Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-18
KINGSTON ONLY PLACE
ON ISLAND SHAKEN
BY THE EARTHQUAKE
BY Associated Press.

HOLLAND BAY, Jamaica, Jan. IT,
Advices received from various parts
of the island show that Kingston was
the only place damaged by the recent
earthquake. All the other towns of
Jamaica are in good condition. No
further earthquake shocks have been
felt In Jamaica.
All reports agree that the entire
business section of Kingston Is COM
pletely demolished, mainly as the re-
suit of the fire which started imme-
diately after the earthquake. Port An
tonic may be said to be unharmed,
though the poorly built town hall was
partly destroyed. The Litchfleld hotel
is uninjured and the clerks and en-
ployes of the establishment are safe.
The destroyed section of Kingston In
cludes that portion of the town be-
tween East and West streets from
Tower street to the water front. All
the piers are down with the exception
of that of the Royal Mail company and
that of the government railway.
The Myrtlebank hotel, q favorite re-
sort for Americans, is completely razed
and the large dry goods house Of Ma
than Sherlock & Co. and the other
buildings in the vicinity were consumed
by the flames.
Use Ship as Hospital
The Elder -Dempster company's
steamer Port Kingston and the Ad-
miral Sampson belonging to the
United Fruit company, are safe in
Kingston harbor. The Port Kingston
is being used as hospital.
Lighters of the United Fruit COM
pany have been doing good work in
rescuing people who were pushed over
board from the wharf by the maddened
crowds seeking shelter from the flames.
About 700 We're saved in this way.
The city hospital Is overcrowded.
The military hospital was destroyed by
fire, forty patients being burned to
death.
Hardly a building is left standing in
the entire city of Kingston and every
one not demolished is uninhabitable.
The postofflce and telegraph offices
are among the buildings destroyed.
The list will probably total many
hundred, 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 in
jured number several hundred and
about 10000 are homeless.
Several prominent business men are
among the dead, including A. Nathan
and Charles Sherlock, the leading mer-
chants of the city, many Of the most
and Captain Constantine. local super
intendent for the Royal Mail Packet
company. The government railroad
from Kingston to Port Antonio has not
been damaged to any great extent.
Constant Springs Hotel Destroyed
The Constant Springs hotel, a spa
cious building in st. Andrews, si1
miles from here, was destroyed, main
ly by fire.
Many distinguished persons were
stopping here, including all the dele
gates to the West Indian agricultural
conference, which was to have held
its sessions at Kingston this week; Sir
Alfred Jones, president of the Liverpool
chamber of commerce, and a large
party of distinguished persons who ar
rived here recently from England on
the steamer Port Kingston to study
agricultural conditions. The party in
cludes many British peers and men,
bers of parliament.
The Hotel Tichfie1d is said to be the
only prominent hotel in Jamaica which
has not sustained injuries.
No Americans have been killed or in
iured, so far as known, but one re-
port says that eight American tour
lists are among the missing.
Many of the natives are in danger
of starvation unless they receive imme-
diate assistance.
That portion of the town of Port
Royal which sank two centuries ago is
again under water.