St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-24
WIDESPREAD HAVOC.
The Earthquake in Japan the
Most Severe in Half a
Century.
Thirteen Provinces We're De-
vastated and 100000
Rendered Homeless.
Ell ght Thousand People Killed
at Least in the Affiict-
ed Districts.

YoKAHAMA. Nov. ga severe and
prolonged shock of earthquake &C.
Cured Oct 2S, a few minutes before
o'clock in the morning. 1t was the
most severe experienced siEce the ter
ible catastrophe of 1865. and must be
ranked as national calamity. The
greatest damage to buildings and loss of
life occurred in the prefectures of AchY
and Gitu, in which nearly 1900 people
were killed outright and 1000 seriously
wounded. In those two procedures
42,O0O houses were totally destroyed.
The number of provinces throughout
which the disturbance was strongly
felt number thirteen. The destruction
of 1900 houses means 100000 people
rendered homeless. Up to Nov. 3 the
earthquakes still continued to be felt,
but gradually the intensity of the shocks
diminished. 1t is estimated that 6,600
shocks, or more than one every two
minutes were felt.
The town of Gifu, on the Tokado rail
way, with a population of $1,000, was
almost entirely destroyed. Thirty-fve
hundred out of a total of 4.400 houses
in the town were Overthrown or
seven people were killed. In the town
of KaIo 600 houses were overthrown
and leo people were killed.
Widespread Devastation.
In the town of Ogaki $500 houses
were OverthrOWn, 10000 houses burned
and 700 people .crushed to death
| Thirteen hundred were injured in the
| town OF TokOgahama, and nearly 600
| houses overthrOwn, and like number
| burned and over 100 people killed. Iii
| The town of Kltagatinachi eighty-four
| people were killed. The entire village
of EntakalOmi was destroyed and
| eighty people killed. These towns are
| all in the three provinces of EZoSi. MinO
| and Dwarf, and represent a total of
3,400 killed sand nearly $1,000 houses
totally destroyed. Communication has
not yet been Opend up TO all the outly-
| ing points, but it is now known that the
| total number of deaths will exceed
| 5000.
The inhabitants of the ruined towns
| described the shock as conveying All
impression that the houses were first
| raised and then suddenly lowered
| through a 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 Glfu Indicated
that the latter town was the center of
disturbance. Shortly after the shock
had leveled thousands of houses III the
town, and hundreds of people were
lying buried iii the debris. flames burst
from the ruins, and in short time
spread to such an extent that the citi-
ZenS were compelled to deSiSt in their
work of digging out the wounded and
dying. BY O'Clock in the evening al
most every part of the town of Gifu was
Wrapped in Fire.
and the inabitantS. abandoning all hope
of staying the CONFEDERATION, saved what
few articles they were able TO and fed
the town, taking refuge in the woods
and on the hillsides.
kanO is wholly in ruins, not a house
remaining upright. The town of Kasa-
matsu Jared like KahO, every dwelling
being mass of debris. Everywhere
survivors were digging out the dead
and wounded and fighting against con-
tiagratiOns that broke out OH all sides.
The shock experienced at Ogaki WAS So
severe that scarcely a sound house was
left standing. with the exception of
the castle, which, despite its four nun
dred years, stood the shock remarkably
well. Gobo temple, belonging TO the
Shin sect of Buddhsts, fell while
crowded with wOrshippers, burying al
| ledSL llItS people. 1D0 ruins look IRE,
and the Shrieking victims were con-
sumed by the flames before the eyes of
the Mortified OnlOokers.
Out of doors the city was in an uprOar.
Wild shrieks, shouts and innumerable
noises filled the air, while oYery few
moments came the terrible thunder
from the angry earth. Many street.
were blocked with fallen houses, and
others were chOked with people rushing
to ami fro. The buildings presented
the appearance of having been bonn
barded. The Dwarf thread factory
large brick buildings crushed i'll
killing Hundreds
of people The loss of life in the three
towns which go to make up the city o
Nagoya is variously estimated at from
$50 to 1000. At Osaka a three-stor,
brick building, costing S200,O0O, wa
; partially crushed down to the grOunt
floor. causing a loss of twenty-five
lives.
The total sum Of money distributed
for the relief of the sufferers up to Nov
. was nearly 81. 1000, while quantity O
rice was also distributed. The emperO
and empress made donation of abou
$500 from their privy purse. Th
= condition of the devastated stations i
: such that large number of the inhab
tantS have left their prefecturaS to oil
tain work elsewhere TO support then
i selves. One hundred and fifty-eigl
: thousand persons in Gifu alone have al
: piled for assistance.