Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-08-24
EARTHQUAKE
AT VALPARAISO
5000 DEATHS ARE REPORTED
AS RESULT.
MARTIAL LAM PREVAILS
People Are Panic Stricken and At
tempts at Organization are Futile.
Entire Business Portion of City
Destroyed.

from Valparaiso that 5000 deaths re-
suited from the earthquake there. De-
tails are incomplete, as there IS no
direct communication between Val
paraiso and Santiago. In this caty
there were thirty deaths. The value
of property destroyed will reach $780,
100000.
Great confusion and contradiction
prevails with regard to the number OF
dead and wounded as result OF the
earthquake and fire at Valparaiso.
The dispatches reaching here evident
ly come from sources more or less IN
condition of panic and are not
wholly trustworthy.
According to the dispatches from
Santiago 5000 people lost their lives
in the Valparaiso disaster. Santa
go also suffered severely. Thirty peo-
pie we're killed there and the property
loss is placed at $2,OOO,O00. Another
message places the number Of dead at
500, while third dispatch from San
tiago via Buenos Ayres places the
number of killed and wounded at
1000
Panic reigns in both cities. The
people are in the grip of fear Of fur
ther shocks and fleeing. Refugees
from Valparaiso are getting into
Santiago forty miles away. The dis
turbanees covered large area.
Shocks were felt in Tacna In the ex-
treme north of Chile. A number of
minor towns have been either destroy
ed or materially damaged. Valparal-
so has been described as "nearly de-
stroyed," while another message says
half that city has become prey to
the earthquake and the flames. The
loss of life and property undoubted-
ly was very heavy.
The first shock occurred Thursday
evening about 8 o'clock and was fol-
lowed by others at intervals through
out the night. Panic prevailed and the
streets were filed with hysterical
waiting and praying people. Half the
inhabitants of Santiago stayed on the
streets or fed 10 the country Thurs
day night Fires followed In Santi-
ago, but we're quickly extinguished
by a providential heavy downpour Of
rain. Valparaiso suffered much from
ire. Many people have left the two
cities and the stream of refugees con-
tinues.
The disturbances are confined to
the Pacific slope of the Andes, but
Iquique, the center of fhe nitrate in
dustry, has escaped injury. The dis
turbance was recorded by instru-
ments in Washington, Honolulu, Ham
burg and Goettinger.
Various firms in Europe and Amer
lea with business interests in Chile
have received messages announcing
the safety of employees.
Among the places reported to have
been damaged or destroyed are Vina
del Mar, 10000 people, three miles
from Valparaiso; Quillota, six miles
from Valparaiso; Illapel, five thous-
and people, 130 miles northwest of
Santiago; Vallenar, 5000 people, 300
miles north of Santiago, and other
small towns.
Galveston, Tex.-Valparaiso has
been wrecked by earthquake and fire
and the buildings that escaped seri-
Gus damage from the quakes have
either been burned or in Immediate
danger of being burned. The people
are panic stricken and all attempts at
organization have proved futile. Mar
tial law has been proclaimed and an
effort is being made to calm the popu-
lace, but with little hope. The Mex
lean cable was in operation all day
to Valparaiso, but to interior points
all overland wires are down and it
will be several days before they are
restored. The entire business portion
of Valparaiso has been destroyed