Kingston, Jamaica
Price: 3d
The business centre of Kingston is today a mass of ruins, and practically no portion of the city has been left untouched. At 3:35 on Monday evening we were struck by an earthquake, and within 40 seconds our capital had fallen and over 1,000 persons lay dead and dying on the ground.
The blow has been terrible. Just when we were talking of returning prosperity the hand of adversity has again touched us, and one more we are called upon to fight out way forward. We will do so. We will not allow ourselves to be terrified. We will build Kingston again, and, with God’s help, will build it better.
We have not received a setback for another fifty years, as some are saying. Time and again the capitals of Spanish-American countries have been destroyed, but never have the people despaired. We are not made of inferior stuff. We shall recover from this blow as we have recovered from all former ones. The industries of the island are absolutely uninjured. In this and in our energy lies our future hope. We must “work and despair not.”
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It will be weeks and perhaps months before the story can be told in detail of the almost complete destruction of Kingston by earthquake and by fire on the afternoon of Monday 14th instant.
It is a fearful story and never be amply told.
The first destructive shock occurred at 3:35 p.m. It lasted about thirty seconds. And these few moments served to throw the city into woe and consternation.
When the shock subsided, thousands of buildings had fallen with a terrific roar.
Not so much fallen, perhaps, as crumbled to dust and debris. Huge walls fell in the commercial part of the city. Some from the south went northward; and others from the north toppled over to meet the crash from the opposite side. These walls all tumbling together crushed all who happened to be on the side-walks or in the streets. Hundreds of people were killed instantly in this way and omnibuses, and in one and two instances, street cars were crushed to atoms.
A member of the “Gleaner” staff who fought his way through the office wreckage was one of the first persons on Harbour street after the disaster, looked at the east and to the west, and not a living soul was to be seen. In a moment or two a few figures came struggling through the mass of broken timber and scattered bricks. They were mostly all injured, and blood was flowing freely.
A few thoughtful individuals, although injured themselves, started to rescue several of those who were buried.
But this humane work was interrupted within five minutes by the approach of fire which had before made its appearance to the west of the city.
The fire brigade had been demolished by the earthquake and there were no means of fighting the outbreak; and the fire swept over an area bounded by the sea to the south, Southern Parade to the north, Mark Lane to the east and Orange Street to the west.
Next morning hundreds of bodies were found burned and charred along the principal streets. It is believed that many who had been injured and unable to help themselves were burnt to death by the flames. All these bodies were at once taken up for burial.
With the large number of deaths the supply of coffins soon gave out and the bodies were buried wrapped in sheets and in hastily dug trenches.
Up to this morning bodies were still being recovered.
It is conservatively estimated that the death list will exceed one thousand when all the bodies have been recovered.
On Tuesday morning the military and police authorities took control of the city and a stop was put to petty looting that occurred in some parts of the city. Lines of sentries were stationed in all the streets to prevent indiscriminate ingress and egress.
On Thursday the U. S. warships Missouri and Indiana came into the harbour and at once landed bluejackets, took some of the injured on board for proper care, and placed their stores at the disposal of the Government.
At the hospital, which was overtaxed from the start, the scene has been very busy. On Tuesday and Wednesday Lady Swettenham and Miss Copeland served as cooks at the institution, whilst Mrs. Bourne, Mrs. Bourne and Mrs. Ker and other ladies served as nurses.
The hospital staff was largely augmented for the occasion and considerable pressure still obtains there. Dr. Ker, S.M.O., went to work with the staff doctors, and several district medical officers were brought in, including Dr. Turton, from Stony Hill; Dr. Thomson from Chapelton, Dr. Neish from Spanish Town; and Dr. Campbell, from St. David’s. Dr. Edwards, of Gordon Town, who was a patient in the hospital, forgot his own ailments and at once proceeded to join the hospital staff. All hands have been working night and day and yet there are cases still to be attended to.
On Monday night 27 legs were amputated. The same evening several clergymen and priests went over the city ministering to the injured and the dying. The Governor gave the clergy money to provide conveyances to the hospital for the injured.
The Governor and the Colonial Secretary and other officials were also busy in various parts of the city.
There are very few habitable houses in Kingston and Lower St. Andrew and the population is camped on the Race Course, and in the Park and in other open places.
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A Jamaica Gazette Extraordinary, published yesterday, says “It is hereby notified for general information, that the S. S. Port Kingston will remain one day longer for commercial purposes.”
“It is hereby notified that the Gazette will be published daily for notification of deaths due to the recent Earthquake.”
“The Governor announces with great regret that up to noon on the 16th instant, 343 persons had been buried as a result of the Earthquake. It is also ascertained that 3 were killed at Port Royal. The names and places of interment of the dead, so far as ascertained, will be published tomorrow and information is invited in order to make the list of names as complete as possible.”
