EARTHQUAKE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 575, 2 August 1909, Page 5

EARTHQUAKE.

DEVASTATION IN MEXICO. FIVE HUNDRED KILLED. AREA AFFECTED: 1000 SQUARE MILES TWO TOWNS DESTROYED. (By Tck'Braph.-l'reßS Aasoclatlon.-Oopyrleht.) . (Bee. August 2, 1.10 a.m.) ■..-■■ Mexico, July 31. Yesterday (Friday) Mexico was visited by a tremendous earthquake, which affected over 1000 square miles of country. The number of persons who have perished is estimated. at 500. The towns of Chilpanzingo, with a population of over 6000, and Ghilapa, with a population of over 8000, were destroyed. GREATEST EARTHQUAKES ON RECORD. A.I). 742.—Syria, Palestine, and Asia Minor; More than 500' towns destroyed; lost of life surpassed calculation. ... 1137.—Catania in Sicily; 15,000' people bnried. 1186.—Calabria: a city and all inhabitants ; swept into Adriatic. . . ■ ; 162 C—Naples: 30 towns ruined, 70,000 lives lost. 16G7.—Schamaki: lasted 3 months; 80,000 perished. , 16D3.—Sicily: 354 towns and villages destroyed; over 100,000 lives lost.

1703.—Jeddo: 200,000 perished. 1731.—Peking: 100,000 people swallowed up. 1755.—Lisbon: in 8 minutes nearly all the houses and over 50,000 inhabitants swallowed; immense damage throughout Spain, Morocco, "Madeira, and Greek Islands. This awful ■■ ■ earthquake extended 5000 miles. , 18GS.—Chili, Peru, and Ecuador; damage estimated at £60,000,000: ■■■■• ■

1883.—Krakatoa: 35,000 .killed; lighthouses in Straits of Snnda swallowed; mountains split ii[i and disappeared; town of Anjer swamped by a wave.. V ' IS96.—North Japan; 20,000 persons drowned by tidal wave, as the result of an earthquake. 1902.-7-St. Pierre (Martinique): ' 30,000 inhabitnnts destroyed by Mont Pelee. 1908.—Southern Italy and Sicily; estimated that 200,OJ!0 lost their lives. •".'.:' ;

An extensive volcanic zone lies in Mexico between parallels 18-20 degrees of latitude, with several active volcanoes, and numerous extinct ones. .Earthquakes are"frequent, , .but are never very violent, and pass almost unheeded..' The area chiefly affected on the present disastrous occasion appears, to be within the State-of Guerrero, - which lies to the south of the capital. Tho town of Chilpanzingo is 120 miles ■W.S.W. from the town of Mexico, and on to road from Acap'ulco on the.Pacific Coasts. It has a population of over G000; Chilapa is sitnated in the State of Guerrero 65 miles N.E. of Acapulco, and has ; . a-.'population -of over '8000. , 'Both.of these town lie within comparatively short distance of the' Pacific Coast. The country in the State of GuerreTO is mountainous, and facilities for communication are lacking. The total population of the State !is ■nearly half a million. ...