THE JAMAICA EARTHQUAKE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8336, 19 January 1907, Page 5

THE JAMAICA EARTHQUAKE.

FURTHER DETAILS OF THE DISASTER. Received January 18, 8.30 a.m. ™ LONDON, January 17. Additional particulars of the disaster at Kingston show that at the time the first shock occurred the party of British visitors were attending a conference at the Collegiate Hall. The building rocked, but all present refused to take refuge in the ships. The earthquake lasted four min-j utes. The water mains were broken, and the firemen became paralysed. The debris on the water front took fire, and the flames, assisted by a strong wind, spread rapidly. Four streets in the city were soon in ruins. The wind changed on Tuesday, and the fire burnt itself out. WHITE PEOPLE WARNED. SIR JAMES FERGUSSON'S DEATH. A BATTERY SUBMERGED. Received January 18, 8.56 a.m. LONDON, January 17. Falling masonry killed Sir James Fergusson. A tremendous windstorm, accompanied by partial darkness, forewarned the white people of the disaster. The majority of them immediately rushed into the open; hence their death-roll was comparatively small. The natives were sheltered in the poorer quarters, where the chief fatalities occurred. The battery at Port Royal was submerged, two gunners being killed. Received January 18, 10.4 p.m. LONDON, January 18. The ocean bed near Kingston has changed alarmingly, necessitating extremely cautious approach since the light house has been demolished. RELIEF MEASURES. Received January 18, 9.5 a.m. LONDON, January 17. There is a great scarcity of medicines at Kingston. Fruit is abundant, and the neighbouring towns and islands are ing food. There are nine thousand people homeless. A relief fund has been opened in New York, and a fund has also been started at Mansion House. Received January 18, 10.4 p.m. LONDON, January 18. The Lord Mayor of London has opened a Jamaica Relief Fund. The Corporation of London, King Edward, and the Royal Mail Steamship Company have each subscribed one thousand guineas, Queen Alexandra £I,OOO, and the Prince of Wales five hundred guineas.J Received January 18, 10.4 p.m. - NEW YORK, Jan. 18. A, relief fund has been opened in New York. The American House of Representatives has authorised President Roosevelt to supply navy stores. Received January 18, 10.4 p.m. OTTAWA, January 18. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Premier of Canada, proposes substantial assistance. GOVERNOR'S REPORT. Received January 18, 9.28 p.m. LONDON, January 18. The Governor of Jamaica reports that the earthquake was confined to the parishes of Kingston, Fort Royal and St. Andrew. The fire has practically ceased. The district buried comprises a triangular area between the Parade Gardens and the sea and Duke and Princess Streets, comprising one-thirteenth part of the city. Many wharves were burned. The negroes are not disposed to assist in clearing away the debris, though they were offered double wages. Three hundred and fO.rtythree people had been buried up to noon yesterday. The population is encamped in the Parade Gardens, racecourse, and other open spaces, and are reluctant to return to their ruined houses while the weather is fine. Most of the provision shops were burned. It is difficult to procure provisions, though some pilfering has occurred. The population are wonderfully patient though listless. The direct cable is broken three miles off the coast. Both telegraph offices were burnt, MR HENNIKER HEATON'S STATEMENT. Received January 18, 10.46 p.m. LONDON, January 18. Mr Henniker Heaton, telegraphing to The Times, says that after lunching at the Club with the Governor and Sir James Fergusson, who had just arrived after' visiting the Panama Canal, he accompanied Mr Cork, a member of the Council, on a visit to the post office. When returning the earthquake occurred. Directly the ground quaked thousands of people rushed into the street. "A huge building fell across the street a yard before us," states Mr Heaton, "and another blocked the street behind. A third fell on our left. Then there was absolute darkness. Great clouds of dust and mortar filled the air for five minutes. ' When light was restored we found ourselves as black as negroes with the dust and dirt. We had a miraculous escape. Some women were embracing their children. Others were on their knees crying 'Lord have mercy! Christ, us!' We found the Club in ruins, and the dining room filled with tons of bricks from the* fallen walls. A young fellow -without a hat or coat and a handkerchief round his head addressed me. , After some minutes, thinking his manner peculiar, I asked him if he wasjGerald Loder, for many years a friend of mine and an ex-member of the House of Commons. He .replied, 'Yes. I was waiting at the Club when the roof fell in and pinned me to the