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Sigismund Depass, Army & Navy Stores
Wyndham Depass, Army & Navy Stores
Abraham Henriques, Army & Navy Stores
1 Boy
2 Storemen
J. W. Middleton, Merchant
Philip Henriques, Clerk at Middleton’s
Mr. Lopez
Isaac S. Brandon, Merchant
D. I. Motta
Dr. Motta
Mr. Priest of the Bee Hive
Mr. Oscar Prendergast, Bee Hive
Mr. E. M. Morrice, Auctioneer
Mr. Barnett Stines, Auctioneer
Edgar DeCordova, Forage Store
R. W. Bradley
B. L. Verley of Messrs. Harvey & Bourke
Bertie DaCosta of C. M. DaCosta
Ernest A. Samuel, Merchant
Lionel M. Mordecai, Merchant
George Harty of J. Wray & Nephew
M. C. Hendricks jnr, J. Wray & Nephew
Jose F. Perez, Consul of Cuba
Juan Fernandez of Machado’s, and a number of others whose names are unknown
R. Honiball, Solicitor
W. A. Pain, Secretary Victoria Mutual
A. McDowell Nathan, Merchant
Charles S. Sherlock, Merchant
Sir James Ferguson, Baronet, Deputy Chairman Royal Mail Co.
Capt. T. Constantine, supt. Royal Mail Co.
Capt. Young of the Arno
W. E. Powell of Emanuel Lyons & Son, Ltd.
Herbert Clarke, Emanuel Lyons & Son, Ltd.
Vincent Wray, Emanuel Lyons & Son, Ltd.
Arthur Williams, Emanuel Lyons & Son, Ltd.
Burke, storeman, Emanuel Lyons & Son, Ltd.
Joseph Miller, Emanuel Lyons & Son, Ltd.
Mr. Wilson (manager of Caymanas Estate)
W. Branday of Branday, Edwards & Co.
W. Thwaites, merchant
L. Stribos of Finke & Co.
Gordon Duff
E. Eden, son of W. T. Eden
Alexander Walker
Herbert Tavares
Marcus Delgado
Harold Ritchie
Dr. J. M. Gibb
J. Downes Wylie
George A. Desnoes
A. H. Depass, Government Savings Bank
George Carvalho, Arnold Malabre & Co.
C. B. Weckiser, Arnold Malabre & Co.
H. Isles jnr, Arnold Malabre & Co.
Two storemen, Arnold Malabre & Co.
William Walker, Waterloo restaurant
Samuel Lawton
Mignelito Valdez
Horatio Abrahams, Provision Merchant
E. G. Nixon, of Archibald Munroe’s
St. Leo DeLisser, Jamaica Tobacco Co.
Ernest Magnus, late of the Electric Light Co.
Norman Samuel of D. I. Motta’s
W. Calnek jnr
James C. Chisholm, foreman Gleaner Co., Ltd.
A. Cockburn, compositor Gleaner Co., Ltd.
Robert Powell, office boy Gleaner Co., Ltd.
O. L. Goffe, of William Wilson’s
Carter, jnr, of William Wilson’s
Joseph Issa, Syrian merchant
H. Ritchie of Anderson and Jacobsen
Seaford, storeman Anderson and Jacobsen
Alfred Lamos, purveyor Royal Mail Co
Livingstone, Government Savings Bank
King, pressman Government Printing Office
E. Mudon, auctioneer
Wolseley Burke, of Burke Bros., Ltd.
Frank D. McCulloch jr. of Burke Bros., Ltd.
Fred Laing of George and Branday
Joseph Adams, Jamaica Times
Leonard Mudahy, tailor, Church street
H. Maxwell, Post Office
Miss Gordon, Post Office
Miss Weppler, Young & Co
Norman Johnston, secretary Seventh Day Adventists
C. A. Miller, commercial agent
Walter Webster of Nathan Sherlock & Co., Ltd.
Adam Drysdale, carpenter, Myrtle Bank
Hollar, gardener Myrtle Bank
Seymour, footman Myrtle Bank
Campbell, baggage man Myrtle Bank
Hanlan, bell boy Myrtle Bank
C. C. Carvalho, billiard marker Myrtle Bank
Joshua Miller assistant billiard marker Myrtle Bank
John Morrison, boot black Myrtle Bank
Montricle, (Spanish) Myrtle Bank
W. Walker, Commercial agent
Duncan Macdougall
H. E. Borough, merchant
Major W. H. Hardyman, W. I. R.
Lieut. Lamont, W. I. R.
Mrs. Lane, wife of S. M. Lane, W. I. R.
J. Martin of McNish Ltd.
Fred. Magnus, auctioneer
LADIES
Miss Ida Stewart, Bee Hive
Miss Lockett (sister Dr. Lockett)
Miss S. Henderson (youngest sister of Dr. Henderson)
Mrs. Joseph Milligan
Miss Tennyson, Waterloo House
Mrs. John Delisser, Amy Ville North Street
Mrs. Watson, (office woman, Lascelles deMercado @ Co)
Miss Rachael Michaels
Madame Rosseau
Mrs. Chadderton, Dressmaker
Mrs. Baker
Mrs. T. M. Martin, Murcott Lodge, East Race Course
Miss Ellen May Vaz
Office Woman of C. T. Isaacs
Wife and child of Sergt. Major Sudgeon, W. I. R.
[continued at Gleaner earthquake 2]
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