THE KINGSTON EARTHQUAKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13390, 19 January 1907, Page 5

THE KINGSTON EARTHQUAKE.

KILLED ESTIMATED AT 1200.

THE INJURED NUMBER THOUSANDS.

GRAPHIC DETAILS OF THE SCENE.

By Telegraph.— Pres» Association.—Copyright.

London, January 18. The ocean bed near Kingston has changed alarmingly, and it is necessary for ships to make an extremely cautions approach. The. lighthouse has been demolished. The Governor's residence was badly damaged, as were all the chinches. The Health Board is straining every nerve to avert a pestilence. Constant Springs Hotel, where the English party bulged, has been burned. Eight American tourists are reported missing. Many of the natives are in danger of starving, unless immediate relief is afforded. The fruit companies' lighters have rescued 700. who had been pushed oft the wharves by the maddened crowds seeking shelter from the flames. The police place the deaths at 1200 and Hie injured at several thousands. Trains are conveying the homeless to Fort Antonio. Mr. Hall Caine has appeared before the curtain at the Adelphi Theatre, and appealed for funds. He stated that his brother had had a narrow escape in Jamaica. The British insurance offices escape loss almost entirely. New York telegrams report that martial law is in force, and will be maintained until the panic among the natives has subsided. The negroes at first were" frantic, believing the earthquake was a supernatural visitation. Forty whites were killed. The shops were full of buyers when the first shock shattered the flimsier buildings. The stronger edifices wore only damaged at first, but were subsequently burned. The destruction of the main tire station hindered the work of fire-fighting, but the official city police and the troops, headed by the Governor, began rescue work within half an hour. Convicts also assisted in tin; work. Only a score of doctors were available to attend the injured. Commencing at the docks the fires spread north with amazing velocity, completely razing the important commercial districts.

A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION.

AIR. HEATON'S, M.P.. NARROW ESCAPE. SHOCKS FOLLOWED BY DARKNESS. 98 PER CENT. OF HOUSES RUINED. (Received January 18, 10.46 p.m.) London", 'January 18. Mr. Henuiker Heaton, M.P., telegraphing from Kingston to the Times, says that, after lunching at the club on Monday with the Governor and Sir James Fergusson, who had just arrived, after visiting the Panama Canal, he. accompanied Mr. P. C. Cork, a member of the Legislative Council of Jamaica, on a visit to the post office. When they were returning the earthquake occurred, and the moment the ground quaked thousands rushed into the streets. He continues :--" huge building fell across the street a yard before us ; another blocked the street behind, and a third fell on the left. " Then there was absolute darkness. Great clouds of dust and mortar filled the air for five minutes. " When light was restored, we found ourselves as black as negroes with dust and dirt. * "We had had a miraculous escape from death. "Women were embracing their children ; others were on their knees crying ' Lord have mercy ; Christ save us.' Others were fainting, and some were wildly running after their loved one's. "We found the club in ruins, and the dining-room tilled with tons of bricks from the fallen walls." " A young fellow, without hat or coat, and with a handkerchief round his head, addressed me. After some minutes, thinking his manner peculiar, I asked if he was Gerald Loner, for many years a friend of mine, and an ex-member of the House of Commons, and he replied ' Yes ; I was writing at the club when the roof fell and pinned me to the floor.' By freeing himself of his coat he escaped to the parapet, and thence by ladder to the street. " I saw Mr. Bradley, a member of the club, dead in the street. " My bedroom at the Constant Spring Hotel was shattered. " I found numbers of ladies, who had been resting in the hotel, encamped on (lie lawn with blankets around them. We slept on the lawn. "There were three more shocks before sunrise. "The blazing city is visible six miles off. Visiting Kingston I found ninety-eight out of every hundred houses hopelessly ruined, though many ought to have been destroyed before. " Sir Alfred .Jones is aboard the steamer Port. Kingston, ami despite his miraculous escape, was coolly ordering the erection of two hundred light structures for the homeless, besides attending to the comfort of his own houseless guests. " ft is not believed that the future of the island will he affected by the disaster."

| Til GOVERNOR'S PORT.

WHAT HAPPENED ON

MONDAY.

THE BURNED AREA.

WATER MAINS BURST

FIRES HAVE PRACTICALLY CEASED.

SHOCKS LAST FOUR MINUTES

(Received January 18. ').'£& p.m.)

London, January 18

London. January 1*

The Governor of Jamaica (Sir J. A. Swettenham) reports that tin' earthquake was experienced only at Kingston, Fort. Royal, and Saint: Andrew.

He says the fires have practically ceased. The district burned comprises the triangular area between the Parade Gardens, the sea, and Duke and Princess Streets, comprising one-thirteenth of the city. Many of the wharves have been destroyed.

The negroes are not: disposed to assist in clearing away the ruins, though they are offered double wages.

Of the killed 343 had been buried up to noon yesterday.

The people are encamped on the Parade Gardens, on the racecourse, and other open spaces, and are reluctant to return to their ruined houses while the weather is tine.

Most of the provision shops have been burned, and it is difficult to procure food.

Though there has been some pilfering the population is wonderfully patient, though listless.

The direct cable is broken three miles oft the coast, and both telegraph offices have been burned.

Sir James Fergusson was killed by the falling masonry at the hall, and it is feared that-his body lias been burned.

It is reported that Sir Alfred Jones and his party of English visitors were attending a conference in the Collegiate Hall as to the cotton-growing industry of Jamaica on Monday afternoon, when the first shock occurred.

The building rocked, and there was a rush to get outside ; but none of the visitors were willing to take refuge on the ships in the harbour.

The earthquake lasted four minutes.

All the water mains were broken, and therefore the firemen could do little.

The ruined buildings on the waterfront took fire, and the flames spread rapidly, as they were assisted by a strong wind.

Four of the streets on the waterfront were soon in ruins.

The wind changed on Tuesday, and the fire burnt itself out.

A tremendous wind storm, accompanied by partial darkness, forewarned the whites of the disaster, and they rushed into the open, hence their death roll is comparatively small.

The fatalities took place in the poorer quarters of the city, where the natives live.

The battery at Port Royal was submerged, and two of the, .gunners were killed.

RELIEF FUNDS,

STARTED IN LONDON AND j NEW YORK. j London*. January 17. Relief funds for the sufferers by the Kingston earthquake have been opened at New York and London. (Received January 18. 10.4 p.m.) London, January 18. To the Lord Mayor of London's Kingston Relief Fund His Majesty the King has given 1000 guineas. The Royal Mail Steamship Company and the Corporation of London have each subscribed 1000 guineas. Her Majesty the Queen lias given £1000. and the Prince of Wales 500 guineas. Received January 18. 10.4 p.m.) New York, January 18. An American business firm has been authorised by President Roosevelt to supply navy stores to the sufferers at Kingston. (Received January IS. 10.4 p.m.) Ottawa, January 18. The Premier (Sir Wilfrid Laurier) proposes to send substantial assistance to the people of Kingston. BURYING WITHOUT IDENTIFICATION. 9000 PEOPLE HOMELESS.

London, January 17.

Fruit is abundant, and the neighbouring towns and also the people of Trinidad and oilier islands are sending food.

There is a great scarcity of mcdi cities.

Scores of bodies have been buried for sanitary reasons without identification, and scores of bodies still are not extricated from the ruins.

There arc 9000 people homeless