The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-17
4O'CLOCK
DISASTER!
Over a Thousand
Lives Lost.
Town of KumaiShi Has
Been Destroyed.
The Island of YessO Shaken
by $50 Shocks.
Tidal Wave Added to the Horror Of
the Situation.
The Island of YeSSO Shaken
by $50 Shocks.
Tidal Wave Added to the Horror Of
the Situation.
Utmost Terror Prevailed While the Earth
Rolled and Rocked.

Copyrighted. 1885, by The Associated Pross.)
YOKOHAMA, June 17--News of a terri
hle disaster, involving the loss of over q
thousand lives, has reached here from the
Island OF Yesso, which contains the
northern provinces OF Japan, including
ShIrebeshe, Oshima, Furi, Hitaka, Tok-
shi, Ishikari, Kirshiro, Teshiwo, Kitsmi
and Nemoro. All these sections of the
island seem to have been more or less
shaken. The subterraneous disturbances
lasted about 20 hours and during that
period state of the utmost terror pre-
vailed on all sides. The ground rumb-
Iings are described es resembling the
roaring of a distant cannon.Shock follow
ed shock in almost uninterrupted. success
sion, about every eight minutes. In all,
it is estimated, there were 160 shocks Of
greater or lesser strength.
1t is impossiblesto obtain for the prcs-
ent, accurate details OF the disastsr as
communication between the mainland OF
Japan ilsIand OF Hondo) and Yesso, from
which the former Is separated by the
strait of Tsugaru (Sangar) 10 said TO be
interrupted or more likely, in the hands
of the authorities. The whole town OF
Kumaishi, however, is reported TO have
been destroyed.
The awful series of earthquake shocks
were accompanied by tidal wave and it
was believed that it was the onrush cf a
giant which practically wiped out the
town of Kunaishi, which IL situated
toward the Japan sea, on narrow neck
OF land seni rating IL from volcano bay,
on the Pac.fc side of the island.
The isl.r of Yesso has in the rast had
several sin. TAR visitations and contains q
-. ..tt M ,<>I~
Popular rumor has it that the number of
lives lost and the amount Of damage done
is far in excess of the figures contained
in the brief, official despatch which SIM
ply says that an earthquake, accom-
panied by a tidal wave has caused do
struction and loss of life in the northern
provinces, and that the town OF kuma-
ishi is believed to have been destroyed
with the loss OF probably a thousand
lives.
A full official report of this great caIam-
ity has been asked for and is expected
shortly.
II is feared that number Of shipping
disasters must have also resulted from the
tidal wave, and several days must elapsc
before the returns of the interior OF the
shaken district are received.
Japan has suffered from number of
serious earthquakes during the past few
wears, and especially in 1894, whom 5000
houses were destroyed In the latter part
OF October OF that year, with the loss OF
about 3C0 lives.
Earlier in the same month, Yokohama
and Toxic were thrown into a state Of
CONSERVATION by series of severe earth
quake shocks, and in June, 1894 there
was another subterraneous disturbance,
which caused considerable damage and
immense loss of life. There was an earth
quake of Importance in February, 1896,
and there have been several slight dis
turbances since that time.