New-York tribune., 1906-08-18

London, Aug 17-Some London firms trading \
with Valparaiso have received kilograms from \
their agents there. One to James & Alexan- |
der Brown says:
Severe earthquake. Commerce psralyzed- |
Town ahre. staff safe"
other dispatches give no details and merely
record the safety of their officers and staffs
A Hamburg firm is said to have received
dispatch that numerous districts in Chill had
been partially or totally destroyed. that VAL
paradise had been practically demolished. that
MANY ships had been lost. and that over hun
dred persons had been killed and many hundreds
injured This dispatch. however. is not well
authenticated.
Galveston. Aug 1S.-According TO reports from
the cable operator at Valparaiso who was work
ing in direct communication with the Office in
This city. yesterdays earthquake shocks con-
tinued at intervals all through the day, and
many times the operators had to flee from their
office.
The operator at Valparaiso reported that
everything was in confusion at that place that
many houses had been razed, and that the loss
Of life was believed to be great, although no
attempt has yet been made to ascertain the
number. Overland lines over the Andes are all
down and communication south OF Valparaiso is
completely shut off,
Buenos Ayres. Aug. IL p. MN the alb
sence Of telegraphic communication beyond
Puente del Inca, it has been impossible up to
this hour to obtain accurate details OF the de-
struction by the earthquake in Chilli. The
managers Of the telegraph companies here say
that nothing is coming through. Press reports
purporting to come from Chilli are purely i'm
aginary London and New York are eagerly
seeking for news from the affected district
officials Of the Pacific Railway say that IL is
their belief that the damage at Valparaiso is
not nearly so serious has been stated. but
they express the fear that the town of Los
Andes has been destroyed.
The newspapers this evening publish tele-
grams from Mendoza, trade station between
Buenos Ayres and Chill by way of the noun
tain passes of Uspallata and PortiIo. to the
effect that many houses in the Los Andes dis
trict were destroyed by the earthquake and
that there have been a large number of casual
ties. The interruption OF all means Of COM
munication causes much anxiety Many rumors
Of disaster are ahOat.
private cable dispatch to ". r. Grace 6
Co from Valparaiso. received by way Of Lima.
Peru. says that the earthquake in Valparaiso
was severe. and that business IN the city has
been totally suspended. The dispatch added
that Grace & Co.'S buildings I'm Valparaiso were
badly damaged. hut that none OF the occupants
was injured.
At 1880 o'clock last night the central cabl,
Office of the Western Union Telegraph Company
received service message saying: The VAL
paraiso office is closed until o'clock tomorrow
morning No reason is given for THIS. and
neither this nor any other message received by
the company tonight throws any more definite
light upon the situation in Chilli
An earlier report which reached this city said
! that the situation in Valparaiso might prove TO
be as serious the San Francisco disaster
Practically every building in the city was ,!s,n-
| aged and there fires in different parts Of
the city Many persons were reported killed
and injured The earthquake interrupted cable
facilities to lower South American points. and
communication was restricted TO the route by
way of Lisbon
Another report said that portions OF Valparaiso
were burning all night, and that the bodies OF
hundres!s Of :ts residents we're buried IN the
ruins OF the buildings.
Other advices said that the Central and South
l American Telegraph Company had established