Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-18
EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE
VALPARAISO PARTLY WRECKED
MANY KILLED AND INJURED.

Further details have been received of the
earthquake at Valparaiso, Chile. AS at
San Francisco, the shock was followed by
the starting Of many fires.
A cablegram from Lima, Peru, last night
says: The flames, extending from the
Plaza Orden toward the north. have not yet
been extinguished. Many houses have been
destroyed and nearly all of those in the
city are more or less damaged, either by
the earthquake or the fire. Business is at
complete standstill. The banks are closed.
The gas supply is unavailable and the cleo
trio lighting system is completely knocked
out. The greatest panic prevails among
the inhabitants Many families are fleeing
from the city. The weather is fair and
the sea is calm.
Communication with Santiago de Chile
is interrupted and 1t is impossible to learn
were killed and injured in Valparaiso. The
shocks continue, but are milder. The ship
ping in the port was not injured. me
streets which suffered most were Gales
Blanco, Condell and Esmeralda and those
in the Delicias district, where the best resi-
dences are.
Buenos Ayres Reports Big Loss OF Life
A cablegram from Buenos Ayres last
night says: According to the informa-
ings have been destroyed in Valparaiso and
the loss of life is said to have been large
The disturbance was general throughout
Chile, and was felt at some points in the
Argentine Republic.
News of the disaster is extremely meager
owing to the fact that Geographic COM
munication is cut off, the shocks having
thrown down the telegraph lines.
Confirmed at Hamburg.
A cablegram from Hamburg last night
says: An exporting firm here has received
cable message stating that numerous dis
tricts in Chile have been partly or totally
destroyed by an earthquake, especially Val
paraiso, which has been demolished. Fires
are burning everywhere there. Many ships
with their cargoes were lost.
More than hundred persons lost their
lives and many hundreds were injured. The
misery is indescribable.
The News at New York.
New York received its first intimation Of
earthquake shocks in South America on
Thursday night, when the local office Of the
Western Union learned that the wires of
the Mexican Gable Company, which oper-
ates down the western coast of South
America through the Central and South
American Telegraph Company, were down
and that communication with Valparaiso
and interior Chilean points had been cut
Through the night nothing was received
from any point south of Callao, Peru. and
that city knew nothing Of the cause OF the
cable interruption In the south.
Yesterday morning dispatch from Bue-
nos Ayres via the Lisbon cable said that
though no shock had been felt on the east
the Andes were down and 1t was rumored
that Valparaiso and Santiago. the chief
cities of Chile, had been visited by severe
tremors. Before noon the office of the
To1o n
Company began to receive direct messages
from their operator stationed in the cable
hut outside Of the city of Valparaiso. These
messages were sent by representatives of
New York commercial houses in the
stricken city.
Parts Of City Ablaze.
At the offices of the Central and South
American Telegraph Company. SO Broad
way, Manager Robertson said that he was
not in a position to give out the reports
that his company had received from their
operators at Valparaiso and other points
along the Chilean coast.
Il can tell you that there has been
fearful earthquake he said, land parts
of the city are on fire. What reports we
of messages to private individuals in this
city and we are not permitted to give these
to the public. Our operators there are so
busy and the confusion is so great that we
upon conditions there for some time to
come.
Last night our wires were broken and we
heard that there had been a succession Of
earthquake shocks. Communication was
restored by our operators in Chile this
morning and now our wire is working per-
fectly. There should be full report Of the
disaster over the wires before tomorrow
morning. Beyond Valparaiso, however, and
through all the inland districts there is not
a wire up. No word has yet been received
from Santiago, La Serena, Conception or
Iquique. We cannot tell what the extent
will be able to restore communication with
the interior"
People Demoralized.
Later the company received this message
from it's representative at Valparaiso:
People demoralized; all business houses
closed; no prospect of an early restoration
of lines to Santiago or Buenos Ayres."
The companys Office, which is always
closed at night made no exception last
night. Its night business came through the
Western Unions Wall street office as usual.
Manager keene of the Western Union Office
said early in the evening that nothing in
the way OF details of the earthquake had
come through to any one. Many private
messages were received bearing the single
word Safe" but nothing that would give a
line on the extent Of the disaster.
1.-THE situation is somewhat different from
that at the time of the San Francisco earth
quake" said Manager Keene. Then the Of
ficials of the company were continually get
ting word from the operators at San Fran
cisco. giving details of tine disaster. All our
messages from Valparaiso and cities north
come via Galveston and whatever wire chat
comes up about the earthquake stops there,
because our wires are already overloaded
with business that has to get through. We
are accepting business for Valparaiso SUBJ
ject to delay, but are taking nothing for
Buenos Ayres and other points south of
Valparaiso. Our communication with
Buenos. Ayres and points south is by the
transandean telegraph lines, which were
broken down by the earthquake. 1t is pos
sible. however, to hear from Buenos Ayres
via Europe over the Atlantic cahlea