Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-11
EFFECTS OF THE EARTHQUAKE IN
JAPAN.

PRoF. HoRAcE BRICGs, Of Buffalo,
was In Japan at the time Of tho great
earthquake. He lately arrived In San
Francl'co, on visit, aud related some
OF his observations and experience to
Chronicle reporter. Here isan extract
FROM the account Of the interview;
~ was at Yokohama At the time" sid
Professor briggs. at was about fvo
o'clock on the morning Of October 18th,
whom was awakened by violent oscil-
latlon Of my bod, In a room In tho Grand
Hotel. The shock was at first " a gentle,
waving character, but In few seconds Il
had changed 10 regular jolt, which
actually throw me out ofbcd. The shock
was continued about forty-hye seconds,
and was tho sevorc.t over experienced.
Fearing that ovory moment would DO my
last, I rushed from my room down tho
stairs, meeting dolous Of guests as fright.
onod a., mysolG I:is unnecessary to say
that none Of as stopped In our rooms to
make an extensive toilet"
"what was the damage Inflicted In Yo-
kohamagr
IT was very slight, am happy to say.
Boyond the overthrow Of numberloss
chimnoys, the cracking Of walls, o,c.,
there was little damage. Yokohama il
100 miles from Nagoya and Gin. the ccn-
ter OF tho disturbance, and 1t managed to
escape apprcciablc harm"
"Dld you visit Nagoya Kifug"
Il was Ia Nsgoya twonty-two hours
before the shake. but hearing all sorts Of
rnmon regarding tho earthquake deter
mined to visit the province again aud 500
for myself the effects Of tho shock.
went To Nagoya on the following day,
aud tho sights which witnessed amply
repaid mo for tho trip. / mover bohcd
such scono OF devastation; It was In.
dosorbably frlghthil. Eyorywhcro lay
the remnants OF dwellings literally
shakon into kindllng wood, from which
proitndcd tho limbs OF tho dead In
every state OF mutilation. People
ilocked from all dlrecti ons to render
assistance, and tho snfro ring aud sorrow
manifested on all sides we're extremely
painfuL / saw mon looking Tor their
wives, children Tor thoir parents and
sisters for tholr brothers, and whom
search Of some ruins revealed tholr shat.
torod ROMANS shrlok, OF anguish ront tho
air. In the ruins Of the posloni ce NJ Ma
goyn, which was the only brick building
In tho town, twenty postal clerks were
buried. The unhappy mon wore a-sort-
Ing tho morning mail when the building
iopplcd over upon them aud buried
tBom from sight. Not single ono os-
capped alive"
professor Briggs won't 10 Kiiu, but
tho railroad beds had boon so badly
wrecked that travel beyond was lmpos-
siblc ImmolSo orovlces from which hot
mud and steam escaped woro to DO seen
In all directions. Daring his stay
there an unhappy japanese, who
had lost his wlfo In Que OF these
crevices, went in search Of hor, and.
while standing on the edge OF tho ilssufo
the wall orumhied beneath him and pro-
cipitatod him into tho unknown depths
beneath. All Of those creyicos along tho
roads have since been bri1god, but the
danger from thom Is little lessonod.
"fho most wonderful result Of tho
earthquake" continued r rofossor Briggs
twas tho dropping or OF tho sacred
mountain Of Fujiyama, A slice 1000 foot
wido, containing several million tons Of
Garth, was shakon OH. Several noun
talns lost a portion Of thor tops, while
others sank down several feet. Many
doprossionn in tho Garth, caused by the
shock, arc to DO seen abou. Nagoya. Tho
bridges everywhere look like -orpents,
so twisted were they, and thoy are now
practically useless. think this earth
quake will bo known rs one Of tho mos,
violent that occurred during tho Chris.
tiAn ern.u