The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-01-16
QUAKE KILLS
MANY IN MEXICO
Heavy Shocks Center at 0rizaba
Volcano. but Are Felt by
Whole Republic.
CAPITAL BUILDINGS CRACK.
Iera Cruz Hard Hit-Property DAM
age Believed Enormous-Damage
at Capital Limited-Peopie
Flee From Homes.

Mexico City.-Scores of persons have
been killed in q violent earthquake
which occurred in many parts of Mex
leo. The center of the disturbance Is
believed to have been near the volcano
Of Orizaba. p
Incomplete press reports Indicate
that the state of Vera Cruz suffered
more than any other section, although
seismic disturbances were felt through
out the entire republic. Advices from
Cordoba say that 30 dead have already
been accounted for in the village Of
San Juan Coscomatepec, where many
houses were destroyed. There are un-
confirmed reports of a similar catas-
trophe in the village of Hautusco.>
At Jalapa, farther north, so victims
Of the earthquake have been counted,
including numerous dead. =
Lack of communication with the 9TH
er small towns and villages in the the
ater of the disturbance makes even ap-
proximate estimates of the casualties
impossible.
The earthquake caused great alarm
n the large cities. Marine disturb
ances have occurred off Vera Cruz city,
and there were some casualties there,
although the number is not known.
There was considerable destruction of
property.
From San Juan Coscomatepec 1t is
reported that the shocks continued.
ne
.rnment observatory at Tacubaya
shows that there were three distinct
shocks, the strength of which decen-
rallied the instruments. The first
shock, which occurred at 9 AS o'clock
Saturday evening, lasted five minutes.
The second, at 10 % p. M, was very
orief, but of terrific intensity, and was
accompanied by terrifying subterra-
1ean noises. The third shock, at II :Ol
o'clock, was not discernible except by
the seismograph.
The panic in the capital among the
ignorant classes was indescribable.
Many Of the people fled from their
homes and flocked to The churches.
The Indians in lie suburbs hurried to
the shrine of the Virgin IF Guadalupe.
From Toluca, Cuernavaca, and
Puebla came similar stories of panic.
Slight damage was done to the poor
" constructed homes of the poor peo-
pie. Panic reigned 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 lin
tied to cracks in the larger buildings.
There were no deaths and none of the
inhabitants was injured.
While the government observatory
has not decided what caused the
shocks, reports received from Cordoba,
state of Vera Cruz, assert that they
we're due to the volcano Orizaba, al
though the meager dispatches contain
nothing regarding a possible eruption
Or Of a volcanic disturbance.
The two huge VOLCANOES near Mexi-
co City-Popocatepelt and Ixtaccihuatl
have shown no signs of disturbance.
The shocks were felt heavily among
the towns along the ridge valley of
Mexico, while the capital which is in
the center of the valley, was not affect
ed severely. f.;
Mount Orizaba is the highest noun
tain in Mexico and second only in
height to Mount Mckinley, in North
America. 1t is symmetrical volcanic
Gene, rising to the height CT 1850 feet.
1t is 65 miles west of Vera Cruz. Its
summit is covered with perpetual
SHOWS.