The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-17
Disastrous Earthquake Shock
Sweeps Through Chile.
Reported That Capital City Has
Been Wrecked.
REPORTS ARE MEAGER
One Is That Hundreds Are
Dead.
Many Are Buried in Ruined
Buildings.
THE CITY Is ON FIRE.
Extent of the Loss Is Not Yet
known.
The Cable Communication Has
Been Interrupted.
The Cable Communication Has
Been Interrupted.

New York. Aug. 1.-THE city OF
Valparaiso. chile, is reported badly
damaged by earthquake. one report
received here is that the situation IN
Valparaiso may prove to be as serious
as the san Francisco disaster.
Practically every building in the
city is damaged and there are fires III
different parts of the city. Many per-
sons are reported killed and Injured.
The earthquake has interrupted cable
facilities to lower South American
points and communication is restricted
to the route via Lisbon.
Another report from Valparaiso is
that the loss of life has not been con-
hrmed Fires are burning in various
parts of the CITY.
Valparaiso is a fortified seaport Of
Chile and the most important CONNER
cial town of the western coast of South
America. IT has a population Of about
10000. 1t is the capital of province
of the same name and is situated on
large bay in the Pacific ocean, seventy
five miles west northwest Of Santiago.
with which it Is connected by rail.
People Buried in Ruins.
one report which was received in
this city said that portions of VAL
paraiso were burning all night and
that the bodies of. hundreds of its
residents were hHEias. ip the ruins Of
the buildings.
Facts About Valparaiso.
The bay of Valparaiso which is well
sheltered on three sides. is bounded by
ranges of hills rising to from 1900 to
!, 700 feet high on the slopes Of which a
considerable portion of the city of Val
Il
the bay are the spacious suburbs Of
NeuvO Malecon and Gran Avenida, from
which pass out one of the finest of the
thoroughfares of Valparaiso, tho
Aveuida de las Delicias. The lower cen
tral section of the city consists OF
the Almendral. having regular and at
tTactive streets and containing the prin-
cipal business houses, the parks, the
Plaza Victoria and the National theater.
To the northwest of this section in the
quarter of the city known as the port
in which are situated the greater num-
Der of public buildings and the vast
warehouses. which line the ouays and
docks. IN this portion Of the city. how
ever, narrow and crooked streets are
still a feature. but the newer sections
of Valparaiso have an attractive mod
ern appearance, the buildings in the
business quarters being massively built
Among the monuments in Valparaiso
are those to Columbus, WheeIwright
VINO Established steam Navigation
the Chilean coast, Admiral Pratt and
Thomas Cochrane. organizer of the
Chilean navy. The city has various
academic and collegiate institutions q
naval school, school for marines,
museum of natural history hVdraeraDh
bureau. etc. and its Industrial estab-
lishments comprise foundries. railway
and machine shops sugar rehneries,
breWeries. distilleries. large bottlins
works and factories Of all kinds. Ele-
~aA Ars-a-
city with the villa section on the
heights
The port Of Valparaiso is the ter
minus OF important lines of steamers
for Europe by way of the Straits OF
Magellan and Panama and is the center
of the South American coastfng ser
vices. 1t contains a numerous foreign
colony. composed chiefly of British Ger
man and French merchants. There is a
custom house wharf. alongside Of which
steamers of ordinary tonnage can moor.
but most of the loading Is done by light
ers from a quay surrounding the town.
The harbor IS defended by modern, well
amounted batteries. Severe storms and
q tidal wave at Valparaiso June 80. 1899
wrecked the railroad and did great
damage to the city.
YIN Observation-Disclosures taoin aoin DIN
shock Felt in Washington.
washington. Aug. 1.-THE weather
bureau today issued the following
earthquake bulletin:
"A very heavy. distinct earthouaxe
was recorded on the seismograph at
the weather bureau at Washington
yesterday afternoon beginning 5 min
utes and p seconds past %. M. sew
enty-hfth meridian time Complete
and perfect records were obtained of
both the north and south and the east
and west movements of the earth.
The earth tremors at washington
were of comparatively slow and de-
liberate notion each complete move
ment covering from Is to 40 seconds
Of time The earthquake lasted con-
tinuously for several hours. and finally
ceased at about midnight. The most
violent shock occurred at seven hours
A minutes 26 seconds .. m
From press reports this is evidently
a record of the great Chilean earth
quake Of August Is. and is the heaviest
recorded in Washington. since tbe San
Francisco earthquake"
Not Felt in California.
Lick Observatory, Cal. Aug. 1.-THE
lelsmograph on Mount Hamilton shows
90 record of any earthquake shock ves-
.erday.
Gables Again Working.
New York, Aug. 17.-The Central
md South American Telegraph com
bauy have re-estabIished their main