The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-17
Devastation Wrought in Southern
Mexico is Greater Than
At First Supposed
HUNDRED BODIES TAKEN
FROM RUINS OF TIXTLA
The Number of Dead and Wounded
viii Be Large-NeWs From the
Stricken Districts to Mexico
City Comes Slowly.


City of Mexico. April 16.-Heavy earth
quake shocks continued on the west coast
until o'clock this morning. Late news
from the area of greatest destruction
| in the recent earthquake shows that the
devastation wrought was greater than at
| first supposed. Besides the destruction
of the cities of Chilpancingo and Chilapa
1t Is now reported that the city of Tixta.
between the two cities above named and
containing about the same population as
| Chipancingo, was also leveled to the
ground and messengers from the coast
who have reached Chilpancingo say that
the towns of Ayutla and Ometepec have
been wiped off the map. Ayutla is about
fifty miles of Chilpancingo in the state
of Guerrero, and some twenty miles west
of the port of Acapulco. 1t is one of tho
most historic towns in the republic, for
it was here that the plan OF Ayutla''
was conceived which caused the revolu-
tion which finally made Mexico real re-
| public and developed the talents of a
| young officer named Porfirlo Diaz des-
| tined later to be one Of the greaest men
in this country.
The population OF Ayutla is small and
1t Is thought that tho loss of life at this
place will be insignificant ometepeo Us
further south. near the boundary line Of
the states of Guerrero and Naxaca. 1t
is a town of about 10000 Inhabitants and it
is feared that the loss of life here may
be heavier than at Ayutla. Tlapa, n
town eighty miles west of Chlpancingo.
and near the border line of the state OF
Naxaca, Is also reported to have been
wiped out. The report from Chllpancin-
go says that the whole of the west coast
from Acapulco south to Salinacruz. the
Pacific terminal of the Tehuantepec Ma
tional railway, Mexico's new transcontl-
mental road, which was opened with elab-
crate ceremonies last January by Presi-
dent Diaz. has been badly damaged.
News Comes Slowly.
Jwing to the remoteness of these points
and to the fact that wire and rail COM
muncation Is very poor. news from the
| stricken district to this capital comes
very slowly. But one wire Is working to
| Chilpancingo and that rather spasmod-
| ically. The telegraph office is accepting
messages to this point only on the condi-
ton that they will be sent subject to de-
lay Thousands of messages are now on
hand at the main office of the federal
telegraph and 1t is said that commercial
business Is forty-eight hours behind time.
Through the courtesy of the officers OF
the Federal Telegraph company the AS
sociated Press was given the wire today
at noon. while 1t was working through
to Chpancingo.
The question as to the number of CASUAL
ties was put to the operator. but he de-
clared that up to the time. he knew notlI-
ing beyond the fact that he had seen
about a dozen dead bodies and knew OF
some thirty wounded.
A dispatch to the El Pals, daily paper
which Is the organ of the Catholic church
in this city. from the Bishop of Chilapa,
confirms to report of the total destruc-
ton wrought in that immediate neigh
borhood. Four people are reported 10
have been killed in one house, and the
number of wounded is given thirty
nine
100 Dead Bodies.
In the city of Tixtla it is reported that
100 dead bodies have been taken from the
ruins and that great number of wound
cd are being cared for In temporary
structures erected in the open country.
The operator at Chipancingo says that
the four men In the office have been
working without relief for forty-eight
hours. exposed to the weather. He re-
ports that the state government has pro-
| vided tents for the homeless people and
that the governor has taken every means
of providing for the comfort of the in
habitants.
Up to o'clock this morning the shocks
continued with more or less severity in
the vicinity OF Chlpancingo, completing
the work OF destruction and destroying
many of the most important public build
ings of the city. The new municipal pail
ace which was erected in place of its
predecessor, which was leveled by an
earthquake four years ago was almost
destroyed by these last shocks. The hosr
pitals, schools and the Jail in ruins.
The prisoners were placed under guard
by the rurales and are now incarcerated
in barracks building which Is yet stand
ing.
The sick were removed from the hos
pitfalls in safety and are now being cared
| for in temporary structure erected out
| in the open country. Troops are guarding
the ruins and military engineers are now
inspecting such buildings as are stand
ing with view of reporting as TO wheth-
er they shall be razed reinforced.
Number Fatalities.
Tn TO this time the total number OF
deaths reported in thirty-eight. and the
injured ninety-three. but in view of later
reports which tend to greatly magnify
the extent of the catastrophe it is thought
that these figures will fall far short OF
the real number of fatalities. These, 1T
is feared will never be accurately known,
as many of the dead are of the poorer
classes living IN small settlements.
II is reported that Aculpalo is partly
submerged from the waves which dashed
over the breakwaters. Although not a
breath OF wind was stirring on the night
of the first shock. when the earth began