Omaha daily bee., 1914-01-16
KAGOSHIMA PEOPLE RENs' ..o
Find Houses in Ruins and Have to
Camp in Open Spaces,
IIRTY-THREE PERSONS SAVED
Take Refuge in Great Cave Till
Ashes Rain is Over.
NE BEARS MIKADo's PORTRAIT
with Their Rescue No Living Being
Remains, So Far Rs known, on
the Entire Island of
Sakurn.

| WASHINGTON, Jan. 15,-President Will
son late today issued an appeal to the
American people, as president of the
American Red Cross, for funds to assist
the people of Japan who are suffering
not only from the earthquake, but from
he failure of crops.
/ Nrhe presidents appeal is as follows:
! our sister nation OF Japan is suffering
& from two very serious disasters. The
failure of crops in the northeastern part
of that country has brought hundreds OF
| thousands of persons face to face with
the terrible misery of slow starvation
and in the southwestern island Of
| Kyushu, a sudden great volcanic erup-
tion has carried death and desolatlon to
| large numbers in a thickly populated dis
| trict.
II appeal to the humanity of our Amer
! lean people that they may give express
sion to their sympathy for the suffering
and distress of so many of their fellow
men by generous contributions for their
aid. such contributions can be made TO
the local Red Cross treasurer or sent
directly to the American Red Cross,
Washington, D. c."
Red Cross headquarters announced to-
night that an appeal had been sent out
to all state chapters asking local chap
ters to gather funds.
Wire Communication Restored.
KAGOSHIMA, Japan, Jan 15-Tele-
graphic communication between this city
and the north was restored this even
ing. The officers of the cruiser squadron
sent by the Japanese government have
taken charge of the situation and are
rapidly restoring a sembance of order
along the waterfront.
Many of the people of Kagoshima have
returned to the city. All their houses
are in ruins and the returning refugees
are compelled to camp In the open spaces.
The warships brought large stock OF
food and supplies, which are being freely
d dispensed
The property loss in this city is i'm
mense The clearing away of ashes and
debris has not gone far enough to allow
even an approximate estimate OF the loss
of human life
a group of thlrty-three refugees was
rescued from amid a great waste Of
steaming lava at the foot of the volcano
of Sakura-Jima today. Their escape was
little short of miraculous. With their
rescue no living being remains, so far
as known, on the entire island of Sakura.
The rescue was effected by a boats
crew from the Japanese flagship. As
soon as the cruiser squadron arrived
here crews were sent out to circle the
island of Sakura, on which the volcano
is situated, three miles out in the bay.
The contour of the island has been en-
tirely altered during the last week.
The sailors did not risk landing on ac-
count of the terrific heat and noxlous
cases, but made a systematic scrutiny
along the shore. The entire island was
covered with smoking ashes and hot
lava.
All IL DesoIatiOn.
All was desolation and no sign of
human beings was seen until late in the
day, when an officer in one of the
launches noticed something being waved
in the air at a short distance from the
shore.
A detachment OF men heavily bundled
to protect them from the heat was
landed. After hard struggle they sue
ceeded in making their way through soft
warm ashes. breast high, until they
reached a great rock,
9HtiAtItu ny AlliS IbAh Autg ioAlhA
thirty-three persons. still living but
coated with thick dust and weakened by
hunger and thirst.
Among the rescued was a school master.
who had borne with him from the school
house the portrait of the emperor; tho
village policeman, who had saved the
records OF the station house, and the
postal clerk, with a small bag of mail,
The refugees were taken on board a
warship and provided with food and
drink. They explained that they had
hidden in a great cave near the shore
until the rain Of ashes was over. and had
then tried hour after hour to attract at
tention.
The general volcanic activity in the dis
trict north OF this city is abatng and the
work of restoring railroad and tele-
graphic communication is going forward