancient Greek temples. [1] This twisting
displacement, at first appears to indicate a vorticose movement beneath
each point thus affected; but this is highly improbable. May it not be
caused by a tendency in each stone to arrange itself in some particular
position, with respect to the lines of vibration,--in a manner somewhat
similar to pins on a sheet of paper when shaken? Generally speaking,
arched doorways or windows stood much better than any other part of the
buildings. Nevertheless, a poor lame old man, who had been in the
habit, during trifling shocks, of crawling to a certain doorway, was
this time crushed to pieces.
I have not attempted to give any detailed description of the appearance
of Concepcion, for I feel that it is quite impossible to convey the
mingled feelings which I experienced. Several of the officers visited
it before me, but their strongest language failed to give a just idea
of the scene of desolation. It is a bitter and humiliating thing to
see works, which have cost man so much time and labour, overthrown in
one minute; yet compassion for the inhabitants was almost instantly
banished, by the surprise in seeing a state of things produced in a
moment of time, which one was accustomed to attribute to a succession
of ages. In my opinion, we have scarcely beheld, since leaving
England, any sight so deeply interesting.
In almost every severe earthquake, the neighbouring waters of the sea
are said to have been greatly agitated. The disturbance seems
generally, as in the case of Concepcion, to have been of two kinds:
first, at the instant of the shock, the water swells high up on the
beach with a gentle motion, and then as quietly retreats; secondly,
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