The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-24

Sos distinct shocks were recorded as following
the first one OF Wednesday
As the wounded were brought into the city
from the surrounding towns, reports continued
TO come in of lives lost, damage done and of
stirring incidents; OF assures two feet wide and
several feet deep; OF railway rails twisted, iron
bridges broken, river entertainments sunk
or erumbled and fields flooded.
lake 600 yards long and sixty
yards wide was formed at the foot OF Hakusan
mountain in the Gifu prefecture. Big rocks
beside the Gongen hill, Aba hill, and several
other hills in Gifu gave way, ana water sprang
from cracks in the ground. The water in wells
was changed to a brownish color and rendered
unfit for drinking. The entertainments OF the
Nagoya, Kisso, Shonal, Colo and Niko rivers
were broken. IL is estimated that about one
half of the $50 miles of embankment has been
damaged in Gifu prefecture and will have TO be
wholly rebuilt. The general appearance OF the
Mizushima division OF the Motosu district I'M
derwenta complete transformation, and in the
Nagoya district marked subsistence of the
earth's surface has taken place throughout
area OF two and half miles in diameter. The
bed of the river Neo in the vicinity of MiZuto-
murs, was raised about six feet, and the
rumbling of the mountain in that vicinity was
heard at frequent intervals.
Out OF seven hundred temples in Gifu pre-
lecture more than oue-third are totally de-
stroyed. Anything like heavy rainfall would
cause nearly the whole of Gifu to be flooded,
and many months will be required TO repair the
river entertainments. In some parts of the town
boiling mud spouted out of the assures TO a
height of ten feet. majority OF these geysers
continued spouting for over two hours. At Os-
kawa, which town also suffered greatly from
the earthquake, the Dembo cotton mill was
ported as having collapsed, over twenty-five
persons being killed and wounded. The Mat
gushlma cotton mill also suffered aud several
deaths are reported, while the Nsmwa cotton
mill, a three-story brick building at Oskoya,
worth $4,000, was partially crushed down TO
the ground floor, causing loss of twenty-three
lives. The total sum OF money distributed for
the relief of sufferers up to November
nearly $4,000, while quantity OF rice was also
distributed The emperor and empress made a
donation of about $4,000 from their privy
purses The condition of the devasted sections
is such that large number OF inhabitants left
those procedures to obtain work elsewhere
whereby to support themselves. One hundred
and fifty thousand persons in Gifu prefecture
alone applied for assistance
The up and down trains on the Tokaido rail-
way were Just meeting al Gifu station, the cen
ter of the seismic disturbance, when the first
shock occurred. The shock was accompanied
by rumbing and the movement was so violent
that passengers slipped from their seats. From
the windows they beheld the station in ruins
and the water in a neiyhboring pond being
dashed violently from side to side. The rum
bling movement continued, and large cracks
from two to three feet wide were observed open
ing and closing in all directions, volcanic mud
and ashes being thrown from some OF them. SO
numerous were these assures that a step in any
direction threatened destruction. and passen-
gers feared to leave the train. a house at Oko-
tawma was thrown down and family OF four
persons was buried in the debris, little girl be
ing killed. Some passengers who made their
way into the town of Gifu found immense heaps
OF ruins OF fallen houses, while other houses
were SO dislocated that each succeeding tremor
threw some of them down. In almost every
house some unfortunates have been buried.
The chances of escape were greatly diminished
by the CONGREGATIONS which broke out in many
places.
II was ascertained that the railway line has
been too much blocked in both directions to
allow further progress of trains, and passengers
accordingly were compelled to make their way
on foot to neighboring towns. Proceeding
from Gifu to Hano, the latter place was found
wholly in ruins, not house remaining upright.
The town of kasamatru Jared like Hano, every
dwelling being mass OF debris. Everywhere
the survivors were to be found digging out the
dead and wounded and fighting against the con-
fagrations that broke out on all sides. Many
survivors were so utterly COMPOUNDED and ter
ror-striken that they could on ly stand vacantly
staring at the scene of destruction. At lchi-No-
Mya and Kiyosu the people had managed TO
save few mats, and were preparing to pass the
night in open field, both villages being waste
of fallen houses, which the flames were rapidly
deyouring. Throughout the day and night the
work OF carrying the wounded TO Nagoya pro-
ceeded The inhabitants OF the ruined towns
described the shock as conveying the impress
sion that the houses We're first rocked and then
suddenly lowered through space OF from two
to three feet.
The fact that there was a marked subsistence
of the earth's surface for a considerable area
about Gifu indicated that the latter town was
the center of the disturbance. Shortly after the
shock had leyeled thousands of houses in town,
and while hundreds of people were lying buried
in the debris, flames burst from the ruins of
silk factory, and in q short time spread to such
an extent that the citizens were compelled TO
desist In their work of digging out the wounded
and dying. The eonfagration burned out in
, one direction, but three other fires immediately
broke out, and joining into one, swept from
street TO street, being famed by strong north
west wind. BY S O'Clock in the evening almost
every part OF town was wrapped in fire, and the
inhabitants, abandoning all hope of staying the
conitagratiOn, saved what few articles they were
able TO and fed from the town, taking refuge in
the woods and on the hillsides. The police
aided by the normal school students and eighty
prisoners from jail, fought the IRE throughout
the night. but il was not subdued until the fore
noon OF October %, when it had been burning
Tor tweuty-eight hours, and almost the whole
town had been burned over. The potteries in
the procedures of Dwarf and Mino, the great
centers of porcelain manufacture in Japan, at
Seio and other towns, were almost entirely de
stroyed, and there is reported to be no prospect
I OF resumiug the industry during the present
year
The shock experienced AT 0gak was so severe
that scarcely sound house was left standing
pf h 10
its 100 years, stood the shock remarkably well.
Gabo temple, belonging to the shiuto sect OF
BuGdhists, was crowded with worshipsrs, il
being the anniversary of the death OF Shinran,
the founder OF the sect. The temple fell,
burying 1T least fifty people. The ruins took
fire, and the shTieking victims were consumed
by the flames before the eyes OF the horrided on
! lockers. The town OF Nagoya escaped lightly in
comparison with the region west OF there, EN-
pEacIug GIfu, OgakI and kyoto slight shock
was felt at Nagoya on the night OF Sunday. Oc-
tober -. On Wednesday morning forty Chris
tials were assembled in one OF the buildings OF
the Methodist Protestant school, when the
sound OF distant rumbling and the
building began 10 totter and the worshipers
tied 10 the doors. One Christian and his wife
were killed by falling bricks and
tiles, aud two other japanese so
badly injured that they have since died.
OF eight foreigners in The building, Mr. and
Mrs.. an Dyke and one other were badly hurt.
Out OF ooors the city was in an upgoar wild
sArleks filed the air, while every lew moments
came terrible thunder from the earth. Many
streets were blocked with fallen houses and
Others were cAoked with people rushing to and
iTo. The chImueys % the Normal school went
crashing through the roof and the building pre-
scented the appearance OF having been bonn