The Washington times., 1914-01-14
SURVIVORS RELATE
STORIES OF HORROR
Thousands Rush Into Sea to
Escape Death From Rain of
Rocks and Ashes.

TOKYO. Jan. 15-From the hre-rsv-
aged island of Kiushiu. covered for
miles with q deep layer OF ashes, sub
jected to a rain Of molten lava that
fred its forests and wiped out cities,
today came more meagcr reports Of
the great eruption Of the volcano Sa-
kurashiIna, whose terrific upheaval is
reported TO have cost the lives of thou
sands
Between 1900 and 1900 persons per-
shed on the Island of SalIura, when
The mountain beiched forth thousands
Of tons of molten rock, according to
the dispatches reaching here from the
naval relief parties. The three cities on
the island were blotted out when the
great streams of molten rock boiled
from the crater of sakurashima. and
coursed down the sides
Burst Into Activity.
The whole volcanic range OF hiushld
burst into dangerous activity with start
ling suddenness after having been qui-
ascent for more. than a century. kago-
shima was obliterated, exactly as an
cient Pompeii was engulfed by the lava
pouring from Vesuv.us. ..
Hundreds of earthquake shocks were
islt all through the islands. RAILROADS.
-elegraph lines and telephone lines were
destroyed, and nothing like an adequate
tccount OF the disaster has yet been re-
~eiYed here Estimates OF the losses
are mere conjecture
The eruption began in the forenoon OF
.ast Sunday, according TO the story OF
one of the survivors who managed TO
sscape from Kagoshima and arrived at
Nagasaki Many of the islanders hast
med to the mainland, two miles away,
a hardening their homes in terror, but
~ Tar the greater number had no time
% escape.
The whole mountain seemed TO split.
New craters opened up in score OF
places and lava and blazing ashes came
.own the slopes. igniting everything in
heir path until the entire island was
d, mass of fame.
Ran To Waters Edge.
The inhabitants of the western slope
u the mountain were most affected by
he first explosions. The survivors ran
20 the beach in frenzy and the flames
swept down the mountain side to their
vIlIage The people aocked to the
1each opposite Kagoshima- There were.
20 boats to take them to tiIe mainland.
Fhe police of Kagoshirna appropriated
al the available craft IN the harbor
here and hastened to lend aid to the
stricken islanders.
As the boats sped TO the island the
heat was intense and the flames ad-
yanced to the beach SO rapidly that
hundreds of persons were doomed be-
fore the rescuers could reach the island,
as the buEning lava overlook them oe-
fore the eyes OF the men Fastening to
give them aid.
It was not until tilree-quarters of an
hour after the first eruption that the
summit of the cone began TO hurl forth
lava and rocks. The fiery matter Ieaped
70 an immense height through dense
volumes OF smoke.
Then the people Of Kat5oshima. who
had been watching the terrific spectacle
With awestruck interest became alarm
I'd for their own :lfety. As the series
Of earthquakes increased IN number
and intensity the people began to flee.
The authorities ordered he inhabitants
20 abandon the city.
The order had scarcsiy been given
when the city was in darkness, as
ain of ashes from the vG!cano's sum-
NIT flooded the place. This continued
all through the night
Two Hundred Quakes.
The Kagoshima refugee vino told this
story said he was able % get out Of
The CITY on Monday morning. and un to
hat time there had been 200 separate
earthquakes.
Reports from other so-rces say that
r. tidal wave swept Yer the city and
many in its path perished.
Mt. Asama, a volcano in central
Japan, is also active
Everv available snip II the japanese
navy is headed toward Kogoshima.
Many commercial steamship companies
have been enlisted into a samaritan
-zrvice by the government. The army
: sending troops By train. The Red
ross is on its way with hospital sup
plies.
All Of this despite the fact that there
rs not supposed 10 De 2 living man or
woman either on the Island Of Sakura
.,r IN the territory where yesterday
stood the busy cttE Of kagoshiInt
No one knows or perhaps ever viii
xaow how many persons perished at
lEsgoshima during a night OF wild exc
gus toward the interior and away from
ne erupting SakUrashima. Thousands
Al least, Il is certain, dropped in the
-tre-ets overcome Dy heat and fright and