September 18, 1833 Earthquake: Arica, Tacna, Chile, Peru, Peru-Chile

1833, Sept 18, at 6 hrs exactly, disastrous earthquake unleashing all its violence at the beginning and without any precursor noise. The English traveler, Mr. John Reid, from whom he took the details that followed: recorded a duration of 45 sec, the movement was horizontal with 2 or 3 wave oscillations per sec. The subterraneous noise that accompanied it was frightening and superior to the strongest thunderclaps. Of 1200 houses of which the city was composed, at least 1000 more were destroyed, and many people perished.

According to another observer, Mr. Mathie Hamilton, there would have been 16, a considerable collision with downward directed vertical movement upwards. At the great movement of 18, a series of light movements took place that were repeated for several days. The rain (extraordinary phenomenon) fell almost every day and for 6 weeks. In Arica, during the first week of October, there was a flood of rain such that there had not been half a century. The river that passes through Tacna, was not disturbed, but others varied their courses, having one of them disappeared.

Seismic expansion stretched several hundred miles to the south, towards the Atacama desert. In Luto, almost 40 miles away cracks formed in the ground, from where emanated a black liquid. In the Province of Tarapaca, several villages were entirely devastated, in one of them that was located on a ravine was swallowed with all their habitants. To the north side, the ravages also extended. The villages of Sama, distant about 30 miles, and Lacumba about 60, were destroyed. Moquegua at a distance of 120 miles experienced great ruin and Arequipa, although violently shaken, was hardly damaged. The effects of this disastrous movement extended to the high peaks of Upper Peru; church of Tacora, 15,000 ft above sea level, knocked down concomitantly. After this calamity, the atmosphere returned to its clarity in the whole mountain range, so that it would be possible to distinguish Tacna, which presented in a multitude of points, an entirely new aspect. Large masses fell or slipped in the ravines and in the valleys, leaving numerous peaks naked and deprived of their original features. Mr. Scott, an engineer and employee at Ochozumo, a station at nearly 14,500 ft, described the movements, which I describe as terrible. With his long view he could see how the masses were detached from the mountains, one of them leaving an empty space as big as the Plaza de San Enoch in Glasgow.

La Paz, was another of the places of the high Peru, shaken of extraordinary way. This earthquake struck the coast of Peru for about 100 miles.

(above ref #1211)

"By the English brig Arab, from Arica, we are informed of the desolation of that place, and Tacna, by a dreadful earthquake which was experienced there on the 18th inst. That but 13 or 14 houses are left in Arica, appears certain, and the number of lives lost is estimated at from 6 to 700. Tacna is said to be totally destroyed. The beautiful valley of Zapa is laid waste. The famous White Bluff (about 200 feet in height) on the right hand as you enter the harbour of Arica is now nearly on a level with the ocean; and two small islands on the same side are sunk so that a frigate can sail over them. The first shock was felt about half past 10 o'clock, P.M., and was succeeded by three others at intervals of 2, 3 and 5 minutes, the last of which was most severe.The sea rose about 30 feet higher than usual."(ref #11719)

18 killed, 25 injured. (ref #1102)

1833, Sept 18, 10:45 UTC. 18.251S, 71.010W, 7.74Ms, Int 8. (ref #1221)

Montessus […] assumes that it was not as disastrous as it is portrayed; Arequipa suffered minor damage, Moqnegua major damage, and the same occurred hundreds of kilometres to the south in the Atacama desert, destroying the villages of Sama and Locumba. Was felt in La Paz (Bolivia) (ref #14057)