The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-01-24
Estimates of Wounded as
High as 1,OOO--Victims
Mostly Negroes.
HEAVY PROPERTY LOSS
Troops in Control OF the City and
Martial Law Prevails-Busincs
Section Gonc----Firc Did the Great
est Damage - People Received
Warning of Approaching Quake.

Holland Bay, Jamaica, Jan. 20
So much confusion exists In King
ston that conflicting reports OF the
Monday are received. No two of the
couriers arriving to file cable de-
spatches tell the same story. The
sub-telegraph station Just outside
the city is not in good working order
and hence nothing trustworthy
comes from there.
According to the best advices re-
ceived here the dead will number
from 100 to 500, and the wounded
may reach 1000. They are mostly
negroes. Although nearly every
house Is damaged to some extent by
the earthquake, most OF the city was
spared from the fire. The water sup
ply was disarranged in places. but
not entirely cut off.
With the first shock many struct-
ures In the poorer part of the city
went down, and fire started along
tho wharves where the wreckage OF
the freight sheds offered immediate
fuel. The clogging of the streets with
debris and the great confusion fol-
lowing the shocks paralyzed the fire
department for time and the
flames along the waterfront had
gained considerable headway before
It could bring to bear any effective
work.
Immediately after the first severe
shock the people rushed into the
streets. Succeeding shocks toppled
over weakened walls on many of
them. Rescue work began at once.
The General Hospital was not de-
stroyed by the quake. Thither carts
and stretchers bore the wounded as
fast as they were rescued from the
wreckage.
The shock destroyed the Myrtle
Bank Hotel. The British military
station was destroyed and the camp
hospital for invalided soldiers was
likewise wrecked entirely.
Sir James Ferguson is the only
foreigner reported killed. No other
foreigners are missing
One reason why the death list is
not greater among the whites is be-
cause there was practically a warn
Ing Of imminent danger. A tremen-
dous wind storm arose and partial
darkness obscured the city and sub
urbs. This aroused the fears of thou
sands and all were on the alert when
the first shake began. The people ran
out of their homes, and when the Sc
we're quake came, which lasted four
or five minutes and were of sustain
ed intensity, the whites were chiefly
out in the open.
The negroes, on the contrary, took
to cover to great extent. The poor
er part of the city is where the great
est loss of life occurred and the vic
tins were almost exclusively ne
groes. Along the water front and
the chief business streets several
whites were probably killed in the
collapse of buildings.
From messages received here II Is
Judged that order was restored
quickly In the city. There are two
regiments of negro zouaves. oficered
by white men. near the city. They
are regulars and highly trained. All
those whe were not killed or injured
were Immediately at the service of
the Governor. and report has It that
they were thrown at once into the
city and did fine work in helping to
restore order. Some of them were
put at fighting the fire and others
were set to guard the banks and
other places where valuable property
wss In danger.