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By Telesnoh—Pra« A«T.:mctM—Ciovrisht, floor.' Freeing himselfJof his coat, he escaped to a parapet and,thence by a ladder to the street. I saw Mr Bradley, a member of the Club, dead in the street. My bedroom in the Constant Springs Hotel was shattered. I found that numbers of ladies who had been resting at the hotel, had escaped and were on the lawn. With blankets around them, they slept on the lawn. Mr Heaton stated that there gwas three more shocks before sunrise. The blazing city was visible six miles off. Visiting Kingston he found 98 out of every 100 houses hopelessly ruined, though many ought to have been destroyed before. GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE BADLY DAMAGED. EIGHT AMERICAN TOURISTS MISSING. DEATHS ESTIMATED AT 1,200. Received January 18, 9.46 p.m. LONDON, January 18. The Governor's residence was badly damaged. All the churches suffered. The Health Board is straining every nerve to avert a pestilence. The Constant Springs Hotel was burned. Eight American tourists are reported to be missing. Many natives are in danger unless immediate relief is afforded them. The fruit company's lighters rescued 700 who were pushed off the wharves by the * maddened crowds seeking shelter from the flames. The police place the deaths at 1,200, and the injured at several I thousands. The Government'trains are conveying the hornless to Port Antonio. Mr' Hall Caine appeared before the curtain at the Adelphi Theatre and appealed for, funds, and stated that his brother had had a narrow escape in Jamaica. The British insurance offices escape loss almost entirely. MARTIAL LAW PROCLAIMED? MAIN FIRE STATION DESTROYED. FIRE-FIGHTING OPERATIONS HINDERED. Received January 18, 9.55 p.m. LONDON, January 18. Telegrams from New York report that martial law will be enforced until the panic has subsided. The negroes at first were frantic, believing it was a supernatural visitation. Forty whites were killed in the shops, which were full of buyers, when the first shock came and shattered the flimsier building. The stronger edifices were only damaged, but were subsequently burned by the fire. The main fire station was destroyed, and this hindered the fire-fight-ing ..operations, but the official city police and troops, headed by the Governor, began the rescue work within half an hour. Convicts also assisted. Only a score of doctors were available. The fires commencing in the docks spread north with amazing velocity, completely razing the important commercial district. It is feared that Sir James Fergusson's body has been burned. PREVIOUS AMERICAN EARTHQUAKES. The following is a list of previous principal earthquakes in America: — June 7th, 1692, a£ Jamaica. —Port Royal destroyed and houses engulfed forty fathoms deep. Three thousand persons perished. October 25th, 1746.—Lima and Calla demolished; . 18,000 persons buried in the ruins. June 7th, 1775.—Santiago with its inhabitants swallowed up. February 4th, 1797.—Country between Santa Fe and Panama destroyed, including Cuzo and Quito. Forty thousand people buried in one second. Chili permanently raised. January 11th, 1839.—Martinique j Island damaged. Half of Port Royal destroyed. | April 2nd, 1851, at Valparaiso.— { Three hundred houses destroyed. I April 16th, 1854.—San Salvador destroyed. March 22nd, 1859, at Quito.— Three thousand persons killed. December Bth, 1859, at San Salvador. —Many buildings destroyed and great loss of life. March 20th, 1860, at Mendoza.— Two-thirds of the city levelled, and 7,000 persons killed. . August 12th and 13th, 1868. Arequipa, Inquique, Tacna, Chencha, and other towns in Eucador destroyed. Twenty-five thousand lives lost, 30,000 persons rendered homeless, damage to property £60,000,000. September 9 th, 1871, at San Salvador. —Very heavy shocks. March 26th- and 27th, 1872.—Several towns in California damaged. March 19th, 1875, at San Salvador. —Thirty killed, the rest escaping owing to timely warning. May 9th and 10th, 1877.—Earthquake and tidal wave at Callao. September 13th, 1888, at Valparaiso.—About 200 persons perished. October 27th, 1894.—Severe shock throughout the Argentine. . April 17th, 1906.—Terrible earthquakes at San Francisco. August 16th and 17th, 1906—. Earthquakes and fires at Valparaiso, Santiago, and other Chilian cities.

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