Earthquake in Concepcion
Charles Darwin was on hand in 1836 to witness the catastrophic effects of a series of earthquakes in Chile.
1836
Ruins of a church in Concepcion, Chile.
By Ernest Goupil (1814-1841), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Ruins of a church in Concepcion, Chile, drawn by Ernest Goupil (1814-1841) as he accompanied Jules Dumont d’Urville on his voyage to the South Pole in 1837-1840. The earthquake felt and seen by Darwin in 1835 had been particularly hard on well-built churches, well-built that is according to the principles of architecture in western Europe. “The cathedral,” wrote Robert Fitz-Roy, “whose walls were four feet in thickness, supported by great buttresses, and built of good brick and mortar, suffered more than other buildings.”
Introduction
On March 4th, 1836, HMS Beagle arrived at Talcahuano Bay by the city of Concepcion in Chile. With that instinct that marks out the hero (and the scientist) Captain Robert Fitz-Roy had sailed there as soon as he felt a series of earth tremors disturb his ship, anchored at nearby Mocha. Naturalist Charles Darwin was on board, and left us his impressions of the impact of the earthquake.
AFTER viewing Concepcion,* I cannot understand how the greater number of inhabitants escaped unhurt. The houses in many parts fell outwards; thus forming in the middle of the streets little hillocks of brickwork and rubbish. Mr Rouse, the English consul,* told us that he was at breakfast when the first movement warned him to run out.
He had scarcely reached the middle of the courtyard, when one side of his house came thundering down. He retained presence of mind to remember that, if he once got on the top of that part which had already fallen, he would be safe. Not being able from the motion of the ground to stand, he crawled up on his hands and knees; and no sooner had he ascended this little eminence, than the other side of the house fell in, the great beams sweeping close in front of his head. With his eyes blinded and his mouth choked with the cloud of dust which darkened the sky, at last he gained the street.
As shock succeeded shock, at the interval of a few minutes, no one dared approach the shattered ruins, and no one knew whether his dearest friends and relations were not perishing from the want of help.*
* See Google Maps.
* Henry William Rouse (?1798-?1871), consul in Concepcion and in Valparaiso.
* Robert Fitz-Roy, captain of HMS Beagle, recalled one happy ending. “A mother, escaping with her children, saw one fall into a hole; a wall close to her was tottering; she pushed a piece of wood across the hole, and ran on; the wall fell, covering the hole with masses of brick-work; but, next day, the child was taken out unhurt.”
