The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1911-07-26

beasts when the earthquake tumb-
led down some of the massive outer
walls last Wednesday morning, just
before dawn.
The old church of Santo Domin-
go is another ancient structure that
the earthquake wrecked. In days
gone by it was the seat of the Holy
Inuuisition. 1t is one of the most
beautiful churches INTELLECTUALLY in
the world 1t was built with walls SO
thick that it seemed as II nothing
but CONFUSION that would over
turn mountains would have any ef-
feet upon it. 1t passed unscathed
through perhaps thousand earth
quakes but the one last week prac-
tically wrecked it.
When the "tremblor" cores in
the valley of Mexico the ground
heaves like the long swell of the
deep sea The shocks last for from
thirty seconds to three minutes.
Then they cease and every one
waits for the second or recurrent
wave, which is sure to follow in
about three hours. This is much
milder. AS general thing the
earthquake shocks do little more
than spill the water out OF the ba-
sins in the fountains in the parks,
or, if they come at midday the soup
out of the plates of the people at
luncheon.
Though the Mexicans are Injured
| to earthquakes, they never can quite
get over their distrust of them.
When the earth begins to tremble
nearly every one drops to his knees
| wherever he may be. For the time
being pail of silence hangs over
the city The street traffic is hush
ed Horses stand with their feet
braeed far apart The only sound
is the creaking of the timbers in the
houses No plastering falls from
the ceilings, because the ceilings are
of cloth, stretched tight and kalso-
mined Persons who are indoors do
not rush to the narrow streets for
safety. Instead they stand beneath
the archways of the portals that give
egress to the streets. AS soon as it
is over the kneeling ones cease STAN
mering their Latin prayers, cross
themselves, rise and go about their
business.
Here is an extract from letter
written by a woman who was in the
city of Mexico at the time. 1t was
her first experience:
Il had just written these words
when | began, to my great astonish-
ment, to rock up and down, chair,
table and myself Suddenly the room
the walls, all began to move, ana
the floor to heave like the waves of
the sea, At first | imagined that
was gfddy. but almost Immediately
saw that it was an earthquake We
all ran, or rather staggered, as well
as we could into the gallery, where
the servants were already ranged on |
their knees, praying and crossing |
themselves with all their might. The |
shock lasted about minute and |
half, and | believe did no injury eX-
cept in frightening the whole pop |
ulation All Mexico was on its knees |
while it lasted, even the poor mad |
men in San Hipolito, the great in
sane asylum that my husband had
gone to visit l have had feeling of
sea sickness ever since. They expect
return of the shock in three orfour
hours.
Il can not help laugh yet at the
recollection of the face of poor
little clerk who had Just entered the
house with a package of letters He
did not kneel, but sat down upon the
steps, as pale as death, looking as
'cream-faced as the messenger to
Macbeth, and when the shock was
over he was so sick that he ran out
of the house without making any
remarks. The scarlet huacamaya, a
bird of the macaw species, with a
loud shrek flew from its perch and
performed a ziz-zag flight through
the air, finally perching on the mar
gin of the troubled fountain in the
courtyard New York Press.