Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-08-21
EARTHQUAKE Kills
HUNDREDS IN chill
FIRE FOLLOWS SEISMIC Dis,
TURRANcE AT CITY OF
VALPARAISO.
HORROR AT FRISCO
MAY BE EQUALLED

Scores Of Persons Reported to Have
Perished in the Flames Which
Ragged All Night Practically
Every Building Damaged.
New York, Aug 1S.-The city Of
Valparaiso, Chill, is reported badly
damaged by earthquake.
One report received here is that the
situation In Valparaison may prove to
be as serious as the San Francisco
disaster.
Another report which reached this
Z city said that portions Of Valparaiso
were burning all night and that the
bodies of hundreds of its residents
were buried In the ruins of the build
ings. Il
Practically every building In the
city is damaged and there are fires
in different parts Of the city. Many
persons are reported killed and In
jured.
Another report from Valparaiso is
that the loss Of life has not been conf
firmed. Fires are burning IN various
parts Of the city.
Cable Lines Interrupted:
The earthquake interrupted cable
facilities to lower South American
points and communication for a time
was restricted to the route via Lis;
bon.
Late Friday forenoon 1t was stated
that the Central and South American
Telegraph company had reestablished
Its main Office at Valparaiso. This
would seem to show that the condii
tons are not as serious as were first
reported.
Valparaiso is fortified seaport of
Chill and the most Important oom-
mercial town of the western. coast
of South America. 1t has popula,
ton Of about 10000. 1t is the cap,
ital Of a province of the same name
and is situated on large bay in the
Pacific ocean, rs miles west north
west Of Santiago, the capital, with
winch 1t Is connected by rail.
City Built on Hills.
The bay Of Valparaiso, which is
well sheltered on three sides, ia
bounded by ranges of hills rising to
from 1000 to LOO feet high, on the
slopes Of which considerable portion
of the city of Valparaiso is built. On
the south side of the bay are the
spacious suburbs OF Nuevo Malecon
and Gran Avonida, from which passes
out one Of the finest OF the thorough.
fares Of Valparaiso, the Avenida de
las Delicias. The lower central sec
ton Of the city Il constituted by the
Almendral. having regular and at
tractive streets and containing the
principal business houses, the park
the Plaza Victoria and the National
theater.
To the northwest Of this section, in
the quarter Of the city known as the
Puerto Tor port), are situated the
greater number Of the public build.
ings and the vast warehouses which
line the quays and docks. In this por.
ton of the city, however, narrow and
crooked streets are still feature
but the newer sections Of valparaiso
have an attractive, modern appear
ance, the buildings In the business
quarters being OF massive construc
tpn.
Great Industrial Center,
Among the monuments in valpa
raise are those to Columbus. Wheel
wright (who established steam nayi
cation on the Gillian coast), Admiral
Pratt and Thomas Cochrane, organic
or OF the Gillian navy. The city has
various academic and collegiate 10
situations, q naval school, school fol
marines, museum of natural history
photographic bureau, etc, and Its In
dustrial establishments comprise
foundries. railroad and machine
shops. sugar rsfineries, breweries
distilleries, large bottling works and
factories OF all kinds. Elevators con
meet the lower parts Of the city witt
the villa section on the heights.
The port OF Valparaiso is the
terminus OF important lines Of steam.
ers for Europe by way Of the straits
OF Magellan and Panama and is the
center Of the South American coastine
services. It contains numerous for
eign colony, composed chiefly Of Brit.
tsh, German and French merchants,
There is custom house wharf
alongside Of which steamers Of ordi.
nary tonnage can moor, but most Of
the loading is done by lighters from
q quay surrounding the town. The
harbor Is defended by modern well
mounted batteries. Severe storms
and tidal wave at Valparaiso June
80, 1893, wrecked the railroad and
did great damage to the city.
In 1856 Valparaiso was visited BY
Q serious earthquake A Spanish feet
bombarded the port in 1856. During
the civil war Of 1891 the city was
partly sacked by congressional troops
Shock Recorded at Washington.
Washington, Aug. 18.-The weather
bureau Friday issued the following
earthquake bulletin:
"a very heavy, distant earthquake
was recorded on the seismographs at
the weather bureau In Washington
Thursday afternoon, beginning at five
minutes and % seconds past seven
,. M, seventy-ffth meridian time,
Complete and perfect records were
obtained OF both the north and south