The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-18
MANY AMERICANS KILLED
AND BURNED IN DEBRIS
Volcano Spouts Flames, and With
Communication Partially Restored
Every Message Brings Fresh
Details of Appalling Scene.

Kingston. Jamaica, January 16.-Ths
disaster here Is as great as the calamities
of San Francisco and Valparaiso. Thous-
ands of persons have been killed. and
their dead bodies are being taken from
the debris by hundreds.
Kingston is in ruins and the greater por-
tlon is still smouldering ashes. The smell
of the burnt flesh pervades the air. The
cable lines from Kingston is broken, and
the correspondent had to go to Holland
Bay, forty miles, to file this message.
The earthquake came as a sudden
oscillation not from any particular direc-
ton but UP and down
Thousands of persons were on the
streets of Kingston at the time and great
numbers OF them were crushed. Many
Americans in Kingston We're killed, and
have been buried.
Realizing the possibility of famine the
people made attempts to loot. The mill
tary, however. took possession of the
foodstuffs. Detachments of troops with
fixed bayonets were placed on guard.
They were concentrated in a central pos-
ton No one is allowed to pass through
the ruined sections of the city.
Kingston is threatened with a failure OF
the water supply, owing TO the bursting
of n reservoir and no water viii DO OBJ
tainable before tomorrow. The military
suffered severely. The hospital company,
where there were several hundred SOL
ders burned and a number of the men
lost their lives.
A new horror Is added to the situation
by reports that the city seems to be slow
ly sinking into the sea. The contour of
the bottom of the harbor has materially
changed and two lighthouses at the har-
Dor entrance are said to have disappeared.
The ships In the harbor are crowded
with injured people and the death list is
being increased daily Corpses lie in the
streets, or are being thrown into trenches.
The fearsome extent of the appalling
calamity that has visited the capital OF
Jamaica has not yet been recorded to the
outside world, and 1t is doubtful If even
the people of Kingston themselves are
yet aware OF the full extent of the dis
aster that overwhelmed them last Mon
day afternoon.
Maj. W. Y Hardyman and Lieut..
Leader are dead Col. j. r. M. Daley
rmple-Hay and Major Lawreson are serl-
ously injured
Part Of the town and Port Royal has
sunk, two men were drowned. The bat
| terry sunk eight feet, killing sapper. In
several places the water Is spoutins
through the debris.
Port Antonio on the northern part OF
the island suffered little damage. Tine
Hotel Litehned with a hundred Ameri-
! can guests was not destroyed.
A tidal wave has inundated Anotta Bay,
washing out many houses. The shock
was severe at Richmond and this town
was also destroyed by fire.
Spanishtown also was demolished, one
man being killed and ten injured there.
1t is reported at Anotta Bay a crater
of extinct volcano Is emitting flames
and smoke and II is thought the earth
quake originated there. The records Of
Jamaica contain no previous mention OF
activity of this volcano.
Appeals have been sent to all sections
of the island asking for assistance
Foodstuns are needed above all things
The steamer Bella from Philadelphia ar
J rived here yesterday with "A small cargo
of provisions. Business is at "A stan1-
/ still. Some shops have been opened by
Cinnamon who raised the prices on goods
1000 per cent. This angered the people
that the Cinnamon were driven out and
their shops looted.
The hope of famine relief lies in the
banana crops which have not been In
jured Medical assistance is limited, ow-
ing to the deaths OF several doctors.
Kingston was threatened with ram
storm this morning, but at the hour Of
sending out this dispatch the weather is
clear.
| The body of Sir James FERGUSON was
/ found and buried today.
| Committees have been formed and the
governor and Lady Swettenham and
/ othVs are doing noble rescue work. The
shipping in the harbor is safe.
| There have been a number of other
! shocks since the first disastrous one and
/ the repetitons keep the people in a state
! OF panic.
| The Hamburg American steamer Prnz-
/ ess Victoria Louise which ran ashore at
| the harbor entrance December 16. is now
! a total loss. ~he topography Of the coun-
| try has been changed and the navigation
! into this harbor materially altered
Two vessels left here yesterday for the
! United States loaded to their full ca
! pacity with returning tourists and fleeing
Bzrves The wounded are being cared
I for all the ships in the harbor.
! German steamer called here on her
J way from Cuba and sailed again. after
: staving In port one hour.
The lines of the Hayti Cable company
/ and the direct West India Cable COM
! pany are broken two miles out al sea.
| Repairs are being made. The West india
| and Panama line is working from Hoi-
| land Bay.
| The railroad workshops have been de-
! molished but train service has been re-
j sumed.
Woman Kills Her Brother.