The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-11-17
LIVES WIPED OUT
IN CHILEAN QUAKE
Hundreds OF Houses In Ruins,
Thousands Homeless
MAY REACH BEYOND 1000
Complete Restoration Of Communities
ton Expected To Reveal Further
Casualties And Property Damage
Effects OF Tidal Waves Felt For
Miles.


establishment of communications.
Chile's earthquake catastrophe is re-
vealed in even greater magnitude than
first reports indicated. 1t is estimated
that at least 1000 dead and many
thousands are in distress, needing food
and shelter.
In addition to heavy casualties of
dead and injured at Copiapo and Co
Quimbo, it was reported Sunday that
500 were killed at vallenar and the
surrounding district. Vallenar was
virtually destroyed and the survivors
are in a critical condition. 1t seems
certain that there have been casual
ties in other towns and villages around
Copiapo, to the south, concerning
which no news is yet available.
Already "a bodies have been recov
cred at Coquimbo, where it is known
there are 100 or more dead AT Chan.
aral number were killed by falling
houses.
It was earthquake and tidal wave
combined that accounted for the vast
destruction in the Provinces Of An
tofagasta, Attacame and Coquimbo.
The movement of the ocean is de-
scribed as phenomenal. 1t gave evil
dence of terrific disturbance in the
bed of the Pacific itself. There must
have been such tearing at the bot
tom of the sea that immense Quanti-
tbs of water were sucked through.
causing a tremendous recession of
waters along the Chilean coast.
Five times the ocean swept outward
and came back in the shape of a great
wave, flooding the seaports and in
some instances sweeping away the
waterfront. The violent effects Of the
tidal waves were felt from Antofa
gasta on the north to Valdivia on the
south, covering about 16 degrees Of
latitude, or more than 1900 miles.
All types Of craft lying in the vari-,.
GUS, harbors were swept on shore,
wrecked or left high and dry, and at
scores of small ports wharves and
quays were destroyed. Chilean naval
vessels in the harbor at Talcahuano,
about 300 miles south of Valparaiso,
when they felt the forces Of the wa.
ters. slipped their cables and proceed
ed out to the open sea.
President Alessandri has ordered
the various Government departments
to take all the measures possible for
relief of the sufferers in the stricken
districts, those most sorely afflicted
lying between Coquimbb and Copiapo.
The Navy Department has sent ships
along the coast to aid in the work.
The report Of the Seismological
Institute says that the apparent focus
of the earth shock was 200 kilometers
from Santiago; the intensity of the
movement was recorded between
Nos. and of the official scale,
which runs up TO IL. The total dura-
tion was hours 40 minutes and the
estimated radius 1900 kilometers in
transversa1 direction to the Andes.
The Meteorological Institute says
that the earth shock comedies with
the passage OF a sun spot over the
central meridian OF the sun. The
earth shock commenced at the termi-
nation of day of abnormal heat.
The sun spot referred to made its ap-
pearance on November and was the
largest observed this year.
Rear Admiral Martin, director Of the
Navy Meteorological Service, discuss
ing the earthquake, said it was sig
nificant that it had occurred just as
the conjunctions of Mercury and Jup-
tier and Neptune and the sun were
approaching. The conjunction of Mer-
curry and Jupiter occurred at 1880
o'clock Saturday morning and the 9th
ers some hours afterward.