Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-13

quently not touched while matched or mat
huts, usually considered earthquake proof,
were destroyed by thousands. 1t was
vice versa in the stricken Italian district.
There, also, rows OF stone houses We're left
standing apparently whole, when viewed
from the exterior; but inside they were al
most invariably wrecked, If bombs or
the ragings of cyclones cooped up within
them.
Incident to these great shocks they are
neither more numerous nor more remark
able than the extraordinary manifestations
attendant upon other famous earthquakes.
Indeed, few violent trembllngs of old
mother earth have caused more anthem
Heated freak happenings than the great
japanese earthquake of 1891, when 5000
persons met death and 5000 houses were
wholly or partially destroyed
Curious Manifestations Galore.
over an area several acres in extent huge
blocks of hardened earth. all looking as If
they had been carefully cut out OF some
Brobdingnagian quarry, were piled one
on top or another, presenting picture
strikingly like that of a gigantic ice foe.
For miles around no other change was to be
discovered In the earth's surface. not even
q customary assure being reported. Nor
had the general level of the dist or bed
area been lowered raisedt-no phenom-
enon was present, except that of the blocks
of earth
Not stick OF the railroad station in
Ogaki could be found. though pieces of the
iron water tank, which stood near by on a
platform. were scattered on all sides The
upper story of the post office building IN
Nagoya was cut off clean. as If by giants
sword; the lower story was practically un-
injured, only a little plastering being neces-
sary here and there to make it as good as
ever. The only thing that escaped being
wrecked in the house OF a well-to-do cit
lien of this town was bath tub. 1t was
found free OF debris in the center of the
wreckage. and the family used 1t daily
about
In the Neo valley of Gifu-ken terrific
subsistence OF the ground occurred fire.
quently. Ten villages were DESTROYED by
this subsistence. the houses looking as IL
great hands had crushed them into the
earth. But In the heart OF this district a.
piece OF nat park-like land. overgrown with
trees and shrubs, was lifted bodily into the
air for a distance of thirty feet, without
displacing single shoot or spear OF grass
on the surface. And what makes this all
the more extraordinary, the mountains In
the immediate neighborhood were swept
clear of ali verdure by the dislodging force
OF the shock.
Marvellous Escape of a Village
When the first shock was felt in the vii
lage of Wakimora-mura the walls of the
1Oo-odd matched houses OF the village
crumbled. but the roofs held together and
settled easily down upon their former sup
ports. AS result. but few of the villagers
were killed, those not escaping out of doors
finding themselves alive in the hollow space
in each hut between crumbled walls and
the gabled part OF the roof. For days whole
families lived In these cramped quarters
holes being cut in the thatch for air and
light and communication with the outer
world. Without exception, every house in
the village was wrecked in this manner:
but In villages nearby the roofs failed to
hold together. and hundreds met death by
being buried beneath the debris.
All OF the 1900 houses In the town of
Kano were wrecked. In the midst OF the
ensuing confusion a fire broke out and the
panic-stricken inhabitants started to flee TO
the surrounding hills, proverbial since time
began as places OF safety. But the hills
were too steep for many. especially the
women and children. TO scale with rapidity,
and even while they were trying to make
their way up the precipitous SIDES the
flames outstripped them. and burned them
to death Hundreds OF lives were lost in
this fashion, when the difference of only a
ledge of rock would have meant safety.
One of the most curious manifestations
occurred at Gifu. The up-and-down trains
on the Tokaido railway were just meeting
at the railroad station. the center of thu