The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-11-26
KILLED BY HUNDREDS.
Destructive Earthquake in
Japan.
Immense Buildings Tumble to the
Ground.
Fleeing People Caught in the Ruins.
Story Of the CatastrOphy.

SAN Francisco, Nov. 25.-These de-
tails have been received of a Japan
earthquake of October 28th; The up
and down trains on the Tokaido rail.
way were just meeting at Gifu station,
the center of the disturbance, when the
first shock occurred. The shock was
accompanied by a rumbling sound, and
it was so violent that the people on the
trains thought collision had oc-
Cured. On looking out of the win
dows, however, they beheld the sta
tiCn in ruins. Some of the passengers
made their way into Gifu and found
immense heaps of ruins.
Many of the houses had fallen while
others were so shattered that the sue
ceeding tremors of the earth threw
them to the ground. In almost every
house some unfortunate was buried
and the chances Of escape were dimin-
ished greatly by the confagrations in
many places. The railway line was
too much damaged to allow Of the
moving of trains and passengers were
accordingly compelled to make their
way on foot to the neighboring towns.
The roads we're found to be almost i'm
passable by fissures and landslides.
The town of Kans was found to be
wholly in ruins, not house remaining
standing. Kassamatsu suffered like
fate, every dwelling being a mass Of
debris. Everywhere the survivors
we're digging out the dead and wound
ed and fighting against the conhagra;
ton on all sides.
At Inchinomya and Kisyosu the peo-
pie managed to save few mats and
were preparing to pass the night in
the fields.
Throughout the day and night the
work OF carrying the wounded to Ma
goya proceeded, continual stream
of bearers passing along the railway,
which was the only available route,
The inhabitants of the ruined town
say that the first sensation was that
the houses were being raised and then
suddenly lowered two or three feet.
In fact there was marked subsidence
of the earth's surface for considera.
BILE area about Gifu, which latter
town was the centre of the disturbance
Very soon after the houses were thrown
down and, while hundreds of people
were buried in the debris, flames burst
from the ruins of the silk factory and
in short time spread to such an ex
tent that the. citizens were compelled
to discontinue their work of resucu
The conhagration burned out in one
direction, but three other fires broke
out, and soon joined together, sweep
ing from street to street, and famed
by strong wind. This was at two
O'Clock in the afternoon, and by eigh
o'clock in the evening, almost ever,
part Of the town Of Gifu was wrapped
in flames, and the inhabitants hat
abandoned all hope of staying the con
tiagration, saving what articles the,
could, and fleeing to the woods ant
hills.
The police, aided by the norma
school students and the prisoners il
: Jail, fought the fire all night but it wa
not subdued until the forenoon of tn
! next day, when almost the whole tow
7 had been burned over.
The potteries in the perfectures {
/ Dwarf and Mino, great centres in POI
celain manufacture in Japan, an
those at Seto and other towns were a
, most entirely destroyed and it is r.
! ported that there is no prospect of r
{ suming their industry this year. Tt
6 shock was so severe that scarcely
. sound house is left standing with Il
; exception Of the castle.
q The Gobo temple, belonging to IL
: Buddhists was crowded with worshi
h pers when it fell, Burying at lea
: fifty people. The ruins took fire al
: shrieking victims were consumed b
,s fore the eyes of the Mortified onleokel
j A slight shock was felt at Nagyoa {
the night of Sunday October 25t