The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-29
FATAL FLOODS IN JAPAN.
HUNDREDS OF LIVES LOST
AND MANY TOWNS RUINED.

The Rivers Overlooked Their Banks
in the Southern and Middle Prov
inces--An Cities Along Them
Were Submerged in Twenty Feet
of Water--Much Distress.
The steamer China brings to San Francis
20, Cal. news Of frishtful loss OF life and
the greatest destitution BY the floods in the
southern and middle provinces Of Japan. At
Toyoe the water rose twenty feet and sub
merged all the houses in the town. At Min.
emua the water attained height of thirty
feet sweeping away many houses. 1t was
still worse in tho neiShboring project OF
Ekayema, where. at Kawabe, the river rose
eighteen feet and broke down a great emu
banSment. carrying away 200 houses. About
enc hundred persons are unaccounted Tor.
The police station was demolished and the
chief killed.
Going northward the storm beat with vio-
renee on the Island OF Sado. whereit broke to
pieces six vessels in the port OF Yebisu and
nine others at Suisu. whereby four seamen
lost their lives. At Toyama-Ken it carried
away forty-eight houses and broke down the
roads at Shing-Minato, but happily without
any loss of life. At the city Of Ioyama eighty
houses were carried away and over lOOo
are under water. The Yoshino rose twenty
seven feet in Tokushima-Ken. many houses
were demolished, and the embankment burst
in many places. In Kawabe and the neigh
borhood 400 houses were carried away ,wnlle
similar number of houses have been swept
away at Kuboya. At Tanoura, in Buzen, a
large number Of junks and fishing boats were
smashed to pieces.
Reports OF the greatest loss OF life come
from Futakata-G Gun, in Hyo2o-ken, where
mountain side gave way, burying two VII
lagos and killing fifty persons. At Misumi.
m Kumamitoken, nine-tenths OF the houses
were damaged and all the godouns OF the
rice exporters were blown down.
At both entrances to the port. 120 vessels
were shattered to splinters. The wharf at
Oita harbor is half destroyed, and majority
OF the houses are demolished. Thirty largo
junss have been cast ashore and damaged,
nn'l Mt. TaSaski gave way, inficting further
serious damage. The Tsurusakigaiva River
burst its banks and carried many houses to
Sea.
In all sections innumerable bodies OF men
and cattle are to be seen in heaps. At Moi,
twenty-four vessels foundered. Of Tano-
via, seven others were wrecked and the
crews were seen clinSing to the topmasts and
crying for help, but no help could be given,
and they sank into the sea. The total num-
Der Of vessels wrecked in that neighborhood
cannot be much under seventy.
At Osaka sixty or seventy junks and fish
ing boats foundered. At the port of Tanoura
sixteen junks were smashed to pieces. At
Nagatsah eighteen or twenty junks went
ashore
The Mitsu Bishi colleries alone have lost
eleven junks sunk and nineteen damaged,
and at the mines seven sunk and five dam
aged. About twenty cargo boats have also
bean lost The reported loss Of life is thirty.
At Kawabe the water rose eighteen feet,
and smbankments were burst in ten places.
The total number Of houses carried away at
Kawaba and other villages Is about 400, and
the tate Of 200 persons is uncertain.
Pamsjima suffered terribly. The embank-
ments were burst in the Kayo and Kubova
districts, in the latter OF which 400 houses
were carried away.
Theresults Of the inundation were: Deaths,
J557 persons missing, 627; vessels wrecked,
ST houses entirely destroyed, 1908.
The greatest loss of life reported in any
one district was $50 In the province Of Inaba.
At Okayama nearly 400 houses were de-
s1royed. At Otta IA vessels were wrecked,
but Ehime exceeds this number bv twentv-