Author Topic: Kef quake of 1867  (Read 4077 times)

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Offline Maik

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Kef quake of 1867
« on: Monday, 03 March, 2014 @ 15:36:25 »
Written just after the quakes of 1867. Dates vary according to sources read but appears to have been three, one at end of January and two in early February. Document looks to have suffered a few typographical erros but still readable:

Quote
THE EARTHQUAKE AT CEPFIALONIA.

A letter from Corfu gives some details of the damage caused by the late terrible earthquake in Cephalonia :— " The French steamer Sentinelle, which left on the 18th inst. to carry assistance to the victims of the earthquake, has returned from its mission. The commander of the steamer and the Candiote consul, M. de Castillon put themselves in communication with the Nomarch of Cephalonia as soon as they entered the port of Argostoli, and placed at his disposal a few workmen and 100 sacks full of bread sent by the prefect of Corfu. Argostoli is completely destroyed. The whole lower part of the town, which was the finest and the richest, has disappeared—not a single house remains standing, and those which had been able to resist the first shocks are now thrown down. In the centre of the town the houses have also suffered to a great extent ; most of them will require to be built again. The only part spared was the one lying against the mountain ; but itis doubtful if that town, so flourishing a few days ago, will ever rise from its ruins. During the last few years the cultivation of the Corinth raisin aud' olive. had made great advances in the island, and since the annexation to Greece, Argostoli had become the principal eentre of the raisin trade. During last year 13,000,000lb. of that produce had left the port. Used to a life of combo-40 Am inhabitants of that doomed town are now withresst home and without clothes ; in fact, with no resources at all. They have not yet been able to look among cae ruins for their precious effects ; they are seen wandering about sad, cast down, exposed to the inelemenciera of the season on the desolated plateau. So greetly disheartened ha-re the people been that till now very little has been done in the way of repairing or palliati.ng the disaster-. • A few wooden sheds have been built, but thvy can shelter only a few families; the mass of the tislanders are camped in the fields or under the trees. All the s

public buildings are in ruins. The linkeries have been destroyed, and as in the midst of the prevailing consternation no one has had the energy to construct field ovens, bread is wanted almost everywhere. The full extent of the disasters in the interior of the island is not yet known, but it is certain that they are considerable. A great number of villages are in ruins, and two of them have been eugulphed. The victims belonging to those two villages are said to outnumber 500. In the town of Lixuri only more than 100 bodies have been discovered up to this time, and the search is far from being finished. In the whole island 50,000 persons at least are without home and without food."
http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/2nd-march-1867/4/inretan-anb-42o1anta1-fntelltgeno