The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-08
RELIEF TRAINS SENT
Town Of LeFraaua Reported to Have
Been Destroyed With Hun
dreds Of It's People
Killed.
IBy Ralph H. Turner, United Press
Staff Correspondent

aStrous earthquake, followed by floods
and fires in many cases, was begin
ming to be apparent tonight.
Apparently reliable estimates
placed the total dead around three
thousand, chiefly in the state Of Vera
Cruz, in the district surrounding the
city of Jalapa. Several hundred per-
sons are dead in the state of Puebla,
however, according to dispatch to
the newspaper Ell Democratic tonight.
The town Of LIE Fragua on the bor-
der between Vera Cruz and Puebla
was reported to have been destroyed
with hundreds of persons killed.
The government has started relief
trains into all the stricken areas, 1t
was announced, but many of these
trains are menaced by bandits who
are active in several OF the districts
where the disaster was worst.
Martial law has been declared
wherever 1t was possible TO send
troops to preserve order and assist
In clearing away wreckage. Bandits
are particularly thick in several Of
the afflicted areas, some or the dis
tricts being entirely under bandit
control.
The national observatory here to-
day reported another shock centering
around Mount Oriza and lasting four
minutes 1t was described as not
severe.
Porta Claims Credit.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan S.-Profes.
sor Albert F. Porta, who recently pre-.
dicted great storms and other distur.
Dances to be caused by the conjunc-
tion of six planets, today told the
United Press that the violent earth.
quake shocks in Mexico last Saturday
were the result of the siesmic phe-
nomena he had described. The Mexi-
can earthquakes and those which oe-
cured in the Canary Island Jan. 1-3.
are to be considered as the product OF
the league of planets" which L fore
saw months ago and had predicted
last August. said Prof. Porta. THE
terrific storms in the Pacific and the
siesmic disturbances are the direct
outcome of conjunction of Mercury
with Jupiter, Neptune and Venus,
which occurred on December IL. 13
and IA"
Porta indicated that others of his
prognostications wiz be verified dur
ing the next few months.
Several Villages Wiped Out.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. S.-Dispatches
from Vera Cruz today confirmed re-
ports that the village of Saltillo. La
Fagua, Ocotlepav, Manzanillo, Platav
Chicta and Quimixtlan practically
were wiped out in Saturdays earth
quake Only ruins of the villages re-
main, the dispatches said.
Many other town were partly des-
troyed, it was said, and the danger
has not yet passed because of fire.
quent collapse of weakened buildings.
AS results of the initial quake all
houses on one street in Jalapa were
destroyed. Eighty percent
OF the building in the city were ruined
it was said. Foreign Minister Aguilar
who also has accepted the post of
governor of Vera Cruz, has organized
additional relief expeditions to care
for the sick and begin work Of recon
struction.
Scores of persons have died from
lack OF medical attention. food and
shelter, according to reports here.
In addition TO the 5000 estimated
dead, 5000 more are estimated in
jured and in need of medical treat
ment Property damage probably will
reach millions of dollars. i