The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-08
WAS IN KINGSTON
DURING EARTHQUAKE

I. .. sAmuELs HAD A TERRi-
FLYING EXPERIENCE IN THE
STRICKEN CITY.
BALTIMORE, Feb. s.-To be shaken
like a dog would a rat, with the build
Ing in which you wers falling abort
head. was the experience Of Or.
Lester D. samuels. one of the sur
yivors Of the Kingston earthquake.
who arrived yesterday from Port An-
tcnio. Jamaica, on the Norwegian
steamship Joseph di ciorgio. DR..
samusis was a practicing dentist in
at the. time of the disaster
and his experience Is best told by him
sell.
my Office was in o building on
Church street." said DIR. Samuels,
"and a young lady patient was in the
chair and I was working on her teeth.
The first intimation that anything was
wrong vas a low rumbling sound like
thunder at a distance. This was
quickly followed by a violent shaking
OF the building. which was SO great
that 1t slung me from side to side, not
wfthstanding I held on to the dentist
chair for support. This had not taken
place tlt a second or SO when the
walls OF the building fell outward with
crash, and the floor above which was
occupied by three ladies', fell on our
heads ant tables, chairs. window
frames were being hurled about us. In
the room above was a large clothes
press which fell with the other things.
After coming to my sense I felt
myself over and. not being hurt to any
extent, I looked around and in the
dust and gloom escued the ladies'.
One | pulled from under the clothes
press, but fortunately she was not Sc
riously hurt. The in the street
beggars description, and, by the time
we got clear Of the wrecked building
my brother hatless, coatless and out
of breath rushed on the scene. After
placing the women in security we
sought our own home. People were
running about the streets and thu
greatest confusion prevailed. To add
to the horror fire broke out in a num-
Der of places, which gave a lurid glare
to the surroundings. The dust from
the collapsed buildings turned day in
tc night, and together with my broth
er we CROPPED our way to our aunt's
home, in Orange street, or I might
say what was left OF it, and to u
JOY found all our immediate family
unframed, with the exception Of a
few bruises.
"a search was started to seek the
rest Of our relatives, who numbered 20
persons in all, scattered about the city
in about 10 different buildings. All
were finally found and the only fa-
tally was by fathers brother, who
was killed. We recovered his body
from under the bricks and timbers
which fell on him from the store in
which he conducted his business. All
during this time people were rushing
about frantic from fear, and the walls
of many buildings. weakened by the
severe shaking, were constantly fall
ing, which, added to the cries OF the
popuiacs. made the scene indescriba-
BILE. Crowds of people were hurrying
to the mountain back OF the city for
refuge. The cry of the tidal wave
was in the air and many exhausted
and ~disneartened sat where they were
waiting for the end to come. Thous-
ands took refuge on the race track. &c.
cepting that as the place of the best
security.
1.-THE night following the earthquake
was the most awful night of my life
and I shall never forget it. Our fam.
ily were fairly wen to do in Kings.
ton and owned considerable property,
all OF which has now been swept from
as. was born in jamaica" contin.
ued DR.. Samuels, "and have known
no other home. I studied dentistry
at the University OF Maryland Dental
School. and started my practice in
Kingston last June.
what r my plans now? Well,
it's hard to say. I have left Kings
ton lever to return, with the hope OF
meeting success in this city. It IS
probable that my people will come to
thIc citys 1ofar an ~