The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-17
SHORES SINKING.
Kingston In Terror Lest She
Slip Into the Sea.
Harbor Bed Settles and Water
Is 100 Feet Deep.
WHARFAGE ALL GONE.
What Escaped the Fire Sub
merged or Made Worthless.
Entire Business Section of the
City Is Demolished.
DEAD PLACED AT 1000.
Injured Number Thousands and
10000 Are Homeless.
Only One Hotel Left Standing
OIL the Island.
Asylum Destroyed and ThOus-
ands of Lunatics at Large.
Entire Business Section of the
City Is Demolished.
DEAD PLACED AT 1,2OO.
Injured Number Thousands and
10000 Are Homeless.
Only One Hotel Left Standing
OIL the Island.
Asylum Destroyed and ThOus-
ands of Lunatics at Large.

New York Jan. 1.-THE shores OF the
harbor of Kingston are sinking ana
there is terror lest the city slip into the
sea. according to a private dispatch re-
ceived by a large mercantile house here
today from Port Au Prince. Hayti. The
bed of the harbor is said to be sinking
and the water in many places is now
100 feet deep. Every wharf not destroy
ed by fire is said to have sunk into the
sea or to have been rendered worthless
business Section Ruined
Holland Bay, Jamaica, Jan. 1I-AI
reports agree that the entire business
section of Kingston is completely de-
molished mainly as the result of the fire
which started Immediately after the
earthquake. Port Antonio may be said
to be completely unharmed, though the
poorly built town hall was partly des-
troyed The Titchheld hotel at Port
Antonio is uninjured, and the clerks
and employees of the establishment are
safe.
The destroyed section of Kingston
includes that portion of the town be-
tween East and West streets from Tow
e. street to the water front All the
piers are down with the exception of
that of the Royal Mail Steam Packet
company and that of the government
railway.
The Myrtle Bank hotel. favorite re-
sort for Americans, is completely razed
and the large dry goods houses of Ma
than, Sherlock & Co., and other build
ings in the vicinity have been consum-
ed by the flames.
Destruction Swift and Complete.
London. Jan. 1.-THE latest reports
received here regarding the Kingston
disaster al tend to confirm and even
accentuate the gravity of tn ecalamity
which ha= befallen Jamaica While
the colonial office was unable, up to
2:30 O'Clock this afternoon, to give the
official figures of the death roll and
the extent of the disaster, yet many
responsible cources of information
concur in showing the growing pro-
portions of the catastrophe.
Sir Alfred Jones dispatch received
during the night, saying that every
house in Kingston had been destroyed
and that the city was a heap of
sm oldering ashes, has awakened the
British public to the extent of this
blow to their favorite colony, Sir
Alfred is among the most trustworthy
figures in the commercial world.
Other delayed dispatches now filtering
into business houses give laconic de-
tails of the terrible situation at King
ston and others add to the vivid nature
of the upheaval. showing the appalling
results of the earthquake, hotels, piers
and warehouses being instantly de-
stroyed while the people were engaged
in recreation or were attending to
business.
No Americans Killed
Holland Bay, Jamaica, Jan. II
Tho Elder Dempster company's
steamer Port Kingston and the Adj
miral Sampson. belonging to the Unit
ton harbor. The Port Kingston is be-
ing used as a hospital. Lighters OF
the United Fruit company have been
doing good work in rescuing people
wharf, by the crowds seeking shelter
from the stampede. About 700 per-
sons were saved in this way.
The hospital is over crowded. The
military hospital at Uppark camp was
destroyed by fire, 40 patients being
burned TO death.
Hardly a building is left standing in
the entire city of Kingston and every
one not demolished is dangerously in
jured and unhabitable. The post
office and the telegraph office are
among the buildings destroyed. The
list will probably totaI many hun
dreds. but it is impossible to furnish
an accurate estimate at present. the
figures varying from 400 to 1900.
which latter is the police estimate.
The injured number several thousand
and about 10000 persons are home
less.
some very prominent business men
are among the dead, including A NJ
Nathan and Charles Sherlock the
leading merchants of Kingston; many
of the most prominent physicians and
Captain T. Constantine. local superin-
tendent of the Royal Mail Packet
company. The government railway
from Kingston to Port Antonio has
not been damaged to any great ex-
tent and special trains are taking
homeless people to Port Antonio for
shelter. Several vessels also are en-
gagged in taking people to the same
port.
The Constant Springs hotel. a spa
cious building in ST. Andrews. six
miles from here. was destroyed. main
" by fire. Many distinguished per-
sons were stopping here including all
the delegates to the West Indian as-
ricultural conference which was to
have held its session at Kingston this
week. Sir Alfred Jones, president of
the Liverpool chamber of commerce
and a large party of distinguished per-
cons who arrived here recently from
England on the steamer Port King
rNpn. in order to study agricultural
snnSitions. This party included many