Evening journal., 1896-01-10
HUNDREDS OF VICTIMS
Earthquakes Destroy Towns In
Persia.
TIE CITY OF KHoI SWEPT AWAY.

More Than Thousand People killed by
Seismic Disturbances stock sInugh-
tered by Wholesale Radius Of a Hun
dred Miles Affected.
TEHERAN, Persin, Jan. 1O.-Two earth
luakcs have occurred in the district of
Khalkhal-the first on the night OF Jan. 2.
Upon that occasion the large village of
Janjabad was destroyed. several others
were partially destroyed, and 800 persons
were killed.
The second earthquake occurred during
the morning OF Jan. and was very severe.
1t was felt over an area Of 100 miles. The
town Of Col was destroyed. and 900
houses were demolished. In addition great
damage was done TO many villages The
loss of life was very great. There were
800 persons killed i'm Col alone, and large
numbers OF cattle and sheep also pcrished.
The town Of Khoi, which has thus been
wiped out by earthquake is one of the
best laid out towns of Persia in its mod
ern quarter The district of Khalkhal, in
which the earthquake waves seem 70 have
done the most damage is I'm the province
of Azerbijan, in the extreme northwestern
portion of Persia, Immediately adjoining
the province of Van, in Armenia.
Khoi lies i'm 3s degrees 81 minutes north
latitude and 40 degrees 3 minutes east
longitude, ~ miles northwest of Tabriz
and about as far south of Mount Ararat,
and is or was before its destruction, on
the great trade route between the Euxine
and Persia and on the Koture, a tributary
of the Aras, which was crossed here by a
seven arch bridge. II had quite an elabor-
ate system of Notifications, which We're,
however, in a ruinous state and an inner
high wall lanked with towers, the inter-
yening space being occupied with gardens
and mud novels.
Previous Seismic Disturbances.
1t was in the central portion of the city
TINT its beauty lay, cool streams and lines
of willows running along its broad, regu-
lar streets. There were "a few good build
ings, including the governors palace sew
eral mosques, n large brick bazaar and a
fine caravanscrai. The chief manufactures
were copper wares and worsted socks.
In September, 1881, Khoi was visited by
a series of violent earthquakes, the seismic
waves running northwest and southeast,
in the direction of the main mountain
ranges
The population numbered about 30, 600,
including many Armenians, who occupied
a separate quarter of the city.
The district about the city consists OF
an elevated plateau, go miles by 10 or 10,
highly cultivated by sSillul system of
drainage and irrigation producinga series
of fertile oases laid out i'm meadows, gar
dcns and tillage and yielding rich crops OF
wheat and barley, besides apples, pears,
cherries, walnuts, chestnuts and unriyaled
mulborries.
The province of Azerbiian is one of the
most fertile In Persia and travellers give
enthusiastic descriptions of it's orchard.
and gardens and the delicious fruits which
they yield. The population is of very
varied character, comprising Kurds, Arme
mans, Assyrians Tertars, persians proper
and other tribes and IS roughly estimated
at 1000, 0O0 The Persian army IS largely
composed of natives of Azerbiian, and the
province is under the government OF th,
heir apparent to the Persian throne.