The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-28
SEVEREEARTHQUAKE
TOWN OF cHILAPA IS SHAKEN AND
 BURNED.
An Americas Woman Loses Her Life h Theatre Panic at Vera
 Cruz, FoEIOwing The t Emrthquake.


 Mexico City, March 27.-chilapa. a town of 1s,0o0 inhabitants. in the state of Guerrero, has been snaken The shocks. two in number. occurred aarlv last evening and were followed hv fires which, originating in dozen v,iaraa among the tumbling buildings, Joined in a conhagration that swept ths town. Only meagre facts or the dIsaster are known here and what has been learned has dribbied in from shant.n The loss Of life, if any, as veil as the monetary extent of the nroperty damage. is probiematical, and continued efforts to gauge the catas- trophe have been futile tonight.
 Telegraph communication with Chill ana is severed. and the town is two days by horseback from the nearest railway station. Couriers have been despatched to Chilapa from Chilpan- cinEo. some fortyfsve miles distant. and it is presumed that messengers Tor relief were sent from the burned city early today and possibly imme- diately following the earthquake last night.
 The reports that have reached here a gree that the town was destroyed by tha shocks and fire and that the people
 
 Mrs. Emma Jeannette Dorville. an American, lost her life in a panic in the Tiburcio theatre in the city of Vera Cruz, which followed the earth quake of last night. News of the pan ic and the one death which followed, reached this city tonight. When the quake was felt the audience rushed for the exits and many were severely bruised but uone seriously injured. Mrs. DorviIie dropped dead from fright.
 In this city a gendarme was killed. fifteen persons were slightly and one fatally injured by falling beams and walls. All of these belonged to the working classes.
 Early today Fl Imparcial, the gov ernment organ, received q dispatch from it's correspondent in the town of Chilaparcingo. saying that the town of Chilapa. thirty miles distant from that place was totally destroyed by the earthauake, and that Are broke out in the ruins and is now completing the work of destruction. The people of the town are terrorized and many are praying in the open plazas and in the fields adjoining the town.
 Some hours later the same corre- spondent sent the following dispatch:
 "Later returns confirm my first tele- gram; Chilapa has been shaken to the earth and reduced to ashes. avoid the sending of details"
 Chilapa has population of some lS,O0O people and is the largest town in the State of Guerrero To reach the place 1t Is necessary to travel one day by train and then four days over rough mountain trail on horseback. Telegraphic communication has not been interrupted with Chilapa but of- fclals of the place have not as yet an- swered the telegrams of inquiry sent to them.
 Reports coming in from various points in the republic show that the quake was felt over very wide area but that in no place with the possible exception of Chilapa was there com siderable loss of life or property.
 TroOrs Guard BuiIdInss.
 City of Mexico, March Ex-Governor Damian Flores. the Chief Executive Of the State of Guerro. who is in this city, at g o'clock tonight received the first official advice from the town of Chilapa. said to have been destroyed in the heavy earthquake shock which occurred last night.
 The message to the Governor says that while a number of the buildings of the town were leveled to the ground no lives were lost The police quar- ters and the Mayors office were destroyed and the jail badly damaged. Great Assures were made in the streets and open fields. In the neighboring town of Ometepec. the jail was destroyed and thirty prisoners made their escape. Troops are guarding inc public buildings that are standing in Chilapa, but perfect order prevails.
 Later returns from Chilapa show however. that he dispatch received by Governor Flores was ultra -conserva- A FHN- aH aH.-I destroyed though no lives were lost. Most of the buildings that were leveled were residences.
 Thirty-four shocks have been record ed during the past twenty-four hours by the sfismograph at the national observatory at Tabuyacae Most of these shocks, however were impercep- tible except to the delicate needle of the instrument