Environmental Engineering Reference
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Burying the dead. Dead bodies were buried in mass graves and in the areas
surrounding churches; however, there were not enough resources to accomplish
this task as quickly as desired. According to Llano Zapata (cited in Odriozola
1863
), the injured were gathered in city squares without any medical aid, and
some of them perished where they lay. Even more diffi cult was the removal of
the nearly 2,000 dead horses and mules trapped under the debris, which resulted
in a disgusting odor that lingered in the city for days.
Feeding the people. Obtaining bread, meat and water was of the highest priority.
The Viceroy ordered that all ovens be repaired and that bakers be brought from
nearby cities. He mandated that the quantity of meat being sold remain at normal
levels. Water fountains and sewage channels were to be restored immediately.
Protecting the Crown's treasures. Because the port of Callao was continuously
threatened by pirates (and now by local looters as well), the Viceroy appointed a
military guard to protect the warehouses containing the money and treasures of
the King.
Reconstructing the Main Palace, where essential functions such as the judiciary
and tax offi ces were housed (Walker and Ramirez Castaneda
2002
).
The future of the city of Lima became a subject of debate. The fi rst proposal
involved the outright relocation of the city, although due to the complex socioeco-
nomic problems involved and the potential loss of strategic value for the Royal
Crown, this plan was not adopted. Luis Godin of San Marcos University was sub-
sequently charged with developing a plan for the reconstruction of the city. The
fi rst draft of his proposal was presented on November 10, sparking a debate over
the proposed architectural and structural designs of Lima's houses. Some residents
were in favor of limiting houses to a single story, in which case the remaining
houses of two or more stories would be destroyed as part of the reconstruction
process. The walls of houses at the time were built to a substantial width, which
presented potential danger in the case of their collapse; one aspect of the proposal,
therefore, included a plan for thinner walls and roofs supported by wooden beams.
The use of alternative building materials such as “quincha” was also encouraged.
In Godin's proposal, churches with wooden roofs could be constructed with walls
higher than those of houses but would no longer be built with towers. Godin also
proposed the destruction of what remained of the city wall and the construction of
wider streets; unfortunately, these particular suggestions were ultimately not
adopted. In contrast, landlords—many of whom belonged to the Church or to
wealthy families—wanted to build multi-story rental homes that would bring in
more profi t, and ultimately, this powerful demographic convinced the Viceroy to
withdraw Godin's plans for reconstruction.
In the reconstruction of the port of Callao, the construction of housing was
prohibited, and it was decided that with rebuilt walls, the port would henceforth
serve only commercial and military purposes (Saenz Mori
2009
) (Fig.
7.5
). A
new town was built outside the limits of the fl ood zone. Located roughly one
league (5 km) from the peninsula, this town was called Bellavista and was
intended as the new destination for the warehouses and workers previously
located in the port of Callao.
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