The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-03-29
1862
Earthquake at Je ddo.

III the Island OF NlphOn on the | tn of No
yember last, in which the city of Jedlo suf-
tered the loss of hundred thousand houses
and thirty thousand inhabitants.
Japan is volcanic country. Ever since
it has been known to Europeans earthquakes
have from time to time occurred there and
no longer ago than last year there happened
one by whlC the town Of SimOda our trea-
ty port in the Island Of Nipnon was great
ly damaged, and IA Russian frigate then ly-
ing in the harbor totally disabled Jeddo
was reported to have suffered somewhat from
that shock; ami without putting implicit re-
lance in the extent Of the in iury inflicted BY
the present one, we may well believe that it
has been very serious.
In the case Of earthquakes in Japan the in
jury done is almost always aggravated BY
fires, common everywhere on such occasions.
but to which the Japanese are peculiarly liza
BILE from the excessively combustible charac
ter of their buildings, which, with the ex-
ception of few ancient stone castles, are
all built Of wood with windows and parti-
tions of paper, and covered with varnish
which makes them still more combusible.
Jeddo is great city all the princes and
mobiles Of the empire are obliged to mln-
tain establishments there. 1t is possible that
a hundred thousand houses may have bAen
destroyed, but the alleged loss of life is, we
hope, exaggerated The japanese houses are
not of kim to crush the inhabitants by
their fall aud those who parishad must eth,
er have been swallowed up by the yawning
earth, or have lost their lives in the f1ln s
or in the crash and confusion incident to
snch an occurrence.
The most recent accounts which we have
of Jeddo, from persons who actually saw it,
fhnca hy III IT pIrir m, yho
resided in Japan from 1897 to 1915, during
which he twice Or three times visited Jeddo,
and that Of J. F. Van Oyermepr Fischer, who
went to Japan soon after Doef left it !; and
that of DR.. Phillip Frans Won Siebold, who
was at Jeddo four years after Fischer. In
his " Recolections Of Japan" D)eff describes
a terrible fire which occurred in Jeddo in
1896, while he was in the city. 1t began at
a distance from tn, inn where the Dutch
lodged, at about 10 O'clock in the morning.
At one the Dutch took the alarm and began to
pack at three they fed. Goa running in
to the street." says Doeff, we saw every
thing in flmas. There was great danger in
attempting to escape by running before tn
fire We therefore took slanting direction
through street already barning, AMI thus
succ,elel in reaching an OPEN fell, 1t was
stud led with the stan larls of princes whose
dwellings had been destroyed, AMI whose
wives and Children had fl ii thith2r for refuge
We followed their example and marked ou
spot with our Dutch flags. We had now
full view of the fire, and never did see
anything so terrific. The terrors of this
ocean Of fame were enhanced BY the heart
rendng cries of the fugitive women and chill
dren,' This fire ragged till noon the next day
when it was extinguished by fall of rain
The hotel Of the Dutch was on fire within
five minutes after they had left it. Th' pal
aces of thirty princes were destroyed
The weight of fugtives broke down the ia
nous Nippon bas, or Bridge of Japan, (acros
river which runs through the city and from
which all distances throughout the Empin
are reckoned); so that besides those burned t
death, many were drowned, including
Aaughter Of the prince Of Arva. Twelv