Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-06-09
Terrible Earthquake in Japan.

Inc Norn Chlna Herald, received DV tne
late arrival from Europe, furnishes the following
extracts of a letter from an officer of the I. S
steamer Powhatan, announcing the exchange, OF
the 21st Of February, of the notifications of the
Treaty between the United States and Japan, and
the visitation Of Japan on the 23d December last
with a violent earthquake, whereby the city Of
Ghosaca, one of the largest cities of Japan, and
the town of Simoda were DESTROYED and Jeddo
much injured. The loss of the Russian frigate
DIANA after the earthquake, is also narrated
"PowHArAN, March @ 1855
| "OT the mouth Of tie Yang -taze-kiang
| eve sailed from Simoda a week ago last Thurs
dav, expecting run of about FIVE DAYS to Shanghai
but we had scarcely got out of the harbor before
we encountered heavy gale of wind which re-
quired large expenditure of coal to enable us to
breast it, without making any Roadway, but, on
the contrary, rather losing ground. This had
scarcely subsidized when we had another gale more
severe than the first, which lasted much longer.
and after that subsidized We had still another directly
in teeth, which seemed to combine in itself the
severity of both the previous ones. | never be-
| fore have experienced any thing to compare with
| it at sea- Being short of coal, the ship could not
be placed in the most favorable position for weather.
ing the gales, as the captain thought it necessary
that he should force her against it all he could so
that he might make his fuel last to get the ship
into port when the gale abated. By the greatest
| good luck we have managed to avoid the neces-
sity of taking off our paddles and beating up under
sail.
| 1.-THE exchange of the ratfcations of the treaty
between the United States and Japan was made
on the 2lst day of February and sailed On
| the 22d.
"The island Of Niphon in which simoda is
situated, was visited on the 23d December by
severe earthquake, which was most disastrous in
its effects. The city of Ohosaca, one of the largest
| in the empire, completely laid waste. Jeddo
itself suffered considerably, but has since suffered
more seriously from the effects of extensive con-
fagration. The town of Smoda, on our arrival
presented complete scene of desolation and ruin
After the shock of the earthquake the sea COM
menced bubblng up as it were along the shore
and then receded with great rapidity, and as soon
returned with such increased volume as to food
the whole town to the depth of six or seven feet
| sweeping away houses, bridges, and temples, and
piling them up in mass of ruin. Five times
during the day did the advance and recede in this
manner, spreading desolation far and wide. The
largest junks in the harbor were driven from one
to two miles above hgh-water mark, where we saw
them lying high and dry. About two hundred of
the poor inhabitants lost their lives by the over
flow, the remainder saving themselves by fleeing
to the mountains with which the town issurrounded
1.-THE Russian trigate Diana, having Fice-Ad-
miral Pontiatine on board, was lying in the harbor
at the time engaged in finishing up the treaty they
had made with the japanese. Immediately after
the shock was felt the water in the harbor became
convulsed to such degree, in eddies and whir-
pools that in the space of thirty minutes she swung
entirely round forty-hree times, twisting her chains
! up into knots; so rapid was the motion that the
Ia ho.r1 Ianr fbni~ faaf DOH
were made giddy. When the sea receded it left
the frgate in eight feet water on her side when
her usual draft was over twenty-one feet On its
return, it is stated, the water rose five fathoms
above its ordinary level. On its again receding
four feet only of water remained, SO that they
the stocks of their anchor above the water. The
heaving of the bottom of the bay then violent
that the frigate-although, as l said, in only four
feet of WATERWAYS moved bodily past her anchor.
The officers momentarily expected that the bay
would become the outlet of the subterranean fires,
and that they would be enguphed in it. When
the frigate again hoated they saw her keel and
rudder, which had been wrenched off, floating
alongside, and the ship filling with water By get
ting sails under her they managed to keep her
ahoat, and the next day. things having got quiet
once more, they hauled her off into deeper water.
Occasional shocks of earthquake still continued to
be felt, but none were attended with serious con-
sequnees. After repairing damages as well as they
could and having rugged temporary rudder and
the weather becoming fine, they attempted to take
the ship round to another bay, where she would be
less exposed, and they could complete repairs,
(Simoda being badly adapted for such purpose J
but when within seven miles of their harbor gale
sprung up, the hundred Japanese boats that were
towing them abandoned them, mot, however, till
they had got out all the officers and crew. and
shortly after the gallant ship sunk in deep water,
the officers and men saving only the clothes they
stood in. Notwithstanding all their misfortunes
and the dangers through which they had passed,
they only lost one man, and he was accidentally
killed by being jammed by one of the guns which
had gone adrift."
CONSUMPTION OF IRON AT SEvAsToPoL.-If the
Russian war shall have the effect to diminish the
manufacture of railway iron in England, it seems
likely to create demand for iron in the shape of
cannon balls and shells, quite equal to- if not
ceeding, the diminution in the amount required for
railroads. By the last steamers news we learn
that the Allies have FIVE hundred and twenty guns
playing on Sevastopol firing one hundred rounds
daily. We calculate that fifty of these shot and
shell will weigh one ton. At every round fred,
there will of course be ten TONS and each dav
twelve hundred tons weight of cannon balls and
shells thrown into Sevastopol. The bombardment
at the latest dates had lasted twelve days. and of
course there had been thrown into the town, in
that time, fourteen thousand four hundred tons
of iron. It is probable that the Russians may
have hurled back at the Allies nearly the same
weight of metal, and it is safe to compute the total
consumption of iron in the siege Of Sevastopol for
these twelve days at twenty-five thousand tons.
This iron, thus thrown away and wasted in war,
would furnish the metal required to construct about
1900 miles of railroad.-Er. Paper.
1t must be, then, that the balls and shells are
thrown so high they never come down again.
RECOVERING FROM RArTLEsNAKE BITE.-On
last Wednesday, little factory boy by the name Of
Wyatt, was bitten by rattlesnake under the fol-
lowing circumstance. He thrust his hand into a
hollow stump to extract rabbit, that had fallen
in the stump, he felt slight pain as from the
scratch of pin on the back Of his hand, and upon
Withdrawing it, saw that it bed few drops He
told his associates that there was something there
besides the rabbit. They went home Immediately
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