Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-31
Second Terrific Shock Visits
Capitol of Central American
Republic With Appalling Re-
suits,
| MANY PERSONS LOSE
LIVES IN DISASTER
Homes Are Destroyed and One
Hundred and Twenty-Five
Thousand People Are Now in
the Streets,

Washington, Dec. 30.-An-
other earthquake at Guate-
mala City yesterday virtual
| ly destroyed the city. A navy
department report today said
everything was in ruins and
that 125,000 people were in
the streets. American naval
vessels have been ordered to
render assistance.
Began Christmas Day
The series of earthquakes began
Christmas day and eliminated last
night in violent shocks which COM
pleted the work of destruction.
Following is the brief dispatch
which brought the news of the ca
tastrophe:
Bad earthquake yesterday. fin
iahed the work of others. Everything
in ruins and beyond description as
result of last nights shock. One hum
dred and twenty-five thousand people
are in the streets. Parts Of the coun-
try are very cold and windy. Tents
are needy badly"
The machinery of the American Red
Cross has been set in motion to re-
lieve the earthquake sufferers. In re-
sponse to an appeal for assistance
from Alfred Clarke, chairman of the
Red Cross chapter at Guatemala City,
a preliminary appropriation of $l0,-
600 has been authorized for the pur-
chase of relief supplies. Materials
for temporary shelters are being as
sembled, but mildness of the climate
in the devastated region minimizes
fears of suffering likely to be caused
by exposure.
AT gulf port large quantities of
flour, potatoes, crackers and other
staple foodstuffs as well as disnfec-
tants and stores of galvanized iron for
temporary buildings already are be-
ing loaded aboard a vessel to sail
from Puerto Barrios on the east coast
of Guatemala.
Earthquakes have been prevalent in
Guatemala since the day after Christ
mas when shocks were general
throughout the republic. With each
recurrent shock the damage in Qua
tenala City. the capital of the repub-
lie, has grown more extensive. Last
Thursday it was reported that from
ten to forty persons had been killed in
the disturbances of the previous night.
while dispatches of Friday and Sat
urday indicated that so per cent of
Guatemala City had been demolished
and that thousands of persons were
homeless.
Martial law had been declared and
good order was said to be prevailing.
Guatemala has been the scene of
many disasters, the results of earth
quakes. Since the settlement of the
country in 1922 there have been more
than fifty volcanic eruptions and in
excess of 800 earthquakes. The origi-
nal Guatemala City was destroyed in
1871 and 5000 of the inha bitants
were killed by deluge of water from
a nearby volcano, which was rent by
an earthquake The second capitol
was destroyed by an earthquake in
1873. The houses of the present cap
itol were built low in consequence of
the liability to earthquakes.
Guatemala City has population &c
nearly 100000. 1t is situated on q
plain at an elevation of 1850 feet
above sea level. In the great square
stood the old vice regal palace, the
cathedral and archbishops palace
and government offices. The capitol
is the center OF the trade of the
entire republic.