Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-09
EARTHQUAKE IN MEXICO.
Three Score Killed and Heavy Prop
ertY Qamaue

Sixty-three persons were killed, sew
enty-five wounded and property worth
$4,000 was wrecked today by an
earthquake which shocked the Mexi-
can capital and injected a note of
| tragedy into what was to have been a
day of pure rejoicing over the arrival
of Francisco I. Madero. Jr., says a
Mexico City dispatch of Wednesday.
When the work Of searching the
ruins is completed, 1t is possible that
! the list OF dead will be increased
somewhat, as hiding here and there
throughout the city there doubtless
are many wounded, who, with ira
ditional fear of the authorities and
government hospitals. are anxious to
evade discovery.
The property loss estimate Is based
on calculations made by owners and
contractors. Little Of the loss Is COW
cred by insurance.
1t was 4.30 o'clock a. m, when the
| first shock was felt. According to the
meteorological observatory, the great
est intensity was reached at the end Of
the first minute, but the instruments
teen minutes more.
| The disturbance was yacillating and
almost free from trepidatory motion.
| More than half Of the dead account
ed for were soldiers. They were caught
beneath the falling walls Of the artil-
lery barracks at San Cosma, near the
Mexican Central station.
| Another place where the earthquake
took its toll Of death in considerable
/ lVattY ~ k1,A afk f,ola
Of the street car company. There six
persons were killed and six wounded.
Two others were found in the debris,
consisting partly Of steel rails, which
had been stacked in the iron and wood
departments The victims were in
habitants of shacks built along beside
the structure.
| With these two exceptions the death
list was made of single cases, or in
few instances Of two and three per-
sons caught beneath falling walls in
unsubstantial buildings.
Although the shock was plainly felt
in all parts Of the city, few realized
the magnitude of the catastrophe un-
/ til late In the forenoon because the
casualties were confined to a compare
lively small area The inhabitants
were slow to realize that this was the
most serious shock the capital has suf-
| tereQ In score or years.
| No personal property of Americans
was damaged, and, with the execution
of one Chinese killed, no foreigners
were injured. In the barracks where
the soldiers were killed twelve women
also lost their lives. They were the
wives Of artillerymen.
Seventy-two soldiers were sleeping
in the house. Approximately thirty
five were quartered on the first floor,
the remainder on the second. The
outer wall fell and the roof, crash
ing down on the sleeping men on the
second floor, hurled them down through
the ceiling on their comrades below.
The bodies of thirty soldiers have been
recovered, Three are missing and
sixteen are wounded, a few severely.
| Those who escaped began the work
of rescue at once. Women, whose SOL
dier husbands were in the pile, stood
by wailing In groups, while children
clung to their mothers dresses and
stared curiously at the gruesome
scene. Ambulances later carried the
wounded to the military hospitals and
the dead to Dolores cemetery.
The most damage done was In that
quarter known as Santa Maria" al
though cracked pavements and broken
walls mark its course as far to the
south as Colonia Roma, inhabited
largely by Americans. In this quar-
ter, however, little damage was done,
and no deaths have been reported.
Cracks show here and there in pave
ments throughout the area affected and
now and then asphalt Is buckled into
ridges from three to five inches high.
Walls of soft stone and adobe bricks
fell In scores Of places, giving to some
places a ruined aspect.
The water mains Of the city were
not injured and the light and power
company suffered little inconvenience
in operations.
Some damage was done to street car
tracks, but not enough to interfere
with traffic, except on one line.
The projection of the front wall Of
Belem prison was thrown into the
street. No great damage was done.