Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-10-08

NOulu hol. htl luu BOht
some time before to Torijima. As we
landed, the crowd parted and we walk
ed between the walls OF men, women
and children, many Of them with tear
full eyes, all with distressed looks. !
had hardly expected to see here laugh
welcomes that generally meet sea voy-
ayers when they arrive at a friendly
port. But the painful sight had wit
messed in this walk was beyond de-
scription. | felt like a guilty person.
guilty of bringing sorrow and woe
among the islanders, and | have no
doubt that my companions felt the
same way. The hotel accommodation
was not very extensice, as we found, In
Ogasawara and the expedition had to
be divided into several groups to be put
up at various lodging houses in Ohu-
mura. The eleven journalists were
shown by the police of the place
mind you-to Kanekoya which we
were told was the best hostelry on the
island, and there we passed the night.
Incidents and "reminiscences.
II was while at the head of Chitose
Bay-at the site of the terrace which
with Its inhabitants and their houses
lad disappeared. Our thirteen guides.
the relatives of the victims, had finish
ed burning their incense. They with
the official members of the expedition
had walked about, had located as near
ly as they could from memory the
spots where this or that family's cot
tage had been standing and they were
still talking endlessly of the days be-
fore the catastrophe. Now the guides
and all others present were called to-
gether in the middle Of the ashy desert.
Slowly and solemnly Prof. Tanakadate
and Prof. Ohmori came forward in
turDs-we were all standing-and
spoke in succession addressing them
selves principally to the guides and
other relatives of the victims who were
in the party. They dwelt briefly bur
Concisely on the results of their obser-
vations, the sum total of which was
that they could not even guess where
NlN vi TIE Nl'llHlE were UT III
what condition these remains would
he even If found, and that in their
opinion an attempt to dig deep into the
earth under the ashes or cut away
the sloping side Of the rear wall of hill
IN the hope of coming upon the old
habitations or their occupants would
hardly be of any use, at least within
the space of time at the disposal of the
eSpedition-the work might be extend
ed over weeks and might prove OF no
avail. Last OF all Mr.. Ariyoshi, of the
Home Office, who as told before was in
charge of the expedition, spoke. He
said in substance that the results OF
the two days exploration were such
as had been told by the learned scien-
fists and as such they were disappoint-
Ing so far as the very natural desire OF
the grieving men and in fact of the
whole party to come at something as
to the actual fate Of the victims was
concerned. The mourners should. how
ever, realize and bear In mind the fact
that the despatch by the Home Office
OF the Hyogo Maru as fast as matters
could be arranged after receipt of the
disastrous news, showed how deeply
the Government was concerned about
the fate of the unfortunate people and
how profoundly the nation sympathized
with the victims and their relatives.
Furthermore, the news OF the eruption
had reached the Imperial ears and His
Majesty was in great anxiety over the
occurrence, and he, Mr.. Ariyoshi, was
under orders to report 10 His Majesty
on the details of the exploration on his
return to the capital through his de-
partmental chief. Mr.. Ariyoshi finish
ed and Mr.. Arai. representing the rela-
tiyes OF the victims present, respond
ed In remarkably well selected words to
the effect that after what they had
seen they could only resign themselves
TO what had taken place and that they
had felt 1t a, great consolation that the
Government Nod even His Majesty the
Emperor had shown so much sympathy
towards them. The formal proceeding
ended here and ! must say that the
scene was the most impressive In which
/ ever took part. The time was be-
tween one and two in the afternoon of
the 25th. The sky was gloriously
bright and the sun scorchingly hot.
The group Of thirty odd men standing
in little circle, many OF them in snow
white summer suits. made very
strange contrast to the dreary expanse
of ashes and crumbling hill sides. They
stood bareheaded forgetting for the
time being the heat of the sun and
also the almost burning ashes under
foot. Yonder at the beach waves roar
ed and broke in white sparkles, but
here all was silence. When the last
speaker came to that part of his
speech in which he told OF the I'm