Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-16
CITY RUINED
BY QUAKE
Kingston, Jamaica, Practically Destroyed
By Seismic Disturbance
CONFEDERATION FOLLOWS THE SHOCK
Wrecked Buildings in Business Section
Quickly Licked Up by Flames.
LESS THAN HUNDRED LIVES LOST
Sir James FERGUSON, Distinguished Eng
hshman, is Among Dead.
SEVERAL HUNDRED PERSONS INJURED
No Americans or Englishmen Are Reported
Missing,
GREAT MILITARY HOSPITAL DESTROYED
Forty Soldiers Are Reported 4: In
This Building - only Mesi;
Reports Received of ~
Disaster.

NEW YORK. Jan. 15.-Kingston, the
picturesque capital of the island Of ia
maica, has been devastated by violent
earthquake.
Details of the disaster are lacking, as
direct communication with the stricken
city has been cut of. The land lines had
been reconstructed to within FIVE miles of
Kingston Tuesday evening and from
meagre reports received through such
channels were open 1t has been learned
that many of the most important build
ings have been destroyed and that there
has been serons loss of life.
SO far as the reports indicate the fatali-
ties number less than 1OOs though the hos
pitfalls are filled with injured and the list
of victims may be materially increased
Kingston and the other points of interest
of the ISLAND are at this season of the
year thronged with tourists from both
America and England and the greatest ap-
prehension Is felt for the safety of many
persons who had recently arrived at the
Jamaica resorts.
The most distinguished of these were
members of party of English statesmen
agricultural experts and men of affairs,
who under the leadership of Sir Alfred
Jones. had arrived In Kingston within the
past few days to attend an agricultural
conference there. Among those in the com
pany were Hall Calne, the novelist; Wis
count Montmorres, II. o. old-Forster,
Sir Thomas Nj. Hughes. Sir Thomas Shann
and others of equal prominence.
shpck Comes Monday Afternoon.
The first great shock was felt about $50
o'clock Monday afternoon and flames i'm
mediately sprung from the wreckage to
carry on the work of destruction Tuesday
afternoon the fre was still burning, al
though It was believed to be under control
The Myrtle Bank hotel. the principal
hotel at Kingston, which probably shell
tered the great bulk Of visitors on the Is
land. is reported destroyed. The great
military hospital was burned and forty
soldiers are reported dead
Sir James Ferbusson is said to have
been instantly killed. but according to
London reports no other Englishman,
Canadian or American Is believed to be
missing.
The extent Of the destruction which has
been wrought In Kingston, a city which
already bears the scars of a number OF
disastrous visitations of fire, earthquake
and cyclone in years gone by. is still left
LAreely 10 the IMAGINATION.
The city is one of low lying buildings,
clustered along the shores of one OF the
finest and most securely land locked har-
bors in the West Indies. The population,
which numbers 5OOoc is largely made up
OF native glacxs.
FRvOriAe Resort of Tourists
Many steamers carrying tourists to
Jamaica were enroute to the island when
the earthquake occurred, but 1t so hap
pened that, according TO schedules, none
OF the ships from New York or Bostor
was In Kingston harbor Monday afternoon
The Prinz Waldemar OF the Atlas servio'
of the Hamburg American line. which saileC
from New York, January g. is due at Kings
ton tomorrow. as is the Frihz Eitel Fried
erich Of the same, which sailed from Colon
January IL
The Royal Mail line steamer Tagus. which
sailed from New York for Barbadoes, Janu
Rry 7, due at Kingston January l2
and was scheduled TO, and In all probabilit!
did. sail from Kingston on Sunday.
The officials of the Hamburg-A American
line attempted to communicate with thei
agents In Jamaica, but received tonigh
only one cablegram. that from Holland Bay
which said that the shock felt there wa
slight and that no damage was done a
san Antonio.
Report TO Colonial once.
LONDON. Jan. 15.-The Colonial Office 70
night received confirmation of the terribl
disaster which has Overtaken Kingston
Jamaica, In a dispatch from Hamar Green
wood, NJ. r., sent from Holland Bay al IN
east end OF the island
The telegram says that Kingston has bee
ruined by earthquake which occurre
without warning Monday afternoon at SO
very large number of buildings and dwell
ings were destroyed. either by earthquak
or by the consequent fire.
The military hospital was burned an
forty soldiers were reported to have bee
killed. together with several prominent cit
zens and many other Of the inhabitants {
the city. Sir James Ferguson is reported
have been killed instantaneously, but n
other Enslishman' Canadian or American
are missing.
The city is quiet. but disciplined worker
are needed. The governor Of the colon,
Sir Alexander swettenham. assisted by 8
Alfred 5ones is directing AFFAIRS.
Up to this hour the foregoing is the mo.
complete dispatch regarding the Kingsto
diaster that has been received here tn
absence OF details is accounted for by N
breakdown In cable communication but Il
announcement that no Englishmen, Cam
dians or Americans are missing will great
reassure the public concerning the fate ,
the usual number Of tourists and othe,
who are spending the winter In Jamaica
who were attracted there by the agr
cultural and cotton conferences
The party on board the Port Kingste
only arrived at Kingston on Friday las
The Port Kingston. in addition 20 the men
49, q AIR Alfred Jones party. had 9TH