The San Francisco call., 1906-08-19
10th to Believe Tales
of Ruin and Disaster
Valparaiso Merchant, Now in San Mateo, Says
City Was Built to Stand Quake and Fire.

~ AN MATEO, Aug. IS. The
thought of fire in Valparaiso does
Onot trouble me bit, I DO not be- BE-
lieve that great loss OF life has
occurred" said George S. Morgan. the
junior partner in the firm of H. j. Dun
can & Co., importers and exporters, OF
Valparaiso. Morgan is familiar with
the conditions at the Chilean port and
dfscredits the reports of great damage
by hre. He was resident of Valpa-
rafso during the terrible earthquake
of 1895, when 100000 square miles of
territory were disturbed At that time
there We're over fifty shocks each OF
which was as severe as the recent Cal
ifornia temblor. Through all tnts the
city Of Valparaiso escaped with scarce
an injury or loss Of life from failing
walls. No fires swept the city, and
therefore Morgan is 10th to credit the
current reports.
There is not single wooden house
in the better section of Valparaiso"
asserted Morgan today. All of the
walls of the buildings are especially
constructed to Withstand any kind of
a jar. None Of the houses is more than
two stories high. A few of the public
buildings are an exception to the rule.
A great fire would be impossible. There
are eleven crack fire companies, each
equipped with modern steam fire en-
gines, in Valparaiso. If the earthquake
broke the water system Of the city
the fire could be fought with the ener-
gency salt water reserve, which con-
sists of three large pipe lines to the
ocean shore. These lines are supplied
by heavy pressure pumps, and water
would thus be available for every por-
ton of the business and residential
sections.
WATER FRONT PROBABLY IN SEA.
Il expect that all the large mercan-
tile establishments and homes of the
poorer classes have been ruined IL the
earthquake was as severe as reported.
These buildings, as well as the nne
municipal structures along the water
front were constructed on made land.
To my mind it would not take a great
deal to cause this strip of land to slide
of into the deep bay. The remainder
of the city is built upon the granite
cliffs and has very secure foundations.
1t is difficult to imagine landslide
there. but 1t would be possible for sew
eral Of the mansions built at the crests
of terraces to .topple over.
"AH the insurance companies are
amply protected in South America.
They will not advance single dollar
for any loss caused by fires started
directly or Indirectly by an earthquake.
The earthquake clause is sharply de-
fined. It's presence is understood by
all the merchants, and we do not ex-
pect payment. Against fire therefore
the greatest of precautions have been
taken.
EARTHQUAKE-PRO HOUSES.
The housessof the wealthy are made
of adobe and corrugated iron. Some
are of brick and stone. The walls of
the houses are two feet thick and
solid, The adobe houses are construct
ed with wooden stanchions reinforced
by thick walls of mud and then covered
over with corrugated iron or zinc
There is not stove in use by the
Spanish or Chileans. The foreigns nave
a few stoves to cook on, but the de-.
vices of the inhabitants and electric
and gas stoves are used mainly.
"Chimneys are an unheard of arti-
Gle. The few stoves are supplied with
heavy iron fiues, and there is no dan
ger from falling bricks. The houses
of the wealthy with their secure foun-
dations are not crowded together, and
a fire if it ever gained any headway
would make slow progress for want of
combustible materiaL
when / say that / do not think the
loss of life has been large / base my