Valparaiso - After the Earthquake by Wm. Steele

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 29, 1906

Valparaiso — After the Earthquake

By Wm. Steele

WM. STEELE

ALREADY six weeks have passed since the terrible sixteenth of August which brought death and destruction to thousands of homes in the central part of Chile. Since I have visited different cities destroyed, and seen the ruins of what were once country houses, besides being an eye-witness to the destruction of Valparaiso, I doubt if the reports really represented the greatness of the catastrophe. In some of the cities in the path of the earthquake there is scarcely a house left standing.

There have not twenty-four hours passed since the sixteenth that there have not been from one to twelve or more temblors, some being quite strong. When the strong ones come, the people run screaming from their houses to the street. Some thirty or forty thousand people left Valparaiso as soon as they could after the earthquake; those remaining have erected shanties of corrugated zinc in the plazas, avenues, and other available places, or live in tents that were furnished by the Argentine government. The houses erected are small and without conveniences of any kind, and during the heat of the summer will be like furnaces. The sanitation is also very bad, giving every opportunity for the breaking out of plague; indeed, smallpox has already broken out, and if this should be joined by bubonic plague or typhoid fever, the death-rate would be appalling. It is a notable fact that the authorities take no steps in cases of this kind until the people begin to die by hundreds, and then in many cases the money appropriated goes to fill the coffers of the officials.

Already work has begun on all the buildings which it is possible to repair, and others are being torn down, and the débris cleared away preparatory for the rebuilding of the city.

As soon as possible after the earthquake, we printed a special number of our missionary paper The Signs of the Times (Spanish). Our monthly circulation is four thousand, and the largest edition we had ever published was ten thousand, but of this number we printed thirty thousand. The brethren took hold of the work as never before, and the entire edition was sold in less than three weeks. We are now getting out another and better edition, and expect to print thirty thousand if we can get paper, as our supply has been exhausted, and at present it is impossible to obtain suitable paper in Valparaiso.

MERCED TEMPLE, IN WHICH EIGHT HUNDRED PERSONS, MOSTLY WOMEN, ARE SAID TO HAVE BEEN KILLED

The brethren have been awakened, and are working as never before. Thus, thousands of people will have an opportunity to learn what these things mean, who, if the earthquake had not come, would possibly not so soon have had the opportunity. Thus we see the working of the Lord. Truly his ways are not our ways. We hope the brethren may continue to work with our paper so that we may be able to print a large edition each month. It has been contrary to the customs of the country for the sisters to engage in this work, but as some of them took courage and went out with the paper, they have had good success in selling it. Thus their eyes have been opened as to their possibilities in helping to spread the message. But we are in need of more workers. We need workers to enter Bolivia, which is, perhaps, the most superstitious of all the South American countries. One brother has recently gone there to engage in Bible work, but we need more workers, more literature, and more means, that these poor people who are in such great darkness may have an opportunity to see the light that the Lord has so mercifully shown us.

Last Sunday a mass was held in the park for the souls of all those who were killed by the earthquake; their number is now thought to be from three to six thousand. It is said that eight hundred were killed in one church. Only about two hundred and fifty of the bodies have been taken out; the rest are still under the hundreds of tons of brick that fell as the church was completely destroyed. They were having what they call “novena,” a nine days' mass, consequently many persons were in the churches, and had no opportunity to escape.

The president and his cabinet attended the services last Sunday; and all the officers of the army in their gold attire, the soldiers in full uniform, with many bands of music, made a grand display, which is dear to the heart of the Chileno. It seemed as if all who could do so attended the services which were conducted by the priests. The control that they still have over the people is remarkable. We long for the time to come when the power of the enemy will be broken, and Christ's kingdom be set up. May all the brethren realize their duty toward these priest-ridden people, and do all in their power to carry the gospel either by coming themselves or by giving of their means that others may come.