Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-26
THE EARTH SHAKES.
Prolonged Shocks of Earthquake
Occur at Various Places in
Japan.
Great Cracks Open and Close and
Volcanic Mud is Belched
Forth.
Whole Villages are Ruined and Hun.
dredS of Victims are Buried
Alive,

prolonged shock of earthquake occurred
the morning of Oct. 3. The greatest
dama,e to buildings and loss of life oc-
CURED in the prefectures of Ach- and
GIfu. IN which nearly 1000 people were
killed outright and the same number
seriously wounded. In these places AZ, 00G
houses were totally estroyed. The mum
Der Of provinces throughout in which TIE
disturbances were felt number thirty-one.
Two hundred thousand people were
rendered homeless. Up to Nov 5 earth.
quakes still continued to be felt. From
the commencement of the disturbance to
that date it is estimated 1900 shocks
occurred.
The up and down trains on the Tokadel
railway were just meeting at Gifu station,
the centre of the disturbance, when the
first shock occurred. The shock was
accompanied by rumbling and move
ment so violent that people slipped from
their seats. For moment they thought
a collision had occurred, but looking out
Of the windows beheld the station in ruins
and the water in the ne1ghboring 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, volcanic mud and ashes
being thrown from some of them. Some
of the passengers made their way into
Gifu ard found immense heaps of the
ruins of many houses that had fallen,
while others were SO shattered that sue
ceeding tremors threw them down. In al
most every house some unfortunates were
buried, and their chances of escape were
tIt, al h,,
many places. The railway line was too
much damaged to allow trains to move,
and passengers were accordingly com
PEELED to make their way
on foot to the neighboring towns.
The roads were almost impossible by rea.
son of the assures and landsIides. The
town af Kano was found wholly in ruins,
cot house remaining upright. At Kas-
amat every dwelling was mass Of debris.
Everywhere the survivors were digging
out the dead and wounded and fighting
against the confagration on all sides.
Many survivors were so paralyzed with
fear that they could only stand vacantly
staring at the scene OF destruction At
lchenomia and Kiyosu the people managed
to save few mats and were preparing to
pass the n ght in the fields. Throughout
the day and night the work of carryin ?
the wounded to Nagoya proceeded, con
slant stream of bearers passing alon.,
the rail wy, which vas the only available
route.
In Ahste and the ruined towns the first
sensation was that the houses were being
raised and then suddenly lowered two to
three feet. The fact that there was a
marked subsistence of the earth's surface
tor considerable area about Gifu, indi-
Gates that the latter town was the center of
disturbance. Very soon after the houses
were thrown down, and while hundreds of
people "ero buried in the debris, flames
burst from the ruins Of 3 silk fao,o-z ~, i
in short time spread to such an extent
that citizens were compelled to de-
sist in their work of rescue. The conila-
grafton burned out in one direction, but
in the other fires soon breaking out, joined
and swept from street to street famed by
strong wind. This was at two o'clock in
toe afternoon, and by eight in the evening
almost every part of the town of Glfu was
wrapped in fire, and the inhabitants
abandoning all hope Of staying
the conhagration, saved what arti-
cies they could and fed to the woods
and kills. The police, aided by normal
Students and prisoners from the jail,
fought the fire all night, but it was not
subdued until the forenoon Of the next
lay, when almost the whole town was
burned ove-. The potters in the procedures
of Owaria and Mino, the great centers OF
porcelain manufacture in Japan, at Seto,
and other towns, were almost entirely
destroyed. and it is reported that there is
no prospect of resuming the Industry this
year.
The shock at Osaki was 80 very severe
that scarcely sound house was left
standing with the exception of the
castle The Gobo temple. belonging to
the Shin sect of Buudhists was crowded
with woishippers when it fell. burying at
least fifty people. The ruins took fire and
The victims were consumed before the eyes
of the Mortified onlookers A slight shock
was felt at Nageric the night OF Sunday,
Oct. 25. Wednesday morning while fort
Christians were assembled in one of the
buildings of a Methodist school the build
ing began to totter and the worshippers
fed. One Christian and his wife were
killed and two japanese fatally injured
Nh. and Mrs. Van Dyke, mis-.
sionaries, and one other white
were dangerously hurt. Out OF doors the
city was in an uproar, wild sbrIeks AID
indescrib BILE noises filled the ali, while
every few moments came the terrible
thunder from the angry earth. Many
streets were biockaded with fallen houses
and others were choked with fleeing PEG
Pile. The thread factories and large brick
buildings caved In killing hundreds oil
people. The old castle. despite IFS four
hundred years. stood firm. The loss Of
life in the three towns which make up the
city of Nsgoya, is estimated at from 75(
to LOCO
Up to the morning of Friday. Oct. 30
SO distinct shocks were reported as follow
ing that of Wednesday. As the wounded
are brought In from the outside towns
reports ,ntinue to come Of lives lost,
damage done, and O. her -tirring incidents
here are assures In the eartn two feet
wide aud several feet deep; railway rails
are twisted, iron bridges broken. river
embankments sunk or cruubied, fields
fl loded, etc. A lake six hundred yards long
and sixty yards wide formed at the foot OF
, Hu-as mountain In the Gifu pref, cture
Great rocks beside the hills in Gifu gave
, way and water sUrang from the cracks in
the ground. The water in wells changed
10 brownish color and rendered unit
for drinking. Entertainments Of most of
he rivers were destr, d and in G fl
prefecture twenty five miles of embdnk.
ment must be rehnilt. The general ap
rearance Of the Mizushima division Of the
Mottosu district underwent complete
transformation, and al Nngo in the Dag
district marked subsistence of he earth :
! surface has taken place. Ont # seven
hundred temples in The Gifu prefecture
more than one third are totally destro, I'd.
heavy rainfall will food the whole