The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-08
EARTHQUAKESIN JAPAN.
EDWIN ARNOLD TELLS OF THEIR
DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES

DlSASIROOo OONO all ENOA0
Most Houses There Have Fragile Walls
and heavy Roofs, and They Tumble
in Heaps When a Violent Shock
shakes Them.
From the Nel0 York Sun.
81 am very much pressed for time just
now. 1t is so precious l would bay minutes
for their weight in gold, il I could. l am
still in my slippers, you see, ana have not
had q chance to take my walk"
Sir Edwin Arnold said this to reporter
for the Sun shortly before noon yesterday.
The poet had come down from his room &c
the parlor, had shaken hands cordially with
his visitor, and had sat down beside him on
the sofa. The reporter had first seen him
approaching from the end Of a long CORR,
dor. walking with his legs rather wide
apart, like a sailor on shipbosrd. He wore
rough, heavy, business suit
Of dark color, fiecked with spots Of white, q
red scarf, and patent leather pumps. There
was a pleasant smile on his face long before
be reached his visitor. and with the first ex-
charge Of greetings the reporter was i'm
pressed with the fact that here was the most
genially courteous man he had ever met.
Sir EdwIn's remark quoted above was an
answer TO the reporters request for informa-
ton about the earthquakes in japan. A
moment after he seemed to regret his refusal
and added:
You ask me any questions you wIsh, and
Twill try TO answer them. ! will give you
five minutes; nay. four and quarter
II would like to get from you a descrip-
ton Of an earthquake IN Japan and the
scene that follows"
"Well, it Is certainly very unlike any,
thing that would be likely to occur in
America or Europe. Nearly all the houses
in Japan are very light The walls are of
light wood covered with paper TO keep out
the draughts. The interior is divided into
rooms by movable partitions, also of paper.
With these an interior can be divided into
as many rooms as is desired. Besides, there
are paper shutters, and, for use in case Of
rain, wooden shutter& But everything is
very light and graceful and extremely
pretty except the roof. which is extremely
heavy, being made of solid tiles. In every
house there is fire summer and
winter. The Japanese have no stoves
such as are used IN America or Europe and
no fireplaces, but they have little fire boxes,
which are quite handsome and lined with
charcoal which. unlike ordinary charcoal
throws out no oarbonic acid gas or noxious
yapOrs or, at all events. not enough to be
injurious. When an earthquake comes it
rocks the houses until the roof falls in,
crushing the light woodwork and paper
partitions. The fire boxes are upset the
glowing Goals fall upon the inhammable
wood and paper, and In a moment the
wrecked dwellings are In flames. Such Of
h NVarvN So 80
roofs fall are caught in the ruins and roasted
to death. That is why there are usually
many fatalities after severe earthquake.
The invalids and children are most fire.
Quently killed.
When the shocks are not severe enough
to unroof the houses'they sometimes affect
the positions Of portions of the buildings, so
that it is not unusual to find after an ear tn
quake that the doors are out of plumb and
cannot be closed. The fine houses have to
be very carefully built to resist the shocks,
the most necessary requirements being deep
foundations. My house in Toxic is con-
structed with special regard for such
emergencies. had a wooden pillar put in
b support the roof, and the base of this
pillar rests in an egg-shaped stone firmly
set in the ground. The pillar can move in
this stone. and it Is, therefore, not injured
OF displaced whom the house rocks slightly.
/ also have an earthquake door; that is, a
door so adjusted that rackinR will not
affect Its position.
after a serious earthquake the sufferers
are cared for in e curious way. The Japan
csc have system which prevails in none Of
the countries of Europe or America. The
bands OF relationship are very strong IN
japan. Every one feels that he is under
obligation to aid his relatives II a man
asked you for charity in Japan give him
what be wants, for be IS starving. Beg Sing
is not pracLised there, as the Door are sup
ported by their relatives. When an earth
quake leaves a number of Japanese desti-
tute aud injured, their more fortunate rela-
nves take care of them until they are
fully recovered in health and able to
work. IL is unusual to hear of earthq uakes
around NaRoya. The surrounding country
Is level, with hills in the distance. The
country does not look as If it was Of vol
canic origin. Still, all Japan is more or less
subject to earthquakes and the fires are
burning underneath the whole island. Two
years ago l was at one of the biggest of the
volcan' es supposed to be extinct aud it
was belching forth fire aud smoke and
gases; it will bu st out again some day.
-Four years ago the whole inside of a noun
tain was blown out and the fregmants were
spread over radius of two miles. Through
the gap in the mountain a see of boiling
mud poured out and spread over the sur
rounding country.
IokIo is the center Of the volcanic region,
ana earthquakes are very common there.
one never has any warning, and no one
gets accustomed to them. They inspire as
much fear in the old residents as In the new
ones, for no one can ever tell the result of a
Snock until it is all over. 1t begins with a
low, rumbling sound in the earth. and is
followed by trembling and shaking. l.,
VINO have no particular property in Japan
ana don't trouble atout my life, have been
very much interested IN the earthquakes
and have never experienced any fear of
them. but know that foreigners usually
nave great dread of them.
I was at the house Of the British minister
~ lokio about a year ago, and at the same
Time the Duke of Connaught was there. This
1adles bad gone into the drawing room, and
! was sitting alking with the duke. told
Hi ~ thatl would very much like to have
a am see an earthquake. WELL he said. If
~ ooes not involve any great personal dan
ger or Edwin. would like to see one very
Tuch just at that moment it came.
mere was low rumbling and the houses
snook You are shaking the table, cried
20. .a duke. Why. no, am not replied,
lUs an earthquake at the same time we
neard the duchess call to Mrs. Frazer, i'll
M Wnose house we were: Did you hear that
why the house shook There were many
Foreign merchants In the cities of Osaka
anu Nagoya, but very few in the others az