The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-01-16


said today that the companies would not
recognize any liability for damages caused
by the earthquake.
CONFLICTING REPORTS.
The contradictory and scanty character
OF the news which has thus far reached
London from Jamaica renders IL difficult
TO estimate the real extent of the calamity
caused by the earthquake and coniagra-
tion Messages received by various steam
ship and cable companies indicate that
while the early reports or the destrmction
of Kingston and very great loss Of life
were exaggerated, the disaster was stil
OF a very grave character
Ruin and desolatlon are said 10 stretch
for miles outside the city OF Kingston.
The shocks were felt from 10 to 60 miles
away. and one dispatch from the tempo
rary cable station at Bull Bay says that
not a sinEie house between there and
Kingston Is safe
AT LEAST 800 KILLED.
The following cable despatch has been
received from a press correspondent who
accompanied Sir Alfred Jones and his
party 10 jamaica: Fires brokeOut again
tonight. The negroes are looting the rum
shops. Al least 600 persons have been
killed. There are weird and terrtSle
scenes Forty-fve invalid soldiers were
burned to death in the military hospital
Several shocks were felt today.
The above despatch is not dated.
STILL IN DOUBT
The fate OF Sir James FERGUSON. who
!s deputy chairman OF the Royal Mail
Steam Packet company. H. still In DOUBT,
His relatives say that dispatch received
,a
is dead. but the colonial office states that
its advices relative to Sir James are not
official and are not confirmed.
FORTY SOLDIERS KILLED
No estimate OF the loss OF life from Of
fetal sources as yet has come through.
but the negro troops I'm the camp hospital
appear TO have been i'm the centre OF the
visitation. as no less than 40 were killed
there alone. There were isolated fatali-
ties among the Europeans at Kingston,
but apparently the aggregate OF the white
victims is small The distance between
the buildings known to have been destroy
ed Is taken 10 indicate that the total loss
of property will be great
According TO the latest deSpathes slight
earth shocks continue TO be felt at Kings
ton.
The West India committee OF the Adj
mirality and the private concerns having
interests In jamaica are taking all the
steps possible to ALLEVIATE the distress in
Kingston itself
FORESADOWED DISASTER.
John Armstrong, an official of one %
the largest establishments I'm jamaica
said .oday that tho latest advccs which
he had received foreshadowed the disas-
ter owing TO the unusual meteorological
conditions and the phenomenal drop In
temperature
Calls were made upon nine Of the lead
ing fruit merchants dealing with ia.
maica. but they were all without any di-
rect information regarding the earth
quake and were awaiting replies TO ca
Diagrams of inquiry.
BROTHER OF HALL GAME.
II transplres that the Hall Caine men
toned as being among the members or
the party OF visitors TO Kingston headed
by Sir Alfred Jones president of tho
British Cotton Growing association. and
president OF the Liverpool chamber OF
commerce. is William Hall Caine brother
of the English novelist. The latter called
at the colonial office and was assured
that the members of Sir Alfred Jones
party were safe.
The West Indian and Panama Cable
companys office at Bull Bay cables that
all the people IN Kingston are camping
in the open. and that the earthquake ex-
tended SO far as Holland Bay. where the
West Indian and Panama Gable COM
panys station is seriously damaged.
Between Bull Bay and Kingston" the
message odds. there Is not a house.
Ruin and desolation are everywhere"
FREE TRANSPORTATION
New York. Jan l6-The Hamburg
American Steamship company announced
at It's office I'm this city today that sup
plies for Kingston Will be carried free of
charge on that companys steamer. Prnz
Joachim which will sail from New York
for Kingston, on Saturday. Jan. 10
To CARRY SUPPLIES FREE
The Royal Mail Steam Packet COM
pany's office in this city received instruc-
tions from It's home office i'm London to-
day 10 carry free TO Kingston all food
supplies for the sufferers from the dis
aster there. The first steamer 10 sail 10
New York from Kingston will be the
Atraro on Monday. Jan. 81. The next
steamer OF that line to sail will be the
the company has no particulars OF the
disaster
RECORD OF THE QUAKE.
Washington. Jan 1G--The weather
bureau today Issued the following bull
letin relative to the Kingston earth
quake; "The earthquake recorded at
the weather bureau Of Monday after
noon.' Jan. IA, at hours. 2S minutes.
% seconds y. m. is undoubtedly Il
record OF an earthquake that IS re-
ported to have occurred in the island
OF Jamaica at the same time.
The press reports are very ln-
definite as 20 the time the earthquake
occurred az Kingston. We NAV de-
duct from the records made AZ Wash
inEton that this earthquake. AZ its
origin. began At 2 hours, S3 minutes.
seconds p. m, 18th meridian time.
Jan. "a.
Judging from the magnitude &c the
motion recorded here we regard the
present disturbance as Of relatively
slight intensity as compared with
other recent great earthquakes. - for
example that at San Francisco. VAL
paraiso and the great earthquake re-
ported In the Indian ocean on oct I,
1906
This is especially true. I'm view OF
the fact that the distance of King
ston from Washington Is only about
1920 miles, while san Francisco ts at
n distance OF 2i35 miles and VAL
paraiso Is about 1900 miles. that u
nearly three and n half times as far
away as Kingston. both lying almost
exactly south OF Washington. The
amplitude OF the motion at Washington
in tho present case Is distinctly less
. than in each OF the other great earth-