Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-19
5000 LOST
IN CHILEAN
EARTHQUAKE
Valparaiso and Santiago Terror
Stricken With Panic.
FLAMES ADD TO THE HORROR
Property Losses Will Mount Up in
the Millions.
DISTURBANCES COVER BIG AREA
Number Of Minor Towns Are Destroy
ed-valparaiso Described as Nearly
Wiped out-Shock Thursday.
FLAMES ADD TO THE HORROR
Property Losses Will Mount Up in
the Millions.
DISTURBANCES COVER BIG AREA

Fully five thousand persons, according
to the latest dispatches from Santiago de
Chile, lost their lives in the Valparaiso dis
aster Santiago also suffered severely.
Thirty people were killed there. and the
property loss is placed at 100000.
Except the foregoing, no estimates of the
damages and casualties caused by the
earthquake in Chile had been received at
New York up to IL o'clock tonight, and
the above dispatch lacks confirmation.
Panic reigns in both cities. The people are
in the grip of fear of further shocks and
are fleeing. Refugees from Valparaiso are
getting into Santiago, forty-two miles away.
The disturbances have covered a large
area. Shocks were felt in Tacna, in the
extreme north of Chile. number of
minor towns have been either destroyed or
materially damaged. Valparaiso has been
described as nearly destroyed" while
another message says half that city has
become prey to the earthquake and the
flames.
The loss OF life and property undoubt-
edly was very heavy.
Telegraphic communica ton has been es-
tablished with Chile. but no messages have
yet been received from Valparaiso.
The first shock occurred Thursday even
ing about o'clock and was followed by
others at intervals throughout the night.
Panic prevailed and the steamers were
filled with hysterical. wailing and praying
people. Half the inhabitants of Santiago
stayed on the streets or fed to the coun-
try Thursday night. Fires followed in
Santiago, but were quickly extinguished by
a providential heavy downpour. Valparaiso
suffered much from fire. Many people
have left the two cities and the stream of
refugees continues.
The disturbances are confined to the Pa
cifc slope of the Andes, but Iquique, the
center of the nitrate industry, has escaped
injury. The disturbances were recorded by
seismographs in Washington, Honolulu,
Hamburg Goettinger.
Various firms in Europe and Ame. lea
with business interests in Chile have re-
ceived messages announcing the safety Of
employees.
Among the places reported to have been
damaged destroyed are Vina Del Mar
12,0OO people three miles from Valparaiso; ;
Quipque and Limachea OF 400 people eac h,
in Valparaiso province; Quillota, twenty six
miles from Valparaiso; Lapel. 5000 people,
40 miles northwest of Santiago; Vallenar,
5000 people, 800 miles north Of Santiago,
and other small towns.
Houses in Valparaiso and Santiago as
well as other towns in Chile, are bulk to
withstand earthquakes They are made of
stone with thick walls and are seldom more
than two stories high. They are therefore
not very combustible as was the case in
San Francisco
SANTIAGO, Chile, August 1S-It is re-
ported from Valparaiso that 5000 deaths
resulted from the earthquake there. De-
tails are incomplete as there is no direct
communication between Valparaiso and
Santiago. In this city there were thirty
deaths. The value of property destroyed
will reach 100000.
SANTIAGO, Chile. August 16 delayed in
transmission).-The worst earthquake ever
remembered occurred this evening, begin
ing at about o'clock. Houses fell In the
streets, which were filled with hysterical
people. The clerks at the cable offices say
that the telegraph lines to the coast are
severed. The electric lights are out and as
the correspondent is trying to file this dis
patch the earthquake is again starting. He
can hear people wailing and praying in the
city are ringing out alarms:
Lasted Three Minutes.
SANTIAGO, Chile, August 1S.-The earth
quake lasted three and a half minutes.
All the telegraph and telephone lines
were interrupted for some time, and as yet
there is no news regarding the extent OF
the damage done In the provinces.
In Santiago several persons were killed OF
injured.
few fires broke out, but these were
promptly extinguished by heavy showers
after tSe earthquake.
Practically half the population passed the
night in the squares or avenues of the city
The observatory seismograph was rem.
dered useless by the violence of the shocks
Seismic Disturbances All Over.
BUENos AYREs. August 1s.-A teIe-
gram received here from Punta Devaras
says that a train from Santiago, Chile
CONTINUED ON Second Page.)