The sun., 1908-04-05
'OUEEES SPREADING MEXICO
WIDENING ZONE IN WBICH TIE
SHOCKS ARE FELT.

Moake,p and PAPrsts--steol Frame
BulIdings Stand TeJt-Damage Done.
CrTr or Mexico, April S.-Ths earth
o1laks zone Of Mexico ls believed 10 be
growing larger. The centre Of the trem-
blinRs u a mountain about sixty miles
southeast Of the city. Of ChilpaDolngo. tho
ospltal Of the State OF Guerrero.
week rarely TasSes that the seismic.
graph In the Government meteorological
bureau here does not record slight shook
Every few months shock Of more than
ordinary severity OCCURS. The two earth
krembllnRs which caused a vast amount OF
damage In southern Mexico several days
ago we're the elimination Of many shocks
that we're family recorded by the Seismo-
graph on the same day
This earthquake mountain Ia said TO be
Ia q state Of slmost constant vibration,
and the air ebout II Ia said TO he charged
with suphurous gas which Ia thought TO
come from cracks made in its sides by
underground upheavals, The Me1icans OF
that region hRve a superstitious fear Of the
mountain.
" rs IeiHIeu NuhA WiNh NAlV lVNNhN
earthquake occurred the peak Of the noun
tain was seen to sway back and forth for
several minutes and loud reports like the
discharEe Of artillery came from its depths,
The theory that a new volcano is being
formed is not entertained by the earthquake
sSentists. They do not believe that the
bembngs have any connection with vol
oanio fires.
The cities and towns within radius ot
hfty miles Of this mountain have been
partly destroyed several times In the last
hfty years by earthquakes Chilpancingo
vas rszed 10 the ground Ivy the shocks OF
wear ago. Il was being rebuilt when the
trembhngs Of last week did further damage.
In Chilapa and other towns near the noun
tain there was great destruction of property
and some loss Of life,
The recent shocks we're felt throughout
. territory extending from ZacatecaS on
the north to the Isthmus Of Tehuantepec
on the south. a distance Of about seven
hundred miles. This is much wider area
than was covered by the earthquake OF
year ago and leads TO the conclusion that
the seismic zone is growing larger.
Some Americans who were In the Chill
pancinRo reigon last week experienced mar
row escapes. This was particularly true OF
those who happened to be engaged In min
ing operations.
81 have q mine about twenty miles from
the Balsas River, said Tom Kendrick who
has Just arrived here with lot Of other
refugees, "and was in one Of the lower
levels Of the property early In the afternoon
when the ground underneath my feet be-
gan 70 swell and heave.
Il was thrown Fat on my face The
Mexlcans knew instantly what bad hap
pened, and with a cry Of 'Et terremotoP
they rushed past me pell nell in an effort
10 gain the surface. The lights In the mine
hickered and some went out.
Il picked myself up and made my way
along like a drunk en- man until got to the
sbAft aud was soon hoisted 70 the surface.
The men poured from the underground
workings like rats fleeing from a sinking
ship. The moment they gained the sur
face they fell upon their knees and offered
up a prayer for their deliverance from
horrible death
In some Of the mines the upheaval caused
pnassee Of rocks and dirt 10 fall, choking
up the passages and imperilling the lives
Of the iaborers.
Henry Cation an American machinery
mao who has lived at Chilpancingo for
several years. says that tho people Of that
place are 90 used to earthquakes that II
taxes one Of such severity as to cause
houses 10 tumble down or the walls TO crack
10 interest them. They regard the ordinary
tremblihgs as a nuisance which they must
Il have felt not less than thousand
earthquake shocks during the few years
that I have lived 10 that mountain town.
Mfr. Caton said -On the day Of the earth
quake last week not less than fifty distinct
shocks were felt at ChHpancingo.
The tremblngs began early IN the morn
ing. They we're light al first and the people
of the TOW n naid M attention TO them. They
would meet each other on the street and
perhaps remark:
Looks az II We might have bad earth
quake, which would be said with as much
lack of excitement as the remark, 1t
looks a. II il might rain
with this observation the men would
try TO retain their feet while they trans
acted business.
ing finished before this confounded earth
Quake came along. ! heard one contractor
say IN another as the afternoon wore away
and the shocks began to increase in In
teusty.
came that caused the walls Of the unfinished
I hulding to fall. The contractor accepted
his loss goodnature1y. That Is one thing
the earthquake has taught the people OF
that place-to accept calamitles as they
come without complaint,
Il saw splendid business buildings con-
Verted into ruins by the shocks OF year
ago. The owners carried no insurance,
but they doggedly went 10 work and erected
new structures. Some OF these weathered
the recent disturbances, but others we're
badly damaged.
The chances Of heavy loss Of life by
earthquake In the Chipancingo region are
small. The buildings are erected with the
idea of the best possible security. There
arc usually ninor ,remblings 70 give warn
ing ~ severe shocks that may follow.
Everybody in that region sleeps WITH
his plans sl' arranged Tor making quick
exit from the Building he moment ne lees
the tremorp. I saw the theatre at Chill.
paneinao emptied Of q crowd Of several
hundred people in less than two minutes
after the fret shock was felt
This thing OF being routed out OF bed
several times in night 10 not very en-
iovable, hut the people ere used to lt
They will run into the street, and II the
rhock ls not repeated In the course OF an
bour or 20 they 60 back TO bed.
II hiss long been believed In Mexico
that rarrots can foretell earthquakes. Many
NJ the natives keep pet parrots about their
homes for the special purpose Of keeping