The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-28
FIRE FOLLOWS
EARTH SHOCKS
Town of ChlIapa, Mexico, Is
Completely Destroyed as
a Result
LOSS OF LIFE NOT KNOWN
CITY rAS PARTIALLY WRECKED
BY QUAKE A YEAR AGO.
LOSS OF LIFE NOT KNOWN

City of Mexico, March Ex-Governor
Damian Flores, chief executive of the
state of Guerrero, who is at present in
this city, had at O'Clock this evening
just received the first official advices
from the town of Chilapa, said to have
been destroyed in the heavy earth
quake shock which occurred last night
The message to the governor says
that, although a humber of the build
lngs of the town were leVeled to the
ground, no lives were lost. The police
quarters and the mayors office were
destroyed and the jail badly wrecked.
Great assures were made in the streets
and open fields. In the neighboring
town of Ometepec, the Jail was de-
stroyed and thirty prisoners made their
escape. Troops are guarding the pub
lie building that was STANDING in Chi
lapa, but perfect order prevails.
Dispatch Conservative.
Later returns from Chilapa show
however, that the dispatch received by
Governor Flores was ultra conserva-
tive. The town was practically de-
stroyed, though no lives were lost
Most of the buildings that were leveIed
were residences.
Thirty-four shocks have been record
ed during the past twenty-four hours
by the seismograph at the national OBJ
serVatory at Tabuyaca. Most of these
shocks, however. were inperceptible ex-
cept TO the delicate needle of the in
strument.
American Woman Killed.
Mrs. Emma Jeannett DorviIIe. an
American, lost her life in a panic in the
Tiburcio theatre in the city of Vera
Cruz, which followed the earthquake
of last night. News of the panic and
the one death which followed reached
this city tonight. When the quake was
felt the audience rushed for the exits.
ana many persons were severely
bruised, but none seriously injured
Mrs. Dorville dropped dead from fright
In this city gendarme was killed.
fifteen persons were slightly and one
fatally injured by falling beams and
walls. All of those belonged to the
working classes.
Early today Ell Impartial, the gov
eminent organ, received dispatch
from its correspondent in the town of
ChilDacingo. saying that the town of
Chilapa, thirty miles distant from that
place, was totally destroyed by the
earthquake, and that fire broke out in \
the ruins and was completing the work
of destruction. The people of the town
we're terroTiZed, and many were prav-
ing in the open plazas and i'm the fields
adjoining the town
Reduced to Ashes.
Some hours later the same correspon-
dent sent the following Dispatch
Later returns confirm my first tel
egram; Chilapa has been shaken to the
earth and reduced to ashes | avoid
the sending of details
This correspondent is the sole one
working near the scene The Assoei- |
ated Press unaVailingly tried through |
out the day to confirm the news of the !
total destruction of the town by earth |
quake and fire.
Chilapa has a population of some L.
900 people, and is the largest town in |
the state of Guerrero. To reach the
place II is necessary to travel one day /
by train and then four days over a |
rough mountain trail on horseback. |
Telegraphic communication has not
been interrupted with Chilapa.
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 a con- |
siderable loss of life or property.