Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-17
DETAILS STILL DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN
Known, However, That Practically Entire Town
Was Destroyed and All of Business District
Burned Over

New York, Jan. 1.-THE shores of
the harbor of Kingston are sinking ana
there is terror lest the city slip into
the sea, according to a private dis
patch received by a large mercantile
house here today from Port au Prince,
Hayti. The bed of the harbor is said
to be sinking and the water in many
places is now 100 feet deep. Every
wharf not destroyed by fire is said to
have sunk into the sea or been rem
dered worthless.
No Damage Beyond City.
Holland Bay. Jamaica, Jan. 11.-Ad-
vices received from various parts of
the island show Kingston is the only
place damaged by the earthquake. No
further earthquake shocks are being
felt in Jamaica.
All Business Section Gone.
Reports agree the entire business
section of Kingston was completely
demolished. mainly the result of fire.
The destroyed section includes the
portion of the town between East and
West streets from Tower street to
the water front. Myrtle Bank hotel
the favorite resort for Americans. was
completely razed and the large dry
goods houses of Nathan, Sherlock &
Co. and all other buildings in the vi
cinity have been burned. The city
hospital is overcrOwded. Steamships
in the harbor are caring for many Of
the injured.
Standing Buildings Unsafe.
Hardly a building is left standing in
the entire city. and everyone not de
molished is dangerously injured and
uninhabited. II is impossible 10 furnish
an accurate estimate of the dead. Fig
ures vary from 400 to 1900. The lat
ter is the police estimate. The injured
number several thousand and about
ten thousand are homeless. Some very |
prominent business men are among |
the dead. So far as known no Ameri- |
cans were killed or injured.
Definite News Lacking.
New York, Jan 17-Definite advices |
as to the extent of the catastrophe at |
Kingston were still lacking early to-
day Conflicting reports received indi-
Gated the death list might be any
where from 100 to 1000. One dis
Patch reported 80 bodies already had
been recovered and buried.
Little Fear of Famine.
From the meager advices that have
come through, it is indicated there is
no immediate fear of food famine, as
fruit is plentiful and other jamaican
towns can send aid. Doctors and med
icaI supplies are, however, urgently
needed.
Dispatches from London today say
up till noon no further official adyices
had been received at the colonial OF
flee and that this is causing grave anx-
iety there.
Alarming News from st. Thomas.
Early today the West Indian e. Pan
anna Cable company received a dis
patch from it's superintendent at st.
Thomas announcing the situation AT
Kingston is terrible and that famine
is imminent. The company's steamer
Henry Holmes has left st. Thomas for
Kingston with provisions and doctors.
Not 10000 i'm City.
The report from st. Thomas that go
900 inhabitants of Kingston were home
less is on it's face an exaggeration, as
the population of Kingston did not
greatly exceed 10000.
According to the latest advices the
city was not destroyed, but nearly ev-
cry building in the place sustained
some damage Practically the entire
business section. however, was ruined
by quakes or by fire.
Collapse nt Faint shock.
When the first great shock came
Monday afternoon, many buildings all
over town collapsed, burying hundreds
of persons in the debris. OF these,
some were killed, but the greater num-
Der were injured. These were later
rescued. II
The first shock was followed by, {
lighter tremors and then fire started I
in the ruins along the water front.
The flames spread rapidly and as wa; /
ter pipes had been broken there was, !
nothing with which to fight them