Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-30
STORY OF A SURVIVOR
ELDER EVANS TELLS OF THE
EARTHQUAKE HORRORS.

Elder I. II. Evans, treasurer of the gen.
eral conference committee, Seventh Day
Adventists, arrived at his home on Blair
road, Takoma Park, yesterday from Kings
ton, Jamaica, being one of the survivors
of the recent earthquake. He arrived in
Boston Monday morning in a party of
refugees who returned the Admiral
Dewey of the United Fruit Companys line
from Kingston.
/. Mr.. Evans left Kingston q week after the
earthquake by railroad for Port Antonio,
eighty-three miles distant, from which
point he took the steamer for home. He
told reporter of The Star of the terrible
catastrophe and of the burning of the city
of Kingston. following the earthquake
shock on the island.
"At the time of the shcck' he said, II
was on a farm of about ninety-sx acres
located at Bog Walk, about twenty-three
miles from Kingston. i had gone out there
with party of Adventists to inspect the
property, recently purchased, and to go
over the building plans We had been in
committee meeting all day and were about
to adjourn and take the train for Kings
ton. Suddenly there was a terrible era sh as
from the clear sky and the building which
We were in collapsed l jumped from a
veranda eight feet to the ground. The
building was a frame structure Sealed on
the inside Our party Immediately left
to board the train.
People Become Frantic.
"As 1 passed the Catholic Church, which
had been completely demolished by the
shock, saw at least 800 people, frantical-
ly wringing their hands, crying and pray
ing. The sight was a most pitiful one and
the experience a thrilling one
THE train was delayed in reaching
Kingston by large boulders which had fall
en- on the tracks as the result of the shock
and 1t was after dark when we arrived
there. The city was in flames and the fire
was raging In every direction. I imme-
diately went to the house where 1 had
been stopping with friends and where l
had left my baggage. I found the house
entirely destroyed. After a careful search
I found every portion of my effects, even
to my toothbrush, and removed them to
the campus about mile distant The peo-
pie were moving out of the city into the
suburbs and many spent the night in the
open air the campus.
Il returned to the city and helped in the
work of rescue. assisting in digging out
some OF the poor souls who were buried
beneath the debris. / finally returned, al
NEST exhausted, to my camping ground and
slept on a cot in the open air until about
O'Clock the next morning. when L again
took part In the rescue work. I visited
the City Hospital and assisted in relieving
| the distressed and wounded and bandaging
up the bruised and injured. received word
that one of our men, Elder Norman John
L
| the Jamaica conference, had been killed.
| In company with ether Adventists on the
island visited all of the morgues, of
which there were several, and looked over
| all of the dead. We continued the search
up 0 the time left for home but were
| unable to find any trace of our friend.
Work Of q. s.. Sailors and Marines
THE American sailors and marines did
noble, unselfsh work during the trying
hours that followed the earthquake, and
| they did all that could possibly be done
| under the circumstances In making the city
safe and passable for human life. The
| conditions there are not as bad as the
newspapers have printed regarding the
| looting and the destruction of private
property which remained after the build
ings were down. l never saw class of
people who had free access to such a large
quantity OF liquors as did the Jamaicans in
Kingston. who conducted themselves with
as much deceney as they did.
Just think, with 00.000 homeless people
/ and with almost half dozen liquor stores
| on every square the large number OF stores
which were demolished and torn down with
the contents In full view. with all the liquors
they wanted and with no police protection:
/ think the people themselves acted most
| creditably. Nearly all of the stores in the
i suburbs which were not destroyed by FIRE
i were looted. The sailors and marines up
| to the time they were ordered to return to