The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-13
TIDAL WAVE In JAPAN.
Awful Results Of a Seismic Disturbance
AIOCg the Northern Coast of the
Coast Vividly Described.

San Francisco, Gala, July l2.-The
Toxic correspondent of the United
Press. writing under date of June &c,
thus graphically describes the devasta-
tion wrought by the seismic wave which
recently visited the northeast coast of
Japan. Japan has been visited by a
calamity of almost unprecedented mag
hitude. On the 18th u June. at half
past six O'Clock in the evening, a seiS-
mic wave struck the northeast coast of
the main island. throughout the dis
lance of about 700 miles and in five min =
utes 10000 people were killed and l2UUU
houses destroyed. That Is the whole
story"
Anyone can identify the locality Of the
disaster by glance at the map of
Japan. From the island of kinka- San,
on the south to HachiuUye, on the north,
the coast of Rikuzen and Rikushu pro-
Vinces assumes distinctly convex
shape.
Through the whole of this bow like
a'sa nearly every town and every VII
lase was visited 10y the wave. the por-
tion between Motoyoshi and Yamada
suffered most severely. The general
direction of the wave appears to have
been north by east, for after carrying
devastation to the shore of the main
island, it left Yezu on the west. touch
ing that island at Yerimo cape only.
At half-past eight o'clock the inhabi-
tants of numerous towns and hamlets
along the coast were Celebra ling the
boys festival on the fifth day of the
NTH month, according to the old cal
endar: at twenty-five minutes before
nine. 3O,G00 of them had been swept out
to sea or thrown dead upon the shore
and 5000 of their houses had disap-
peared or lay wrecked. There was
nothing particularly to presage the dis
aster
About 1.25 y. m. booming became
audible from the direction of the sea.
1t appears to have been variously in
terpreted. Some construed it as the noise
oi growing gale others supposed that
huge school of sardines had reached
the ofing. Only very few suspected
the real significance of the sound and
fled inland. Rapidly the noise increased
until 1t assumed the volume and deaf
eninS of great roar Of artillery, and in
moment waves from 30 to 80 feet high
were laundering against the shore
kamaisui is "a little sea town situated
at the head of Il rocky inlet two miles
deep and directly facing the Pacific
ocean. Behind it Is precipitous hill
The inhabitants seem to have remained
until the last. wholly unconscious cf
what was happening. At little after
eight In the evening a mountain Of sea
was observed plying itself up at the
mouth of the inlet, and in a moment,
with thunderous roar, waves 50 feet
high swept over the town. Three times
the avalanche Of water rushed forward !:
the first incOmparably the most ter
rihle and in less than two minutes the
town was virtually annihilated out of
5000 only 1i3 remained standing; and
out of population Of G. .557. death had
overtaken 1000 and over SOC were
wounded.
In completeness OF destruction this
record heads the list. IN the kissen
district one town and eleven villages
attacked by the wave had 8. $50 persons
killed and $50 houses washed away or
wrecked. Such are the tales of death and
ruin that come from place after place.
The terrible totals at this moment
of writing are 23,073 killed; 7,735
wounded and 7.Sl4 houses washed away
or wrecked