Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-31
Over 1000 Square Miles of
Territory Shocked
ACAPULCO AND CHILPANClNG0
DEMOLISHED
FIRST BIG TREMoR
Reports Show Fourteen Persons Are
Slain Outright, and More Than a
Score Are Injured, Per-
haps Fatally
nv Assnclated PressA

MI EXICO CITY, July 30.-Centra
WI Mexico, from the Atlantic to thf
4IA Pacific, and from Querato, or
the north, TO OaXaca, on the south
more than 1000 square miles, was
shaken today by a series of the most
severe earthquake shocks felt in tht
region for quarter of a century.
Reports Of the loss of life are moi
complete, but the official figures show
that fourteen were killed outright and
more than a score perhaps fatally in
jured.
The towns Of Acapulco and Chilpan-
CingO have been partially demolished
According to the observatory rec
ords, the first shock of the series was
felt at Ais a. m. 1t was severe, caus-
ing the bells Of the many cathedrals
and in some instances leveling walls.
The people hardly had recovered
from the first fright when a second
and more severe shock drove nearly
everyone to the streets and plazas.
This movement lasted with marked
severity for one minute and thirty
seconds.
The tall buildings of the city
swayed and many houses collapsed.
Six persons were killed in Mexico
City and its environs. Four persons
are in hospitals, their recovery de-
SPARED of.
The large American colony escaped
unscathed. The poems were terribly
frightened. For days they had been
predicting disaster because the snow
on the peak of the volcano Popocata-
petl visible from this city, has been
melting,
Legend Causes Fear
An old Aztec legend declares that
when the snow on this volcano dis
appears so, too, will the city at its
base.
The property damage here is slight.
Some of the cathedral walls were
cracked and scores of adobe walls were
sent to the ground, but the main bust
ness district showed no signs of the
severe shaking which it had received.
| The observatory officials declare
Mexico city rests on an old lake bed.
the made ground on which great
part of the city is built acting as a
spOngY mass, which neutralized the
severity of the shock.
All electric currents in the city were
shut off during the first shock, and the
city remained in darkness.
The wailing and praying of the In
dians in the public squares added to
the weirdness and painted an unfor-
gettable picture on the minds of the
half-clad, shivering hordes of fright
ened men, women and children who
stood in the drizzling rain waiting for
daylight
When the sun shone the people re-
turned to their homes
Soon, however, a third 8shOck sent
them again scurrying to the streets.
This tremor was lighter than the 9TH
ers.
When the Federal Telegraph company
attempted to work it was found the
wires to the west coast were down
NTo 10 1tyifb hn CT af Of
Guerrero, the center of the earthquake
region of Mexico could be established
Communication Opened
After hours of effort a wire was
opened by a rounabout way of the
Isthmus of Tehauntepec. The first
message came from the port of Aca-
pulco, and was sent to the director of
telegraphS. 1t read:
Acapulco is in ruins. The loss is
incalculable."
Communication then was lost.
Shortly after o'clock another wire
was opened up direct to Acapulco. A
message said that the lower half of the
city had been destroyed and that four
bodies had been taken from the ruins
A message from Chilpancingo stated
that three deaths had occurred there
and that the number of injured was not
known.
Inc barracks, ndLlOudl pdletC6 anu
hospital there were damaged.
The American consul at Acapulco
telegraphed tonight that the shocks
were continuing with lessened intensity
Three bodies have been taken from
the ruins. The churches, custom houses
and all of the hotels in the place were
rendered uninhabitable while not a
house in the city escaped damage: All
of the buildings along the water front
were leveled.
The first shock at Acapulco occurred
at 4:10 in the morning and the people,
knowing by past experiences what to
expect, fled to the open. They had
hardly got out when series of six
severe shocks threw the more unstable
buildings to the ground
There was no tidal wave, but the
consul added the shocks were more
severe than those of 1907, which inun-
dated a part of the city His message
said that no American was killed or
injured
A message received rom Puebla re-
ports one death, that of NJ. TtlliZo,
guest at the Hotel Jardin, who died
Reports from Vera Cruz, Oaxaca,
T1acotalpam, Silicayoapam, Duznan.
Meroteon and Pachuca indicate more
or less property damage, but no loss
Water Main Shattered
The principal water main of this
city was broken, and the supply will
be curtailed for a few days. Many
points in the state of Guerrero known
to be in the earthquake zone have not
yet been heard from.
A telegram from Iguala, state of
Guerrero, sent tonight, says that the
whole region is trembling with frequent
severe shocks. The people are terrified.
The earthquakes have been continuous
for nearly fourteen hours.
Each new shock is leveling the build
lngs in Chilpancingo. Such telegraph
Offices as were open throughout Guer-
zero during the afternoon and early
evening closed at 10 o'clock tonight,
(Continued on Page TWOl