The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-04-15
CITY Of MEXICO
GIVEN 4 JARR|NG
BY EARTHQUAKE
Disturbance Is Prolonged
Four and One-Ha1f
Minutes
DAMAGE NOT GREAT
Some Walls Collapse, but No
Loss of Human Life
Occurs
POPULACE IN PANIC
Bright Electrical Flashes
Illllinine Sky Before
Shock
POPULACE IN PANIC

CITY OF MEXICO, April 14.-An
earthquake lasting four and one-haIf
minutes startled this city tonight. The
earth rocked in a long, swinging mo-
tfon. terrifying the inhabitants but do
ing no damage In this city SO far as
can be learned.
Clocks stopped at 11:34 fMexicau
time), and the perceptibIe motion of
wires were put out of commission and
for short time the city was In dark
ness owing to the failure of the eIec-
trio lights
The asphalt on one OF the principal
business streets of the city was cracked
open for distance of ten yards
Residents fed from their homes into
the streets
Representatives of the Associated
Press made rapid searches throughout
the city tonight, but nothing beyond
cracked walls and small assures in the
pavements could be found At the po-
lice station no deaths had been report
ed up to midnight. wall on Santiago
street collapsed, killing number of
horses and injuring five men
No reports have come from the Amer
lean colony but it is believed that no
serious damage occurred there, al
though the houses unlike those in the
old section of the city, are not built to
Withstand earthquake shocks
At the time of the first shock the
cafes and theaters were filled, and for
a time a panic was feared, but owing
to the peculiarly steady swinging mo :
tion of the earth the crowd left the
buildings in comparative order. The
shock was preceded by two bright cleo
trio flashes. which illuminated the sky
to the northwest of the city.
Up to this time the property loss
! is reported very small. A number of
walls in unsubstantial buildings col
lasped and one on Buchareli street mar
rowly missed burying the fleeing
inmates of a nearby hotel.
The unusual length of the shock has
not been officially verified from the
Government observatory at Tacabuya,
communications with that point being
cut off. A representative of FL Diaro,
morning paper, held watch during
the shock and is authority for the
statement that the earth rocked for
four and a half minutes. If this is true
it is the longest earthquake ever re-
corded in this city.
The city is comparatively quiet, al
though the streets are yet thronged
with residents, many refusing to enter
their houses through fear of more
severe shock to come.
One freak of the earthquake was re-
corded. A driver of circus wagon, who
was taking paraphernalia to nearby
railroad station, was thrown from his
seat by the force of the shock. He was
uninjured beyond slight bruises re-
ceived. but all of the animals he was
driving were killed.
Telegraphic communication as far
south as the cities of Oaxaca and San
Juan Bautista was re-established. late
tonight, but beyond the report that the
shock was very heavy in that region
and along the Gulf coast nothing was
learned.
In the city of Vera Cruz, south of
here, the shock is reported to have been
felt At the meteorological bureau it
was said the shock was the heaviest ex-
perienced here since 1882.
From what is known at this time,
the shock extended from the city of
San Luis Potosi on the north to oaxaca
on the south. a distance of 500 miles