The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-09
HOPEFUL FOR VALPARAISO.
REPORT on CONDITION AFTER
TIE EARTHQUAKE.

W. n. Grace a Co. Agents In the wrecked
City Send Out Statement OF Damage
and Chance for Recovery Great
wealth Producing Districts EscaDe.
VALPARAISO. Aug. 27.-W. r. Grace 4
Co.'S agents here have sent to their cor
respondents a report on the recent earth
quake disaster OF which the following Ia part:
W feel il necessary to give q succinct
relation Of the frightful calamity which
befel Valparaiso on the night OF the 10th
INST. Three earthquakes Of great intensity.
closely following each other. took place
about 8 p. NJ. and practically annihilated
our hourishing city. Immediately numer-
Gus fires resulted and spread TO a con-
fiagration which finished much Of the
destruction originated by the earthquakes.
There was an inadequate supply Of water
and the flremen were utterly helpless to
cope with the flames. The gas and electric
light establishments we're also d~eranged.
so that except for the light from burning
buildings the town was left in darkness,
The CONSERVATION vas terrible, the populaoe
being utterly panicstricken.
The military authorities took charge OF
the place Immediately after the disaster,
and the behavior of officers and troops has
beer excellent. Martial law was promptly
proclaimed, and still continues, looters and
i~ncendiaries being shot mercilessly. The
first apprehensions OF famine n thirst
were VOC allayed by the exemplary man.
ner in W hich the authorities -commandeered
food supplies and established strict dis
cipline in respect OF the water service.
Now that some calm has returned to
the city it is possible to gather fairly re-
liable Information. The casualties have
been very heavy. The mortality is fully
$500 and the injured 1000 to 5000 cases. :,
AS to material losses. it il impossible to
get at any close estimate yet of the value
hat has been destroyed. But II W
personal observations, ~corroborated by
other opinions, Justify us in stating that
not a single structure Of any sort has escaped
without some earthquake damage. In fact,
we would summarize the damage to prop
erty in Valparaiso as:
Absolutely wrecked and ruined by
earthquake, SO per cent.
some Immediately on the heels Of the earth
quakes and others in the succeeding four
to five days, 25 per cent.
Buildings with damages ranging from
great to trihing, and many Of which will
have to be RACED, IS per cent.
Expressed this way, the figures will
help to convey a graphic idea Of the ex-
ceptionally severe nature OF the calamity.
THE banking centre, with a few of the
leading commercial houses, Is the section
of the city which has escaped with least
damage. Fortunately. our own Office prem
.ses are within this limited area, so beyond
some trihing damage our offices rave e.
capped intact. Two Of our warehouses,
however, have been destroyed by fire.
From the first moment, all wire, and
even railway, communication with the
country at large was cut on and only a
single cable to the north remained for COM
munication abroad. Hence, two days
elapsed before the tidings of the disaster
got ever so far as the capital ISantiagol.
Ii was nearly a week before lines OF com
munication were fairly reestablished; and
railway traffic with the interior has but
just been resumed, in a crippled fashion.
Although Valparaiso has been the centre
OF the disaster, the effects of the earth
OF VIVA del Mar has suffered fully so per
cent. destruction; and the ~neighborIng
towns OF Limache, Quillota, Casablanca,
and Llai-Llai have been almost ruined.
The city Of Santiago was badly wrenched
throughout n the damage to buildings will
involve an enormous sum for repairs. The
important towns Of Talca, Curicu, RancaRua
and several others to the south Of Santiago
nav also undergone great damage. In
all these places, the casualty list has like
wise been quite heavy. h shake was
felt severely as far south as Conception,
with but little damage, however. in the
latter city.
Naturally the shock to commercial
and financial circles has been great, but il
is still impossible to measure what will
be the extent. Several important Val
paraiso firms, located in the ruined dis
tricts, are either made bankrupt or brought
into serious difficulties; and there are num-
berless smaller concerns utterly wiped
out. or course, much will depend upon
the action Of the fire insurance companies,
which so far disclaim any responsibility
under the Chilean form Of policy. But
our Investigations satisfy us that the stu
alton will be weathered without fatal conse-
uuences for the banks. And we believe
that the danger Of a great financial panic
is now over.
The great wealth producing sections
OF the country, l.. e., the north, with its
nitrate and mining; the centre, with it's
agriculture, and the south, with its forest
and pastoral resources, have escaped, and
all in such condition OF high prosperity
that their benefits will soon come to the
rescue OF the void which Valparaiso and
vicinity have to-day TO face, because Of
tho daatrt1cfiOn Of 40 much local yaIuo