New-York tribune., 1907-01-18
BODIES STILL IN RUINS.
Later Reports May Increase Est
mate of Dead.

this afternoon TO give the official figures OF the
death roll and the extent of the destruction. YET
many responsible sources OF Information con-
cur In showing the growing proportions OF the
Some graphic details of the disaster are given
in one Of the latest dispatches received here'
dated from Holland Bay, January 10. Accord
ing 10 this report the whole city OF Kingston
seemed to shrivel UP. buildings crashed to-
gether and fell in a crushed mass ike egg
shells, under the first shock. The business streets
at the time were we'll filed with tourists who
were engaged in shopping, and, according to
this correspondent there is no doubt many OF
them were caught in the falling brickwofk and
were buried In the debris Fire broke out I'M
nediateIy after the crash at three separate
points The fire department station in. Sutton
street wrecked. rendering resistance to the
flames Impossible. The confagratton continued
unchecked until Tuesday morning, by when
time the whole business quarter of Kingston had
been wiped out the damaged area comprising
a bout f square mile. All the large warehouses
in the lower part Of the city were consumed,
while not a single house anywhere remained un-
da mayed and the majority were unfit for habi-
tation. When the dispatch filed the bodies
Of many white persons who had been staying at
the Myrtle Bank Hotel were still beneath the
men to search the Debris.
An estimate of the casualties. made by the
police of Kingston. places the number of killed
at 1000. Judging from the number Of bodies al
rcady discovered in the few buildings which
have been exemined This estimate. the cor
respondent adds. is likely to be largely increased
when a thorough search is made OF the wrecked
buildings.
The Treasury, IN Harbor street was stand
ing but the postoffice and courthouse in
ruins. The government offices were unsafe
Government House badly damaged. The
Colonial Bank was burned out the Nova Scotia
Bank was heap of ruins, and the residence OF
General Marshall collapsed like pack of cards
Mrs. Marshall dug out alive and only
slightly injured. The Roman Catholic Cathe-
dral. the parish church and the Scotch, Wes-
leyan and Baptist churches had disappeared
and the theatre was destroyed
At Port Royal. at the entrance of Kingston
Harbor. one of the batteries sank and a gunner
was killed The ships in the harbor were trans
formed into hospitals. The deck of the steamer
Fort Kingston. which brought Sir Alfred Jones
ana his party 70 Jamaica. resembled a sham
oies The cabins were full Of dead and dying
DR.. Evans, the ships doctor, was busy perform
ing amputations from 8 o'clock in the evening to
o'clock the next morning
Ihe disaster is so great that the entire city
will have to be rebuilt. One unofficial estimate
places the loss at Kingston at SIS 100000
number of assures in the earth have appeared
the streetcar tracks out OF shape the rails
are twisted the watermains and the gas and
electric pipes and wires are in a state Of COM
plete disorder. while the destruction of the
bonded warehouses fills the air with an over
pewering oder Of rum
Among the strange freaks OF the earthquake
was that the statue OF Queen Victoria. I'm the
centre Of the city, was reversed but il is other
wise intact
SIR Alfred Jones. Jesse Ceilings NJ p. and
ssFefsi other members Of sih Alfred's party
hso sefaafkas Bile escapes from being buried in
las ruins OF the Myrtle Bank Hotel According
TO dispatch received from Holland Bav this
morning. after iunehiRg at the hotel Sir Alfred,
MI Ceilings and others went out on the pier al
the waterfront and amused themselves bv toss
ing coins into the water for the benefit Of the
Negro divers The visitors had Just left the
pier, on their way back TO the hotel when as
they reached the hotel lawn, the earthquake
came and the hotel toppled In ruins around
the travellers. The pier which they had tust
left was also destroyed.
Gerald Loder. formerly Junior Lord Of the
treasury. was at the Jamaica Club. in Hanover
street. |hen the building was demolished but a
Owen Cosby Philips. B. p. chairman of the
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company after a long
conference with the Colonial Office officials this
morning regarding the immediate measures to
be taken for the relief Of the earthquake suffer-
eTs, cabled to the company's agency in New
York as follows
Iteilef measures should be carried o,It only
lhfGugh and under the sanction OF the Governor
Of Jamaica. who is the best Judge or the eytnnt
distress ha hest
for alieviating it, and who Will in any case hear
the responsibility. '
Early this morning the West Indian and Pan.
ahlh hapie company received dispatch from
its superintendent at st. Thomas announcing
that the situation at Kingston was terrible and
that famine was imminent. The superintendent
added that the cempany,s steamer Harry
Holmes had left st. Thomas for Kingston with
provisions and doctors to render every assist
ance possible
dispatch to the Royal Mail Steam Packet
company says that relief funds have heen
Of Jamaica. ~ ~
The West Indian Commission to-day received
dispatch reporting the safety of Alfred Aus
tin, OF the Colonial Bank at Kingston whose
fate had been in doubt The adyices Of tbe
commission show the increasing extent of the
uaiIiase 90 uone ny the earthquake in Jamaica, and
at the request OF the commissioners the colopiaI
once has taken the initiative in startinp
Mansion House fund for the relief of the suf
leieiS. AS tillS luIlu is under the direction If
the government it promises to bring ont q 10 a.
sponse from the whole nation King Edward
ana Queen Alexandra headed the fund with
subscriptions of $1,000 EACH the Corporation of
London Immediately adding a similar amount
The principal theatres are organizing special
performances in behalf OF the fund
On instructions from Washington the Arreri
can Embassy this afternoon telegraphed to King
Edward and to the Foreign Ofice condoIences
on the Kingston disaster from President Roose
welt and the State Department
Reports from Austria and Switzerland show