The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-16
$4,000 Square Miles Of Terri
tory Affected BY Shocks, Sc
verest in Guerrero State
EARTH CONTINUES TO ROCK
At HALF HOUR INTERVALS
Towns of chiIpancngo and chiIapa
Completely Destroyed and Five
Hundred People Are Re-
ported Killed. .Aa.

chilpancingo, Mex, April 15.-This city
has been completely destroyed by one of
the most furious earthquake that has
ever visited this section. Up to this hour
the known dead number eleven and the
badly injured twenty-seven. Among the
dead is the wife of Postal Inspector Leo
poldo Lopez Guerra and the child of Jose
Alman, the postmaster of the city. Jose
Lopez Martinezell, manager of the federal
telegraph office, was struck on the head
by a block of stone and badly injured.
The utmost panic prevails everywhere
and people are fleeing to the open coun-
try.
The earth continued to rock at half hour
intervals and many minor shocks are
completing the work of destruction of the
first earthquake. All telegraph commune
cation with the outside World ceased
shortly after II 30 o'clock last night, when
the first shock was felt. The telegraph
operators have installed temporary quar-
ters in an open square and are working
with the sky for a roof
ChiIapa Also Destroyed.
Word has reached here that the town
of Chilapa, forty-two kilometers to the
northeastward, has also been destroyed
AS yet no details have been received as
TO the number of the dead and wounded,
but it is feared that the number will be
large This city is the capital of the state
of Guerrero and four years ago was vis-
tied by an earthquake which killed and
wounded many~af its Inhabitants and de-
stroyed a large part of the town.
The population of the town is 1885, and
until the panic into which the citizens
have been thrown abates some it will be
impossible to state accurately tp%jdst
what extent the recent earthqYake has
decreased it. The, population,of the city
of Chiapa is' 15Ooo, sR9~in that place is
the home of the bishop of the Catholic
church, who administers to the eccesias-
teal affairs of the entire region. No
word has been received from the bishops
palace and it is not known at this time
whether or not he was victim of the
shock.
Fears Entertained.
Midway between the cities of Chilpan-
cingo and Chilapa is located the city of
Tixtla. This is prosperous and pro-
gressive community and as no word has
been received from that place it is feared
that it also has been destroyed. Accord
ing to the movements of the earthquake
Tixtla would be in it's direct line, and il
the city has escaped it has been only by
a miracle. The following message was
sent to the federal telegraph office in
Mexico City from Chilapa:
''Our boys are working in a public gar
den. A terrible panic prevails as the
earth continue to tremble at regular in
tervals. Send us tents that we may es-
tablish an office in the country
.f<...f ft-r, tIaA cA
has been cut off since the moment of the
first big shock. and it is not known to
what extent that region suffered. The
nearest big town, Acapulco. which is
thirteen klometers to the southwest of
this place, has not been heard from.
Volcanoes Are Active.
Both the volcanoes of Colima and Jo-
rullo are in this region and the people
fear that the recent eruption of the earth
may cause these mountains to become
more active and to destroy much prop
erty and many lives. The first named
volcano is the state of Colima, along
the coast to the northwest of this city.
Jorullo is much nearer and is located al
most due north in the state of Mchoa-
can. The inhabitants of this section are
known as "pintos," because of the
''spots' on their faces. They are noted
for their hardy warlike spirit and for
their stocism and fanaticism, but the
recent catastrophe seems to have COM
pletely unnerved them, as they have up
to date lost all discretion
The city is located ninety seven kilo-
meters from the nearest railroad line,
and 1t will be impossible for the people
to flee except on foot or on horseback.
This fact has caused considerable
amount of anxiety, because the state is
inhabited by great number of Ameri-
cans who are engaged in prospecting for
mines. The nearest railroad terminal is
at Iguala. which is across the hills and
ninety-seven milimeters to the northward
of Chipancingo. The total distance be-
tween Chilpancingo and Mexico City is
335 kilometers.