Environmental Engineering Reference
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the construction of a temporary wooden church to replace the main Cathedral, as the
massive damage sustained by the latter would require a protracted reconstruction.
At the same time, 23 streets and four squares were cleaned up for the special event
honoring the two kings. On September 23, 1747, with many of its wealthy inhabit-
ants back in the city, Lima began to close a terrible chapter in its history.
7.3.2
Damage and Effects in the Port of Callao
The situation in Callao was even worse than in Lima. At 11:00, only 30 min after
the earthquake and just as the 5,000 inhabitants were emerging into the chaos of the
damaged town, the fi rst wave of a mega-tsunami struck the coast. Conservative
estimates reported the sea to have been between 4 and 7 m higher than its normal
level; others reported a rise of 10-15 m. In any case, it is clear that the waves topped
the town walls, inundated an inland area of over 4 km and sank 19 out of the 23
offshore ships. The other four ships were carried as far as 2 km inland. One of these
latter ships, the San Fermin, was of particular importance to the Viceroy due to the
treasures and food it contained (Vidal Gomez
1901
), and he sent his offi cials to fi nd
it and to report back to him on its condition. Today, the fi gurehead of the San Fermin
is placed at the entrance of the Callao market at a near location where the boat was
found stranded (Fig.
7.3
). The combined disaster of the earthquake and the tsunami
Fig. 7.3
Figurehead of the
San Fermin placed at the
entrance of the Callao market
at a near location where the
boat was found stranded
(Source:
http://callao-
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