Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-03-31
Quake WIPES OUT
CH|LAPA, MEXICO
MANY LIVES LOST AND suRvlv.
oRs ARE TERRoR-srRicKEN
AMID clTYs RUINS.
FLAMES COMPLETE
DESTRUCTIVE WORK
Town Of Fifteen Thousand Inhabl.
tants, Lying 115 Miles South Of
Mexico ctty-capital Weather Blu.
reau Records Length Of Shocks.

Mexico City, Mex, Mar. 2S.-The
town of Chilapa, in the state Of Guer
zero, was completely destroyed by an
earthquake.
Following the shock the ruins took
fire and the whole city was burned
to ashes.
The populace is terror stricken. II
is not known, even approximately, how
many lives were lost. Chilapa was q
city Of $4,000 inhabitants.
The destroyed town of Chilapa lies
about lis miles south Of Mexico City.
1t was the seat of bishop, and sever
al important manufactures were 10.
Gated there.
Mexico City Shaken.
Mexico City, Mar. 2S.-Mexico City
was visited by two severe earthquake
shocks Thursday. The first shock oc.
Cured at 4:30 o'clock p. M, lasting
four minutes and % seconds.
No lives were lost and the property
damage was small, but numerous walls
were cracked by the motion OF the
earth's waves. The shock was very
similar to that felt in this city about
year ago, the oscillations being of
long. swaying variety. At the Ma
tional observatory it was stated that
the needle of the seismograph travelled
the entire distance of the dial. That
no great property loss resulted is due,
according to the scientists, to the fact
that the City of Mexico rests on the
spongy bed Of an old lake.
Another Shock at Night.
A second and much more severe
earthquake shock occurred at GIT D.
m. at night. Walls were cracked and
clocks all over the city were stopped.
The theater crowds rushed to the
streets. The people are considerably
alarmed over the repeated shocks. No
great damage has yet been reported,
though number of walls have fallen.
For short time telegraph communica-
ton was interrupted.
Investigation shows that four per-
sons were injured during the quake,
one mortally. The shock was felt
over an area of some 500 miles, from
north to south. Gale San Francisco,
the main thoroughfare of the city, was
cracked in places for many blocks.
Earthquakes Are Recorded.
Washington, Mar. 2S.-Two great
earthquakes were recorded at the
weather bureau. Four excellent rec.
ords of each shock were obtained, in
which all the details Of these phe-
nomena are shown with great distinct.
ness.
The first shock was much greater
than the second and began with great
distinctness. The second shock be-
gan with equal distinctness.
The duration of the first preliminary
tremors in the first shock was exactly
the same in all four records and
amounted to FIVE minutes and three
seconds. The first preliminary tremor
In the second shock lasted only four
minutes and 81 seconds.
Distance Is 2,40O Miles.
The distance, in the first case, would
be little over 2.400 miles, probably,
and in the second case slightly less
than 2,400 miles. This distance agrees
30 closely with that indicated for an
earthquake recorded on the afternoon
OF March rs as to suggest that all
three of these earthquakes original
ed in nearly the same locality.
The strong motion of the first earth
quake lasted ten minutes and both dis,
turbances produced vibrations in the
earth that lasted for over an hour and
a half; the maximum motion in the
second disturbance being much less
than in the first.