The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-05
IN AN EARTHQUAKE.
EXPERIENCE OF A MAN AND wO-
MAN on BICYCLES.

Made by the WheeI-It Was n Very
Exciting Ride Over the Rolling
Earth, But the Adventurous Rid
ers Made IL All Right
From the San Francisco Examiner.
Shanghai. China, Feb. lit was in To-
kiO, Japan, the night Of Jan. TO- 1896, that
1 experienced the most exciting ride l
have met with in twelve years Of BIZ
cycling.
Ny wife and had spent the evening at
the house Of a European friend living
near the Toxic Institute. Geisha girls.
in graceful fiuttering dance, and neigh
boring native children in games peculiar
TO the New Year season, had made the
hours pass quite rapidly, and it lacked
but a few moments OF 10 when Mrs. Nc
Ilrath and 1 said our "sayanaras" and
mounted our wheels.
Outside the night was clear. the air I'M
usually warm. Three miles interviewed
between our friends home and the hotel
and as Japanese streets are not at all
direct or regular, set the pace and found
the way. Occasionally l turned my head
to see If my wife followed. and each time
saw the shine of her wheel lamp. On
either side Of the streets were the quaint
native houses, the front flush with the
street. sans windows, sans doors, save
the sliding screens, covered with opaque
paper. called shoji. On a few of the
fronts grotesque shadows played, the in
mates had not retired as yet, but how
cred about the braziers and torches.
was meditating on things to come when
my wheel suddenly gave swerve to
the left and in attempting to bring II
back overbalanced and crashed into
the houses to the right. My handle bars
splintered the light wooden sashes and
tore the tough paper from the frames.
l was trying to think what the matter
could be when the inmates Of the house
fa1
and across the street some one screamed
loudly, not once but continuously.
Alarmed at the damage | had done, and
not knowing what the outcome might be,
at that hour of the night, mounted my
wheel and showed Off AS did so heard
my wife calling me to stop, but consid-
ering discretion better than valor just
then, shouted, Come onl Come on! It's
all right" and put on little speedS The
shoji of houses in front, to the right the
left and behind me now slid open with
bang. l was wondering If my collision
made racket enough to arouse all these
people, when my machine gave second
lurch, then described sharp curve to
the right and headlong / went through
second paper door.
1 was completely dazed. 1t seemed to
me as if the floor was Keeling and shaking.
While these thoughts were fitting through
my brain the occupants of the house
jumped out. The last two seized me by
one arm and dragged me into the street.
Wrenching myself loose, when outside,
l rose full of Indignation, and was alarmed
to find l could scarcely stand. The earth
seemed to wabble, the sensation was sim
liar to standing erect in a rocking chair
agitated by a small boy All about me
in the middle of the street stood half
naked Japanese, some shrieking, some
crying, others shouting vociferously.
What did it all mean? In moment my
question was answered With a rumble
like distant thunder the earth gave
conVulsive, vertical quake, the stone tiles
rained from the house roofs in a torrent;
the door frames ratified like musqetry; the
. .--1 nod I'D rod oil
in a heap upon hands and knees. The
island of Japan was suffering violent
earthquake.
When it subsidized I dragged my wheel
from under the half-doZen broken tiles
and started in search of my. wife. I found
her supported by two kind natives who
had taken her from an upright housepost,
to which she was clinging Such a position
was considered suicidal by the Japanese,
for houses frequently fall during severe
shocks, burying those under them. Mrs.
McIlrath had been thrown with the first
shock, which came while she was on the
ground trying to light the lantern.
While we were comparing notes the
earth became perfectly quiet. Instantly
the people rushed into the houses and
carried out all the braziers, lamps, candles
and torches which were burning. The
scene in the street was a rare one. Long
rows of braziers burned like a fiery SER
pent, the torches, lamps and candles held
on high shed their glare on the dusky
races of The natives, whose white teeth,
terror.
made a picture.
grew apprehensive lest another shock
might bring down some of the houses upon
us, and advising my wife to place both
hands upon my shoulders and walk in lock
step, l took a wheel in each hand and
walked toward the boulevard of the moat
| These we reached without trouble, find
| ing several hundred natives in groups
! pointing and gesticuiating in half dozen
different directions. Ruddy glares reflect
| ed on the dark sky told that the fire had
added its terrors to those of the earth
| quake.
Don't stand here, husband" pleaded
my wife. Let us go to the hotel where
! at least we can find some one to talk with
some one to speak to besides ourselves"
Inc hotel was two miles away, the road
| wide and smooth and after one-half the
distance was Travelled, a straight way So
| we started. There was a deep moat on
one side OF the road and lettering stone
| wall on the other. We began pumping hard
| on the pedals so as to cover the distance
| IN the shortest time possible. We wanted
to shoot over it. Faster and faster we
! RODE until my cyclometer ceased to click
| but buzzed. We were travelling at a
! three-minute clip or better. NV ewes
were o hXed anead and | dared not turn
| ments l called to her. Each time received
| a CHEEKY 'go ahead" and kicked the rap
| idly revolving pedals a little harder Grad
! ually we rounded the double curve leading
| into the straight boulevard, our machines
holding well to the course. but making
| of the moat. Now we were on the STRAIGHT
/ road. A long row of street lamps leading
| to the hotel door looked like a slender
! thread of flame stretching out in the dis
| lance. In three minutes or less we would
| be there.
| Suddenly the row of street lamps seem
] ed to rock. Then came the same peculiar
! rumbling l had heard on the Crowded
4 street. | realized another shock was up-
| on us. With warning shout to my wife
| | grasped my handle-bars more tightly
| bent low over my machine and iabbed
! viciously at my pedals. Gravel and hits
1 of rock flew and popped from under nv
| tire with reports like an exploding fire
cracker. l saw first at the right, then at
| the left, sight which almost caused me
| to fall from my wheel.
Although the street was thirty feet
| wide, alternately the stone edge of the
moat and the curb Of the other extreme
/ side appeared but a few feet away from
! my pedals. 1 had thought was riding
| in straight line, but such could nor be
| the case. Surely the earth did NOT os
! cillate thirty feet in it's tremors No I
must be riding in a serpentine course of
| great easy curves. l could no longer push
on the pedals 1t was the pace of the
| sprinter when the motion of the feet
lor, 4 Lac hea oI,ay,