The Jersey City news., 1906-08-18

HUNDREDS REPORTED DEAD
Whole Rows Of Buildings Fall
and Then Catch Fire.
LARGE PART OF CITY BURNING.

Populace Panic Stricken--Whoie Bust
ness Section Imperled and Residen-
tiai Precincts Threatened by Flames.
Fear That Santiago, Whence No
News Has Come, Is Also Stricken.
All Wires Now Down.
New York, Aug 1S.-Chile has been
shaken by a great earthquake. and the
city of Valparaiso is reported to be in
ruins. Wires are down, and it is ~im-
possible to obtain late information of
the disaster
According to statements made by the
cable operator at Valparaiso, who was
working for a time in direct communi-
cation with the office i'll Galveston,
Tax, earthquake Shocks continued at
intervals all through the day, and many
times the operators had to flee from
their office
The operator at Valparaiso stated
that everything was in confusion at
that place, that many houses had been
razed and that the loss of life was be-
had been made to ascertain the num-
Der.
Fire started Immediately after the
first shock, and every branch of the
city's service was paralyzed. Panic
and CONSERVATION indescribable fol
lowed, and those who escaped death
and injury became frenzied with fear
and could render little assistance to the
victims.
Buildings Pitched Forward.
There We're two distinct and terrific
shocks, the second one following almost
instantly after the first and completing
the work 2f destruction The day had
been unusually calm and pleasant. At
s o'clock the whole city seemed sud-
denly to swing backward and forward,
and then came sudden jolt of such
mighty force that rows of buildings
toppled to the earth as if made of brit
tie plaster. Whole rows Of buildings
Wcnl uONn III d lew ScCOHtlS.
After the second shock had subsidized
it looked as if the business part of the
town was doomed. From the Bella
vista section little was heard, but be-
fore midnight fires were seen burning
there, and it was learned that that
whole section of the city also was in
peril.
Two Distinct Shocks.
The city stands upon a formation of
granite gness which seemed to ac-
centuate the force of the shock. Before
the stunned people were given time to
realize the magnitude of the calamity
again the city was shaken with vio-
lence greater than before The earth in
places lifted and pitched the buildings
forward. In other places there was a
terrible tremor that shook every struc-
ture to the ground This shock con-
tinued longer than the first
When it had subsidized fires were blaz-
ing up and thousands of terrified per-
sons were praying, and panic swept the
city.
Many landslides have occurred
around the city, and scores of lives
were lost there.
Nothing had been heard from Santi-
ago, the capital city of Chile, and it
was feared that the fate of that city
was as bad or worse than that of Val
paraiso.
VaIparaiso's Population 10000.
Valparaiso is & fortified seaport of
Chile and the most important CONNER
cial town of the western coast of South
America 1t has population of about
100000. 1t is the capital of a province
of the same name and is situated on a
large bay in the Pacific ocean, seventy
five miles west-northwest of Santiago,
with which it is connected by rail.
The bay of Valparaiso, which is well
sheltered on three Sides is bounded by
ranges of hills rising to from 1000 to
1,700 feet high, on the slopes of which
a 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 Ayenida
The lower central section of the city
contains the principal business houses
the park, the Plaza Victoria and the
National theater.
To the northwest of this section is
the quarter of the city known as the
Puerto, or port, in which are situated
the greater number of the public build
ings and the vast warehouses which
line the qnays 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 appearance, the
buildings in the business quarters be-
ing massively built.
The port Of Valparaiso is the termiss
nus Of important lines of steamers for
Europe by way Of the strait Of Magel-
Ian and Panama and is the center Of
the South American coasting services