Milford chronicle., 1907-04-19
QUAKE DESTROYS
MEXICAN CITIES
ChilpancingO and Chilapa Are Re-
ported in Ruins.
MANY ARE DEAD AND INJURED

City of Mexico. April II. - Heavy
earthquake shocks continue on the
west coast Late news from the area
Of greatest destruction in the recent
earthquake shows that the devastation
was greater than at first supposed.
Besides the destruction Of Chilpan-
cingo and Chilapa, it is now reported
that Tixtla, between these two cities,
containing about the same population
as Chilpancingo, was also levelled.
Messengers from the coast who
reached Chilpancingo also say that the
towns of Ayutla and Ometepec have
been destroyed. The former place is
about so miles southeast of Chilpan-
cingo, in the state of Guerrero, and
some 20 miles west of Acapulco. It is
one of the most historic towns in the
republic, for it was here that the
plan of Ayutla" was conceived which
caused the revolution, made real re-
public and developed the the talents
of a young officer named Porfirio Diaz.
Owing to the remoteness OF this
point and to the fact that wire and rail
communication is very poor, news from
the stricken district comes very slow
ly. Only one wire is working to Chill
pancingo and that rather spasmodi-
cally. The telegraph Office is accept
ing messages only on condition that
they will be sent subject to delay.
Thousands of messages are now on
hand at the main Office of the federal
telegraph, and it is said that CONNER
cial business is 4S hours behind.
A dispatch to FL Pals, a daily paper,
which is the organ of the Catholic
church in this city, from the bishop
of Chilapa, confirms the report of the
widespread destruction in that vicin-
ity. Fourteen are reported to have been
killed in one house and the number of
wounded is given as SO.
In Tixtla it is reported that y 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 coun-
try. An operator at Chilpancingo says
that the four men in the Office have
been working without relief for 48
hours and exposed to inclement
weather. He reports that the state gov
ernment has provided tents for the
homeless and has taken other means
to provide for the comfort Of the in
habitants.
Up to Tuesday the shocks continued
with more or less severity near Chill
pancingo, completing the work of de-
struction and destroying many of the
most important public buildings of the
city. The new municipal palace was
badly shattered. It's predecessor was
levelled by an earthquake four years
ago. The hospitals, schools and the
fail are in ruins. Prisoners from the
Jail were placed under guard by the
rurales and are now incarcerated in a
barracks. The hospital patients are be-
ing cared for in temporary structure
erected in the open country.
up to this time the number of deaths
reported is 3S and the wounded SO.
But in view of later reports it is
thought that these figures will fall far
short of the real number of fatalities.
These. it is feared, will never be ac-
curately known, as many Of the dead
are of the poorer classes living in
small settlements. 1t is reported that
Acapulco was partly submerged from
the. great waves which dashed over the
breakwater. Although no breath of
wind was stirring on the night of the
first shock when the earth began to
tremble. the sea was lashed into fury
and as the shocks continued the har.
bor took on the appearance Of ty-
phoon-swept ocean. Just how much of
the port has been submerged it not
known.