Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-11-05
Rfxlc0's EARTHQUAKE.
Fridays Shock The Wors. Since i658-i6
Deaths slreaay Reported.

MEXICO CRY, Nov. 4-The earthquake
which visited this section, Friday evening
was the most severe felt since 1858. Re-
ports of damsge TO life and property are
slow in being collected, but it is known that
Is people were killed in this city and az
lesst three at outside points. Many roofs
OF ola buildings fell and in some instances
crushed TO instant death the occupants of
the house. All the killed were among the
lower classes
The earthquake was preceded by rum
bling subterranean noise. There wss a
moyi ment Of the ground from north to
south. This was followed 10 few seconds
by smother uudulatipg and stronger vibra-
ton from west TO east, succeeded by q shock
from northwest to southeast. The three
shocks, coming as they did from different
quarters. badly cracked the strongest build
ipgs. Tall chimneys felt, and walls stand
iug north and south suffered great damage.
From telegraph adyices from Central and
Southern Mexico the disturbance is shown
TO have covered the state and federal dis
trict of Mexico snd lasted one to four min
utes. Several distinct shocks were felt al
Jodutla, state of Morelos, and smart shocks
were felt at Tulancingo, state OF Hidalgo.
AT Aiuaco an Indian and his wife were
crushed to death under the roof of their
| adobe house.
Being q holiday and one of the chief
festival days of the year the theatres were
throrge and panics ensued. Several people
were hurt in the rush of exit and many
women went into bysterics. Songs on the
stage were succeeded by impassiones
prayers for forgiveness and confession of
errors. The plsys were generally aban-
ioued and the audiences remained in their
seats kneeling in prayer.
Traffic was completely abandoned at the
fret premonition. Drivers deserted the
street cars, and coachmen their hacks TO
kneel in pray yer with the throngs sending up
suppications. In the palace and the hum
ble home nothing but prayer was TO be
heard.
The threatened destruction was made the
more solemn by the ringing of bells in the
swaying church towers. Not a church was
iured by the twisting. The entire police
force Of the city was kept busy during the
night attending to the casualties occasi0ned
by falling walls and caying rocks, and the
police stations were crowded with people
brought in for temporary treatment before
removal to the hospitals.
In Belem and other PRISONS where many
desperate criminals are confined, as the
walls swayed and the earth cracked, threat
ening to entomb the imprisoned inmates,
the convicts, almost without exception, fell
upon their knees or grovelled on the floors
of the cells, with loud voices crying out
prayers and supplications. Many, suppos-
ing the end had come, shouted out confes-
sions of past crimes. This may be of use
TO the officers of the Law il unrayelling a
number of mysterious crimes in Mexico.
The supply water pipes from Chapultepec
to the city were broken and the greater
part of the city is in danger of water
famine unless the connection is soon
resored, which will take some time. The
electric lights were extinguished, the
dynamo axle in the plant leaping from its
bed. Great cracks in the earth appear in
various parts of city, especially in the
northern sections.