The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1908-07-17
ZZARznE GAR2Ehk5 NZzAR H1VGyIOW

morning after the terrible rumbllngs of the earth
announced to the residents Of Kingston that they
were experiencing one Of the worst earthquakes
which ever befell the western hemisphere
The streets of Kingston still strewn with
broken brick. stone and mortar. Only where abso-
Lutte necessity demanded has the debris Of year
and half ago been cleared away and to-day one
may walk the streets of this historic city and be
compelled to take the middle of the road in order
to avoid the great piles of shattered buildings
which blockade the sidewalks and most of the
thoroughfares.
This condition to the minds of Americans is per-
haps an enjoyable contrast that which took place
In San Francisco shortly after the Golden Gate city
was desolaed by the quake of few years ago.
The Pacific coast metropolis awoke the morning
following the earthquake and literally went to work
then and there to place city the site of
the one destroyed Workmen paid wages
which drew laborers. mechanics, engineers from
every section of the world to take advantage of the
high price put upon services. To-day the tourist
would scarcely know there had been disturbance
of seismic conditions
But in Kingston some of the residents made
homeless by the earthquake are still inhabiting
tents others have departed while still others have
moved away from the stricken city Little has been
done. And what is the reason? tourists ask. Is it
the traditional tired feeling, attributed to south
ern peoples is 1t lack of activity the part of the
government or lack of facilities? Those are the
questions which experts in building and organizing
are trying to solve today many months after this
condition was brought about
One reason is that the English insurance
companies have evaded payment of losses
in the fire which followed the earth
quake. The cases are in the courts for
adjustment but the progress is slow. In many
cases where the property was destroyed the owners
unable to rebuild without assistance and that
is hard to obtain while the insurance cases are
pending. Others are dishearened and would rath-
er sell their land thans to rebuild and improve it.
The scene is almost as desolate as it the week
following the earthquake. In sections,
. ably on Harbor and Orange streets. the rubbish
has been cleared away and small onestory frame
buildings have been erected in which stores and
business places were quickly opened; at another
point the government is clearing an entire city
square for the erection of federal buildings.
Aside from these minor matters the city has made
little progress toward rebuilding, and business is
generally carried on in temporary structures in
old buildings which unaffected by the earth.
Quake and which likewise escaped tn flames.
And yet, Kingston still shows mu,bl evidence of
It's former beauty. The stately palm trees are to
be seen along many highways and in private
grounds; the cocoanut palm nourishes in almost
every door yard; the rank growth of tropical fo
age is quickly covering much of the unsightly ruins
and giving air of life in which the hand of man
does cooperate.
Before the earthquake the city had many magnif
cent churches, representing most of the prominent
denominations. Every of them was either de-
stroyed or put out of commission. and services
have not been held in single church of the city
since the cal aithquake. All public worship is either
conducted in small buildings near the parent
churches or In the streets. The street meetings
predominant, and many of these fervid> almost
to the point of fanaticism. The horrors of the
earthquake, which resulted in several hundred
deaths made such impression upon the minds
of the native Jamaicans to leave many of them
nysterically religious.
sight that impresses in the Kingston
streets is the prevalence of women aborers. Much
of the heavy work is done by the native black wom