Jan. 18, 1907 (Friday)

MORE ON THE KINGSTON QUAKE: More information is coming out of Jamaica regarding the earthquake on the 14th. Now it looks like there might be 1,000 deaths. There was a curious development reported in The New York Times regarding the statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Park. Let the paper tell it: "Among the strange freaks of the earthquake was that the statue of the late Queen Victoria. In the centre of the city, was turned completely around but it is otherwise intact."
Today's Times has an eloquent description of what happened written by Henniker Heaton (left), a member of Parliament. He was in Kingston. Here's a portion:
After luncheon I left the club and went with the Hon. Mr. Cork, member of the Council and a leading planter, to visit the Post Office, and was returning from there when the earthquake took place. The street was a moderate-sized one and the moment the ground began to quake thousands of people rushed and jumped into the street from the houses. One huge building fell across the street before us, and another building blocked the street behind us. On our left a third building fell into the street.
Then followed absolute darkness. Great clouds of dust, mortar, and debris filled the air for five minutes.


PUCCINI MISSES HIS CUE: Giacomo Puccini (right) was due to arrive at noon yesterday on board the Auguste Victoria. However, the ship didn't come into New York harbor. Instead, it has been stuck in dense fog off Sandy Hook. He sent a wireless message to the Metropolitan Opera House that he would likely be landing at 6:30 a.m. today at Hoboken. He had planned to be in New York for tonight's opening of "Manon Lescaut."

A CLOSER PEEK AT PIKES PEAK: Promoters of the Pikes Peak Centennial celebration have gotten some bad news. The group thought that the mountain was taller than the 14,147-foot height that has been assigned to the mountain. Well, the U.S. Geological Survey has finished its study and announced yesterday that the mountain .... is 48 feet LOWER -- reaching 14,099 feet.