The Oskaloosa herald., 1907-04-18
QUAKE DISASTER
IN MEXICO GROWS
SHOCKS FELT THROUGHOUT
WIDE AREA OF COUNTRY.
HEAR FROM OTHER TOWNS
The Death List May Be Large In
Places Remote From Telegraph
communicatIon-To To-
tally Destroyed.

City of Mexico, April 17.--Late
news from the area of greatest de-
struction in the recent earthquake
shows that the devastation wrought
was greater than at first supposed.
Besides the destruction Of the cities
of Chilpancingo and Chilapa it is now
reported that the city of Tixtla, be-
tween the two cities above named
and containing about the same popu-
| lation as Chilpancingo was also lev
elled to the ground, and messengers
from the coast who have reached
Chilpancingo say that the towns of
Ayutla and Ometepec have been wip-
ed off the map.
Ayutla is about so miles south Of
| Chilpancingo in the state of Guerrero
and some 20 miles west of the port
of Acapulco. Ometepec is further
south near the boundary line Of the
states Of Guerrero and Oaxaca. 1t Is
a town of about 1000 inhabitants and
it is feared that the loss of life here
may be heavier than at Ayutla Tlapa.
a town 80 miles west of Chilpancingo
| and near the border line of the state
of oaxaca, is also reported to have
been wiped out. The report from
Chilpancingo says that the whole Of
the west coast from Acapulco south
to Salina Cruz, the Pacific terminal
of the Tehuantepec National railway,
Mexico's new transcontinental road
which was opened with elaborate GER
emonles last January by President
Diaz, has been badly damaged.
Poor Communications.
Owing to the remoteness OF these
points and to the fact that wire and
rail communication is very poor,
news from the stricken district to
this capital comes very slowly. But
one wire is working to Chilpancingo
and that rather systematically. The.
telegraph Office is accepting messages
to this point only on the condition
that they will be sent subject to de-
lay. Thousands of messages are now
on hand at the main office of the
Federal Telegraph and it is said that
commercial business is As hours be-
hind time.
Through the courtesy of the officers
of the Federal Telegraph company.
the Press was given the wire to-day
at noon while it was working through
to Chilpancingo. The question as to
the number of casualties was put to
the operator, but he declared that up
to the time he knew nothing beyond
the fact that he had seen about doz-
en- dead bodies and knew Of some 80
wounded.
A dispatch to Ell Pals, daily paper
which is the organ of the Catholic
church in this city, from the bishop
of Chilapa confirms the report of the
total destruction wrought in that i'm
mediate neighborhood. Fourteen are
reported to have been killed in one
house and the number Of wounded is
given as 80.
In the city Of Tixtla It is reported
that IL dead bodies have been taken
from the ruins and that twice that
number of wounded are being cared
for in temporary structures erected
in the open country.
Submerged by Sea Waves.
1t is reported that Acapulco is part.
ly submerged from the great seq
waves which dashed over the break
waters. Although no breath of wind
was stirring, on the night of the first
shock when the earth began to trem-
BILE, the sea was lashed to fury,
and as the shocks continued. the
harbor took on the appearance of
typhoon-swept ocean. Just how much
of the port has been submerged is
not known. A message from there
says that the houses as far as the
church are under water but as there
numerous churches in the place, the
extent OF the inundation could not
be learned from this vague message.
A number of the ships were in the
harbor when the first shock came but
these put out to sea and 1t is said
none OF them suffered to any extent.
Vera Cruz Cut OF.
Communication by rail to the port
of Vera Cruz is entirely cut OFF ow.
ing to sinking of large area of
track on both the Mexican and Inter-
Oceanic railways.
Reports from nearly all OF the large
cities in the southern part of the re-
public have now been received and
although many of these places felt
the shock severely no loss OF life has
been reoprted and the property loss
is Insignificant
In this city the telephone system
which was partly crippled is now in
complete working order. News is yet
anxiously awaited from the Isthmus
OF Tehuantepec where It Is feared
the shock may have wrought mach
damage.
Spain 10 Shaken.
Madrid, April 1.-THE province OF
MuFeia was shaken BY severe earth.
quake today. and the towns Of Tetana
/ ash II...t ...