Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-09-05
arFRRIBLE CATASTROPHE.
The Eruption OF n japanese Volcano
aud its Results


amitous eruption Of the apparently ex-
tinct Bandai-san volcano has taken
place, resulting in the burial under
volcanic mud and rocks and ashes of a
region or about 20 square miles, and
causing more or less damage and de-
vastatiOn within an area extending
over more than 6T5 square miles. II
was on July 10. The morning was Un-
usually hot and sultry. At this season
Of the year peasants from the adjacent
regions frequent for the purpose OF
health and recreation the little noun
tain hamlet Of Iwase and its three hot
springs, which are. besides few wealth
er-beaten and partly Gecomposed scOria-
ceOus rocks cropping out on the sur
face, the only indications OF the vol
canic character Of mountain that has
been quiescent for about n thousand
years, and the crater OF which has been
filed up long ago by the slow processes
Of nature. There was no ground for
apprehension Of any kind, and few
earthquake shocks, felt two or three
days previous 70 the eruption, present
ed also nothing unusual or abnormal.
Earthquake shocks and seismic tremors
are common throughout Japan. Some
Of the people were quietly enjoying the
hot baths on the slope OF tie noun
tgins, others couversed with the visitors
that had come from a distance, while a
majority were lying on their mats, talk
ing, smoking, dreaming, doing, sleep
ing. Oh BIndai-san presented his
usual appearance, and nature herself,
dreamy and drowsy, seemed about to
fall into slumber.
faVx fVaFr to-
o'clock, a low rumbling was heard like
the sound of distant thunder, actually
believed 10 be such by some, but before
there was time for an interchange of
words the earth was heayed up and be-
gan to tremhle violently, the ground
uudulatiug like water shaken in a bowl.
From the peak of Bandai-san there
then shot up into the AIR, as though
discharged from a cannon's mouth and
accompanied by noise as Of hundred
thuuder-stOrms combined, a huge mass
Of red volcanic mud, mixed with tire
and rocks and sulphur and smoke, car
rying with It the very peak of the
mountain. and hiding for a time the
broad and brilliant canopy of heaven,
and then, in its fall, covering the green
earth below with bluish-gray winding
sheet Of volcanic mud, heavy rocks, hot
water, burning sulphur, red hot sand
and glowing ashes of a BLUSH tint.
Under this mass, varying in thickness
from seven TO 20 feet, were hidden 600
men, women and children, dead at once
or writhIng in the last agOnies. Among
these there We're no less than $50 visit
ors TO the hot springs, who thus found
a horrible death in place Of the expect
Ell cure from sickness and disease.
Within fatal circle, described by a
radius of five miles around the noun
tain, few people were able to escape uu-
hurt but even beyond that distance
persons were killed or injured. Dense
black smoke continued to issue from
The aperture through which the subter-
-aneau forces had found vent, and black |
clouds soon covered the sky far and /
wide, while constantly recurring earth /
quake shocks increased the fright of 4
he trembling fugitiyes. Who ever 4
,ould fled at once in every direction, /
away from the smoking crater. Some, I
Itark naked and aShy pale, ran at the /
Op Of their speed over the glowing Gin /
iers; women tainted and fell from 4
heer exhaustion and terror; a few,
'razed by fright or injured by falling 1
)eams and stones, hoppcd or crept /
away like SO many animal { at large |
To increase the horrors U. The scene, |
pine trees, tall and stately and centuries |
Did, were torn from the ground and /
thrown upward, while sulphurous flames |
burst forth between their cracking |
roots, presenting to the wild and excit- |
.d imagination of the people the spec
-acle OF weIrd-lOoking snakes, kissing
and writhing in the unearthly glare of
the abysmal fire.
At 10 o'clock the scene had reached
It's climax, but ecuptions and earth
quake shocks did not cease until
O'Clock III the afternoon. The land
scape then presented a piteOus aspect.
Within n distance Of five miles around
the mountain trees and shrubs as well
as all the tea and rice plantS-the en-
tire crop of the year-had been DESTROY
ell. Forty-tOur houses We're found
buried to a depth of 20 feet, and many
more were covered TO 4 less depth.
Strange TO say, few OF no small stones
were found among the debris; heavy
rocks seem to have been numerous;
one Of them is said to measure rs feet
in length. The village of Iwase seems
70 have suffered most, then Yozan and
Hibara. Three hamlets near the latter
place were covered completely. Not a
soul was saved. At Hlbara itself. the
river Nagase was blocked up by falling
debris, and by the sudden rise of a
natural bank, 400 feet high and several
miles long, across the rivers course.
obstructiug the flow of its waters. I'm
less the imprisoned river is promptly
liberated the entire region VIII he flood
ell and a Lake formed where once fine
rice fields stood. At Inawnshiro and
in its neighbOrhOod the people, though
not IN danger, escaped, at the time OF
the eruption, with all their furniture.
a. though a military invasion had taken
place The people state that the noise
As heard there was appalling, resembl-
ing the simultaneous discharge Of thou
sands Of cauuons. As matter of fact.
the lesser peak of Bandai-sau has been
blown on by the terrific explosion of
the subterranean gases and vapors. On
the 18th of July-this IS the latest news
another eruption took place. without.
however, doing any damage. Two
new Craters We're formed. Black smoke
continues TO ascend from the noun
tain.
The survivors Of the catastrophe
were so dazed and bewildered by the
sudden disaster that had fallen upon
them that most Of them were unable to
give any coherent account of their es-
cape, One man was, by the first shock
pitched headlong out of his house, and.
terrified by this sudden eviction, he
ran at once for his life, and never knew
what had really happened until after
his arrival IN Inlwashiro. Others had
similar experiences; in fact, nobody was
likely, under such circumstances. To in
quire into what was the matter. Thus
far 4I6 bodies have been recovered.
The dismal records speak Of fractured
skulls, OF broken limbs, Of faces and
bodies battered beyond recognition. of
bodies literally cut into halves or quar-
ters, or into still smaller pieces. of
bodies actually parboiled by the seeth-
ing water that fell upon the unsuspect-
ing victims of the eruption. Some
bodies were found suspended from the
trees into which they had fallen when
descending from the air. Narrowing
details there are many, but one case,
sad and dismal enough, must suffice.
A mother with her child tied 10 her
back stumbled onward, in hot haste,
under "A storm of glowing ashas hurn