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An interesting footnote to media coverage of the earthquake is the presence in Kingston in
early March 1907 of Alfred J West, one of the earliest moving picture reporters. He had visited Jamaica and shot film in the
previous year, but, altough in the Caribbean, had been unable to get passage to Kingston any sooner, after the 'quake,
This is his account of his visit taken from his unpublished Memoir 'Seasalts and Celluloid':
From here the steamer proceeds to the island
of Jamaica, and passing along the coast of the Palisades we noticed two German liners gone ashore with the waves dashing over
them. It was understood that they had attempted to navigate into Kingston Harbour without a pilot, with dire results. The
previous year, Kingston had been a very busy and crowded seaport, full of life and animation. Now it was a scene of desolation,
in fact there was no Kingston, and the population was living in tents. All the buildings were shattered heaps on the ground,
and, curiously enough, almost the only stone work left standing was a statue of Queen Victoria, which had been turned round
on its pedestal, and left facing in the opposite direction, towards the Church. I climbed up inside the spire of this Church
to photograph a general view of the wreckage, though the Dean strongly urged me not to do so as it might fall down at any
moment. There had been three distinct quakes, the first being an undulating roll like an advancing wave, the second a shiver,
or a gigantic shake, and the third a series of sudden bumps rising and falling on the ground. Numbers were buried beneath
the crashing buildings, but the most terrible havoc of all was caused by the fire that followed, and which consumed the wrecked
houses, which were nearly all of wood. Numbers of inhabitants pinned down by wreckage and unable to escape were burnt alive.
Rescue parties were formed, led by the Governor, and many lives were saved by this means. I obtained films of this scene of
disaster and sent them home at once, thus enabling the people at home to realise the magnitude of the catastrophe. Because
there was no accommodation to be had ashore, I remained on board and went for a coastal trip. The Governor was also on board,
intending to inspect the damage done elsewhere, though it was soon discovered that the rest of the island was quite intact,
the full force of the earthquake having been concentrated on Kingston. I obtained pictures round the coast, such as Port Antonio
where, in the Titchfield Hotel, there was a large number of sightseeing Americans, and also at Montego Bay. After sailing
round the island, we returned to Kingston, and the ship then left for Colon, the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal.
Unfortunately none of West's early work has survived; it was sold in 1913, and not even the negatives can be located. The
catalogue of his work contains a reference to the earthquake footage -
"Clip no: 523
Length: 250 feet
AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE"
which happened just before Alfred West arrived on his second visit. Altogether he tells us he recorded some 5,000 feet of
film in the West Indies. However he gives no further description unfortunately.
My thanks to David Clover, a descendant of A J West, for his help with this information.
I hope that it may be possible to identify from advertisements in U.K. newspapers times and places for the showing of West's
'newsreel footage' on the 'quake, but I haven't really got on to that project yet!
I found this item on a web site
- 1909 First Newsreel Shown in Theater -The first newsreel was shown in a Paris theater by Charles Pathe. The next year, newsreels
were introduced into US theaters, where they became very popular. When is a newsreel not a newsreel? I wonder.
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