The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-28
A VOLCANIC BURST.
Hundreds Of Lives SnuGed Out
by an Eruption.
VILLAGES BURIED IN LAVA.
A Full Description of the Dread
Event.

Mr.. VIII NJ Haynes, of this city, las re-
ceived tie following graphic account OF the re-
cent Japanese volcanic disturbance, written
by Mr.. Frederick s. Mansfield, a Georgian,
who is an attache OF the United States lega-
| ton in Japan:
NIKko, Japan, July oath, 1851 have just
returned from the scene Of the recent terrible
volcanic disaster at Bandaisan.
Before giving you any particulars OF the
eruption, however, and of the appearance OF
the country around about the mountain since
then, let me quote from ''Maury's Guide for
Japan" brief description of this mountain
"Bandasan:
"Bandaisan forms the terminal peak of a
range of mountains lying on the northern side
of lake Inawashiro. When seen from Waka-
matsu, or from any point on its south or west
side, it stands up as a conspicuous peak No
where, however, does its shape show any cur
vature or outline by which its volcanic origin
could be inferred This would seem to indi-
cate that since the time when this mountain
was in a state of activity a considerable period
had elapsed, during which degrading forces
have been actively at work. An old japanese
calendar states that Bandaisan was formed in
the year SOY. There are hot springs on the
flank Of the mountain which apparently indi-
cate the volcanic nature of the region. 1t can
be assembled both from Hayita and from Ina
washiro, at both of which places guides can be
obtained, from the former of which the
ascent is at first gentle over a slope covered
with grass and few oak trees. Rough scora-
cious rocks occasionally strike up
through the grass, evidently the
outcrop of an old lava stream
After an hour and n half of walking the
ascent becomes difficult the upper part of the
slope having gradient of 50 degrees. The
summit $3.50 feet above sea leve) is q sharp
peak terminating on one side in a sheer pre-
cipitous descent"
On the morning of the 18th OF the present
month we heard vague reports of q terrible
disaster of some kind at Bandaisan by which
many people were killed, but it was not until
several days that we could form anything like
q correct opinion OF the exact nature OF the
catastrophe, on account OF the disconnected
and uncertain character Of the reports which
came to the newspapers from the district,
owing TO the absence of an associated press
dispatch system III this country, which necessi-
tates that each paper rely on its own ingenuity
and resources for the collection of information,
which is, unfortunately, too often dependent
on kilograms to private individuals. The eX-
element attendant upon the event doubtless
also had great deal to do with the vagueness
of the information which we received for few
days after tho event In short while, how
ever, it transpired that it was an eruption Of
Bandaisan, accompanied by earthquakes
and the devastation of so many homes and 50
large n tract OF country.
With desire to see for myself the exact
nature of the damage done by volcanic eruption,
though feeling, | admit, no little trepidation
concerning the possibility of q secondary
outbreak, / proceeded r few days after the
event to the locality whore the eruption oc-
Cured, which Is, as the crow flies, not over
| sixty or seventy miles from here but which
requires a distance Of 100 miles to be travelled
to reach it.
After one of the hardest little trips ever
! took, having covered the IA miles by iinrick-
| sha (man-drawn carriage), cart, hack, railway
| and by walking, L am almost too much used up
to undertake, until get rested, to tell you what
/ saw. L certainly could not do the subject
Justice under any circumstances, but as the
mail is closing for the states, will try to give
you faint idea of my trip, and what | learned
from the people who were present at the time,
and who survived the disaster, and of what
saw for myself q few days after the occur
renee.
According to the statements of the survivors
with whom l talked, and the concurrng testi-
mony of the people who live in tho district for
miles around the mountain, there was on the
morning of Sunday, the 10th of this month";
rumblingS heard and earth tremors felt in the
neighborhood of the mountain. The first dis
turbance noticed occurred at about o'clock,
and was followed by three earthquake shocks,
at intervals of ten minutes, when there oc-
CURED IL loud explosion, the noise of which the
people compare to the report of thousands of
cannon discharged simultaneously, accom-
shock, which SO frightened the people
that they attempted to fly, to
what place they knewnot, and from what danger
they could only surmise. Reaching their
doors they saw thick black smoke arising
from the principal peak of BandaiSap, and at
once they found themselves enveloped i'll the
darkness of night, and cropping in shower of
fine black ashes and sutfocating sulphurous
auth 81, Il A.
undulating like the waves of the ocean, SO that
even standing was impossible, and the misera-
BILE creatures, fallen down, or thrown down,
| endeayored to crawl on their hands and knees
| in an agonizing effort TO save themselves. AS
| soon as the darkness gave way to light and the
| unhappy people, now craZed with fear, were
| able to walk upright, the earth tremors having
| ceased sufficiently, they fed down the valley
| in shower of dust and ashes, some of them
| being killed or wounded by the falling rocks
| from the volcano MS they fled. The keeper Of
| the tea house Mt Yamagata, eight miles to the
| south, told me that the sight was simply ap-
palling and batfied all attempt at description.
| The people came running from the district of
| the mountain and from some places miles
away many of them naked and bleeding, and
| all wearing that expression of helplessness
| despair and agony, which only natures phe-
| nomena can create III the minds of men.
At 10 o clock n. IN. the ERUPTION was at its
height and by o'clock in the afternoon il
| was finished.
When / reached Iuawashro, at the foot OF
the mountain on the southwestern slope
most of the people had returned to theil
| homes, some of them only on the day before
my arrival; and the Japanese government
had set up temporary hospital in the schoo
house for the treatment of the wounded and
had organized relief committee to look after
the homeless and to recover the bodies of those
who had been killed. Nothing, indeed, had
been left undone by the imperial government
10 alleviate the sufferings of the people SO ial
rs il was within human power to do it.
The number Of people who lost their lives
by the disaster was, according 30 the oticia
statement given me Mt the government relic
station at Inawashiro, BIS, the bodies OF 40 o
whom had been found, while forty-one person
had been injured and were then in the hos
pital at In0washiro.
I The eruption occurred on the eastern side o
the principal peak Of Bandaisan and the frs
discharge was evidently thrown directly acrOS
10 the smaller peak Of the same name carry
ing portion OF the latter away with it tn
mud and fine ashes then filed up the side O
the mountain, not only on the eastern side, bu
ON the northern side rs well, running doan Il
n stream to the valley below At the foot @
the mountain each stream was about half @
a mile wide. gradually narrowing toward IN
ton The main eastern stream was divide