River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-08-23
Conservative Estimates Place Number
Of Dead in Valparaiso at Fully
Two Thousand Persons.
D CITY is THE SCENE OF FEARFUL DESOLATION
Entire Population Flocks to Hills Surrounding
Metropolis for Safety and Suffers
From Cold and Rain.

The possibility of famine is in.
creased by the difficulty of getting
supplies into the city. All the rail-
roads have been destroyed. Only by
way of the sea will it be possible to
get food into the city for days.
The confused and panic-stricken
state of the civic authorities makes
anything like an organized effort to
cope with the emergency impossible.
Ghouls at Work.
AS much as possible has been done
TO prevent footing, but it still is going
on.
No attempt has been made to re-
ruins or to identify the dead.
Among the dead is the wife of Ad-
miral Montt, the president-elect for
whose installation preparations were
being made at the time of the earth
quake. An order has been issued that
the festival funds collected through
out the country for this event shall be
devoted to relief
Vina Del Mar, three miles from Val
paraiso, and having a population OF
over 10000; Quirihue, 225 miles to the
southwark, with population Of $500;
Limache, Is miles to the northwest,
with a population of $500; Quillota,
25 miles to the northwest, with a pop
ulation of 10000, and villages all
around were destroyed.
Rivals Frisco Horror.
The captain of steamship which
has arrived from San Francisco says
that the situation here is worse than
that following the disaster at San
Francisco.
Proportionately the catastrophe
here is considered greater than that
which befell San Francisco Valpa-
raise and neighboring towns are
wrecked and partially burned, and in
all of the towns of the Aconcagua val
ley conditions are similar. In the
southern portion of Chill severe
shocks were felt at Talcapuano, Con-
cepcion, Talca and Zone, but there the
disaster was not appalling. AS yet no
authentic news has been received
from Santiago, although a courier is
shortly expected.
Poor Suffer Most.
Quakes occurred from time to time
Sunday, but are steadily diminishing
in force AS to the dead and wound
ed, an accurate estimate is as yet inn
possible. Most of the fatalities by
earthquake here were in the poorer
quarters of the city where small
houses collapsed. Many persons, in
Guiding one or more high officials who
were suffering from heart disease,
died of shock.
Country in Ruins.
New York.-One of the worst
earthquake disasters in the history of
South America, has occurred in Chill,
with the city of Valparaiso as the focus
point of the calamity, according to
cables from Valparaiso, Buenos Ayres
and other South American points.
Advices are to the effect that a
large part of Valparaiso has been blot
ted out, with an appalling loss of life
and the destruction of millions Of dol
lars worth of property, while fright
full damage has also been caused to
other towns and villages.
AS was the case in San Francisco,
famine threatens the tens of thou
sands of survivors of the earthquake
and an appeal for worldwide relief
contributions is expected as soon as
communication is restored.
The press correspondent at Buenos
Ayres cables that it is feared the
town of Los Andes, in the province of
Aconcagua, has been destroyed. At
the same time he points out that
Buenos Ayres has no direct communi
cation with the disturbed district.
Cable Operator Reports.
According to statements made by
the cable operator at Valparaiso, who
was working in direct communication
with the office in Galveston, Fridays
earthquake shocks continued at inter-
walls throughout the day and many
times the operators had to flee from
their Office.
The operator at Valparaiso stated
that everything is in confusion at that
place, that many houses have been
RACED and the loss of life believed to
be great, although no attempt has yet
been made to ascertain the number.
Overland lines over the Andes noun
south of Valparaiso is completely shut
off.