Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-08-23


south America Wrecked.
One of the worst earthquake disas-
tiers in the history of South America
occurred in Chile, with the City of Val
paraiso as the focus point of the ca
iamity. according to cables from Nalpa-
raise. Buenos Ayres, and other South
American points. Advices are TO the
effect that a large part of Valparaiso
has been blotted out, with an appalling
loss of life and the destruction OF mil
lions of dollars worth of property,
While frightful damage has also been
caused TO other towns and villages for
hundreds of miles up and down the
coast in Chile and Peru, by the sue
cession of earthquake shocks which
wrecked the entire Pacific coast line
of South America Thursday night.
So widespread and so great is the
disaster that it was impossible as yet
TO gather more than the most frag-
mentary details, but enough is known
to make it sure that the catastrophe
ranks second only to that in San Fran
cisco. As was the case III San Fran
cisco. famine threatens the tens of thou
sands of survivors of the earthquake.
The earthquake caused such terrible
immediate damage that all communica-
ton was stopped between Chile and the
remainder of the world. The most ter
rible rumors were af1oat in Argentina
and Brazil as to the extent of the Chi
lean disaster, some reports being to the
effect that not only has Valparaiso
been largely destroyed but that the
earthquake has caused sweeping loss in
life and property from one end of Chile
to the other. According to some of these
reports, Chile is said to be land of
wreck. desOlatiOn and death from the
southern to the northern boundary.
ships Lost in HarbOr.
Following the first shock, which came
without warning and was of terrific
force, a tidal wave swept in from the
ocean, Many vessels were borne aloft
by it and hurled high and dry ashore
where their wrecks are now lying. Just
above the city one steamship lies near
ly a half mile inland, her plates rip
ped and torn by the rocks and her hull
half buried in the sand.
The damage to the shipping is be-
yond computation. At the time of the
catastrophe the harbor was filled with
shipping from all ports of the world,
many of the vessels being laden with
rich cargoes. More than half of them
are ashore and most of the latter it
will be impossible to float again. Scores
of seamen lost their lives as the great
tidal wave swept the vessels ashore,
and for miles along the coast in the
city the beaches are strewn with dead
bodies and all kinds of wreckage.
The misery of the Chilean inhabit-
ants is almost indescribable. 1t must
be remembered that it is mid-winter
add to the suffering of the thousands
who have been made homeless.
Two Severe Shocks Felt.
There were two distinct shocks in
Valparaiso, the second one causing
most of the damage. Scores of houses
crumpled up like so many card struc-
lures, while others were engulfed by
the chasms of the earthquake, and hun
dreds of men, women and children
were blotted out of existence. The city
became raging sea of fame, fires max
ing Roadway in a dozen different sec
tons, most of the city which escaped
the earthquakes ravages being doom
ed by the flames The fire-fighting
forces of Valparaiso were powerless
against the tremendous extent of the
flames and little could be done to check
their onslaught.
An extremely large number of per-
sons in Valparaiso who were not killed
instantly by the earthquakes effects
suffered injury from tumbling walls,
and the list of the MANNED and wound
ed will probably run into the thous-
ands. The scenes in Valparaiso have
probably never been approached in the
western hemisphere except at San
Francisco, the city being an utter in
ferno of death, suffering and desola-
ton.
Crossed the Andes.
From the few details of the earth
quake obtainable it appears that the
disturbance passed south along the Pa
cifc coast and cross the Andes at
Buenos Ayres. During the night the
volcano of Tupungato was heard roar
ing, and the people fed to the churches
to pray for safety. At San Juan, in
the Andes, high winds accompanied the |
shocks.
The shock around Los Andes was |
severe, and it is feared that the town
has been destroyed. The shocks also |
seriously affected the towns of Rosario, |
Aranas, Rioja, San Luis, and Tucuman. |
MANY SHOCKS IN CHILE.