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Show BRIEF DISPATCH ANNOUNCES THE I AWFUL DISASTER ; WASHINGTON; Dec. 20. The series of earthquakes began Christmas day and culminated last nlght In violent shocks which completed the work of destruction. ! following Is the brief dispatch which j brought tiie news of the catastrophe: "Bad earthquake yesterday finished the i work of others. Rvery thing in ruins and beyond description as a result of last i night's shock. One hundred and twenty- J five thousand people- are in the streets. Pa rt s of the country are very cold and windy. Tents arc needed badly. Quite Si a number killed yesterday by falling c The machinery of the American Red ' Cross has been set in motion to relieve W tho earthquake sufferers. In response to fy.' an appeal for assistance from Alfred i - Clarke, chairman of the Red Cross rhap-' rhap-' ter at Guatemala City, a preliminary ap- prupriatlon of $10,000 has been authorized for the purchase of relief supplies. Materials for temporary shelters are I brins assembled, but mildness of tho i climate in the devastated region mlnl- mizes fca rs of .suffering likely to be caused by exposure. t a gulf port large quantities of flour. potatoes, crackers and other staple food- stutfs as well hs disinfectants and stores I nf an i zed iron for tempora ry build- , I tigs already are boincr loaded aboard a i vppsM to fm Puerto Barrios, on tne east coast of Guatemala. ! K i t hnuakes hav hrn p f a lent In 1 i"'u;iteniHla .tin"' the day after Christmas, when shocks wore general throughput I the republic. V" 1 1 li cu-h recurrent shock tin- dam.'K in (.inateniala City, the eap- !- ital Pf tho republic, hns grown inorp cx- ! tensive. Last Thurs.Ia y u was reported that from ten to forty persons had been killed in tho disturbances of the previous uicht. while dispatches of Friday and ( Saturday indicated that .SO per cent, of f Uuatcniala City had boon demolished and 1 lint thousa nds of persons were hrtin- ! ir5?. Martial law had been declared and good order was said to be prevailing. Guatemala li;is been tho seem of mapv disasters, the results of earthquakes n i ' e the set tlftnnt of the count rv in there have been more than fiftv'voN rani- eruptions and In excess of ?.tW earthquakes. Th original Guatemala, rity was destroyed in U"41 and SOi of - the Inhabitants were killed by a delude of water from a. near-by volcano, which was rent by an earthquake. The second capital was destroyed by an earthquake , in ITT. The houses of the prefont cap- i rli.il were built low in consequence of the b oility to' earthquakes. Cuatomala 'it v lias a population of noarlv ino.itOO. It is situated on a plain ; t an Hova lion of ."n fept above sea , '.el. In the Krear square stoni the old h.-e rosai nala.-e. the cathedral and ar.-h-hishnp's pala.-P and Rovern merit, offices. Th capital n the renter of the trade of tiie entire republic. |