Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-09-26
EARTHQUAKE HORRORS.
Scenes During the Recent Erup-
lions in Japan.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MANGLED.
The Natives Crushed by Falling Build.
ings, Sca1ded by Boiling Water
and Roasted by Molten Lava
Official Report of the
Disaster.

LONDON, Sept. 21.-There is a terrible
story of woe and desolation in the ad-
vices received to-day at the foreign Of
flee from Shanghai, and which give the
first reliable reports of the recent vol
canic eruption in Japan, in which over
1000 natives were killed outright and
1000 terribly injured. The scene of the
awful affair was Bandaisan, the terminal
peak of small block of hills about $3.50
feet in height. 1t is close to the north
ern boundary of Lake Tnawashiro, less
than $50 miles from Yokohama and
has long been famous for its not
springs to which the Japanese resort in
large numbers. Upon the sides and
around the foot of the mountain are a
number of villages containing in the
aggregate population of 10000.
On the morning of July 80, just about
the usual breakfast hour, the villagers
were startled by en unusually severe
shock of earthquake. Half crazed with
fright they rushed out of their houses
and made for the foot of the mountain,
some of them stopping long enough to
gather their money and other valuables,
but the large majority flying, falling,
shrinking and fainting, with but one OBJ
ject-to save their lives. Down they
flew over the steep paths Of the hill,
which trembled and heaved beneath
their feet. Suddenly great dense
black pillar rose with an appalling
bound from the apex of the mountain,
reaching the sky, which became as
dark as night. The flying people came
to halt, transfxed with terror, and
then fell prone upon the heaving
earth. Black and blacker grew
the sky, the ground undulated like the
sea; the fearful war of the volcano in
creased momentarilv. Noxious gases
filled the air. Then the black pillar
spread out like an umbrella over the en-
tire horizon, and shower upon shower
of red-hot ashes, massive stones, sui
phur and volumes of boiling water fell
upon the earth for radius of five En-
glish miles.
Men, women and children were roast
ed, scalded, parboiled, in their tracks.
Hundreds were killed outright The
air was filled with shrieks, and means,
and piteous supplication tor relief or
death. Some tried to crawl on all tours
for it was impossible to stand on the
rocking ground-to a place of safety.
The bodies of horses, sheep, cattle and
other animals were mangled among the
crushed, burned and parboiled rem
nants of humanity that strewed the
ground. Nearly every house was in
ruins.
But the worst was yet to come. From
the rents in the ground fountains of
fame, water and ashes burst forth to
such an height that they could not be
reached by the eve. Hundreds of the
poor unfortunates were caught by the
jets and projected high in the
air, then falling broken, black
ened and in many cases bereft
of human semblance. For over two
hours the eruption continued. At
last the crest of the mountain seemed
to be lifted bodily upward and then t.
fall with a terrific crash while hug
flames of dazzling crimson and purpl
played about the mouth of the crater.
It was hours before daylight 1e-
trophe became apparent. The hill on
all sides was strewed with the dead and
dying, and in many places the bodies Of
men and women. scarcely distinguish
able from each other were found sus-
pended across the limbs OF the trees.
Relief soon came from the surround
ing villages and the survivors were
tenderly carried to Tnawashiro and
many Of them died upon the way. The
latest estimates put the total loss of
life at 1000, but the exact numbers will
never be known Another thousand
are MANNED for life, while 1000 more
will carry the marks of burns and scalds
to their graves.