The evening world., 1920-01-05
SCORES KILLED
BY EARTHQUAKE;
MANY IN CHORCH
Widespread Devastation
Wrought in Mexico, With
Heavy Property Loss.
TEN STATES SHAKEN.
Worst Havoc in State of Vera
Cruz-Subterranean Noises
Heard.

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 5.-Scores OF
persons are known to have been killed
and much property destroyed in the
violent earthquake that devastated
many parts Of Mexico. late reports
to-day show. The quake is believed
to have been caused by the volcano
Of Orizabo.
Ten states were shaken and at least
two villages were destroyed. The
states were Mexico, Puebla, Vera
Cruz, OaXaca. Gueltero, Morelos, ia
liSco, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo and Queretaro.
They stretch for nearly 500 miles
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pa
clfic in a northwesterly direction
The villages destroyed are Thocelo
and Couztlan.
The death list in San Juan Co.'S
comatepec was greatly augmented as
a result of the collapse Of the church
tower, which crashed in upon the
crowds that following the first shock
ran in to pray.
In the suburbs OF Oriznba the shock
was very severe, many persons being
reported killed beneath their wrecked
houses. The shock came during a
performance at the theatre, and panic
stricken people leaped from the bal
comics into the pit in their efforts to
escape.
The lighting systems at Orizaba
and Jabapa are out OF commission,
and Vera Cruz City is without water.
Details to-day are expected to
show loss of life when two trains
were derailed by the shock, one of
them bound from OrizabI for Mex
leo City, and the other for Vera Cruz.
Incomplete press reports indicate
that the state of Vera Cruz suf-
fered more than any other section,
although seismic disturbances were
felt throughout the entire republic.
Advices from Cordoba say that thirty
dead have already been accounted for
in the village Of San Juan Coscoma-
tepec. where many houses were de-
stroyed. There are unconfirmed re-
ports of a similar catastrophe in the
village of Huatusco.
At Jalapa, further north, fifty VIC
Tins of the earthquake have been
counted, including numerous dead.
Lack OF communication with the
other small towns and villages in the
theatre Of the disturbance makes even
approximate estimates OF the casual
ties impossible.
The panic in the capital among the
ignorant classes was indescribabe.
Many of the people fled from their
homes and flocked to the churches.
The Indians in the suburbs hurried to
the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
From Toluco Cuernavaca and Pue-
bla come similar stories OF panic.
Slight damage was done to the poorly
constructed homes OF the poor people.
Panic rcigned in various cities and
villages in the state of Vera Cruz,
where the people left their homes and
spent the night in the streets.
The damage in Mexico City was
limited to cracks in the larger build
ings. There were no deaths and none
Of the Inhabitants was injured.
The shocks were felt heavily
among the towns along the Ridge
Valley Of Mexico, whilo the capital,
which is in the centre Of the valley
was not affected severely.
The earthquake caused great alarm
in the large cities. Marine disturb
anCes nave occurred off Vera Cruz
CITY ANA there We're some casualties
there, although the number is no.
known with considerable destruction
M nrD Dorty.