The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-24

Terrible Scenes That Paralyxcd Helpless
Onlo0kers-Exte OF tho Area
Afected-Brszil News.
YOKOHAMA, Nov. GA severe and quite
prolonged shock OF earthquake occurred on
tho morning Of Oct. %. The greatest dam
age to buildings and loss Of life occurred in
the prefectures of Achy and Gifu, in which
nearly 1000 people were killed outright and
the same number seriously wounded. In
in those two procedures 1900 houses were
totally destroyed. The number of prov
inces throughout which the disturbances
wore felt are thirty-two. Ono hundred
Thousand people have been rendered home
less. Up to Nov. 5. the earth
quakes still continued to be felt, but
the intervals between them had
gradually increased. md the intensity of
the shocks had diminished. From the
commencement of the disturbance mp to
that date it is estimated there were 5000
shocks. The town of Gifu, on the Toka-
dio railway, with a population of 1900,
was almost entirely destroyed; $500, out Of
a total of a, 400 houses in town, were over
thrown or burned, and over 100 people
killed. In the town of Kftagatimachi
eighty-four people were killed. Tho entire
village of Entnkatomi was destroyed, and
eighty people killed. These three towns
are all in tho provinces of Ezosi and Dwarf,
and represent total of 3,400 killed and
nearly $4,000 houses totally destroyed.
C<., %;op ho1 IN
all outlying points, but it is now known
that the total of deaths will exceed 5000.
Up and down trains on the Tokaido rail
way were just meeting at Gifu station, the
center of the disturbance, wien the first
shock occurred. The shock was accom-
panied by rumbling and movement 80
violent that people slipped from the car
seats. For moment they were dazed, but
looking out of the windows beheld the sta
ton in ruins and water in the neighboring
pond dashing violently from side to side.
The rumbling movement continued and
cracks two to three feet wide were observed
opening and closing in all directions. Vol
canic mud and ashes were being thrown
from some of them. Some of the passen-
gers made their way into Gifu and found
immense heaps of ruins. Many houses
had fallen, while others were so shattered
that succeeding tremors OF the earth threw
IL.
unfortunate had been buried and their
chances Of escape were greatly dimished by
confagration. In many places the railway
line was too much damaged to allow trains
to move and passengers were accor dinghy
compelled to make way on foot to neigh-
boring towns. The roads were almost i'm
possible by reason of assures and land
slides.
The town of Kano was found in ruins,
not a house remaining upright. kasanatsu
fared like fate, every dwelling being u
mass of debris. Everywhere survivors were
digging out dead and wounded and fighting
against confagrations on all sides. Many
survivors, however, were so paralvzed with
fear that they could only stand staring at
Mt the scene of destruction. At 1chinomya
and Kiyosu, people 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
NaRoya proceeded, continuous stream of
bearers passing along the railway which
was the only available route. The inhabit-
ants of the ruined town say the first sensa-
tion was that their houses we're being raised
and then suddenly lowered two to three
feet. The fact that there was a marked
siderable area about Gifu indicates that the
latter town was the center of 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 silk factory and in short time
citizens we're compelled to desist
in their work of rescue. The conflagration
burned out in one direction. but three other
fires soon broke out and soon joined and
swept from street, famed by strong wind.
This was at two p. M, and BY eight In the
evening almost every part of the town Gifu
was wrapped in fire, and the inhabitants,
abandoning oil hopes of staying the con-
Haeration, saved what articles they could
and fled to the hills. The police, aided by
normal school students and prisoners from
the Jail fought the fire all night but it WAS
not subdued until the forenoon OF the next
day, when almost the whole town was
burned over. Potteries in the prefectures
of Dwarf and Mino, great centres of polce-
lain manufactures in JAPAN Mt Seto, and
other towns were almost entirely destroyed
and it is reported that there Is no prospect
of rosuminH the indust y this year. The
shock at Osaka was SO severe that scarcely
a sound house was left standing. with the
exception of castle. Gobo temple, be-
longing to the Shin acct of Buddhists, WAS
crowded with wcrshippers when 1t fell,
burying at least fifty people. The ruins
took fire and shrieking victims were con-
suned before tho eyes of horrihed on
lockers.
A slight shock was felt at Nagerio on the
Sunday. Oct. %. Wednesday morning while
forty christians we're assembled IN one OF
the buildings of the Methodist school, the
building began to totter and the worshiprers
fled. One christian and his wife were killed
and two Japanese were fatally injured. Mr..
and Mrs. Vandyke missionaries, and one
other white were dangerously hurt. Out Of
doors the city was in an uproar. Wild
shreks and indescribable noises filled the
air, while every few momsnts came terrible
thunder from the angry earth. Manv
streets were blocked with fallen houses ana
others choked with fleeing people. Thread
factories. large brick buildings, caved in,
killing hundreds of people. The old castle,
despite its four hundred years, stood firm.
The loss of life in tho three towns which go
to make up tho city OF Nagoya is estimated
at from 750 to 1000. Up to the morning of
Friday, Oct. 30, 369 distinct shocks were re-
ported al following that of Wednesday.
As the wounded were brought into the
city from surrounding towns reports con-
tinued to come of lives lost, damage done
and stirring incidents OF fissutes in the
enrth two feet wide and several feet deep,
railway rnils twisted, iron bridges broken,
river embankments sunk or crumbled ana
fields flooded, etc. lake GOO yards long
and sixty yards wide formed At the foot of
the Hukusan mountain i'll Gifu prefecture.
Ie-