Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-13
DIE AS
VOLCANO BUR|ES
TOWNS IN JAPAN
Streams of Molten Lava Sweep
COuntryside-350 Shocks
from Earthquakes.
TIDAL WAVE ADDS TO
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE
Terror-Stricken People Flee,
Leaving Everything Behind.
Property Loss Millions.

NAGASAKI, Japan. Jan. 13.-Indi-
cations today are that the death list
from the earthquakes and volcanic
disturbances around I<agoshima will
run into the thousands. Government
authorities declare that any official
estimate of the extent of the disas-
ter will be impossible for several
days
The population of the city of Kago-
shima, which is almost completely
buried in volcanic ashes and stones,
was 10000 at the last census. The
population of the adjoining island of
Sakura. the centre of the disturb
ance, is given as $1,000. On this
island hundreds are reported to have
perished beneath the streams of mol
ten lava from the volcano of Sakura-
Jima. Many more were undoubtedly
drowned while attempting to escape.
Doctors and hospital attendants
have been sent to the scene. but 1t
is difficult to reach the spot as rail-
road communication is impeded by
the heaps of ashes and the tracks
have been dislocated by the earth
quakes
The violence of the eruption of
Sakura-Jima is so great that showers
of dust are falling here today. al
though the distance between Nagas-
aki and the Island of Sakura is about
ninety miles.
Eruption Starts Suddenly.
A refugee who arrived here today
from Kagoshima gave the following
account of the disaster:
''The eruption started suddenly with
columns of thick black smoke and
flame from the crater of Sakura- Jima.
Hundreds of the inhabitants of the
small island in the Gulf of Kagoshi-
ma, where Sakura-Jima is situated,
rushed to the beach and 1eaped on
board junks and steamers. which car
ried them across three miles of water
to Kagoshima, ashes, stones and par
ticles of white hot lava falling all the
while on the decks.
At Kagoshima the heat was intense
The constantly increasing hail of
glowing cinders made 1t impossible
for the citizens to remain.
THE horror was increased by the
shaking caused by incessant shocks
Of earthquake, which rocked the
houses all day. More than $50 earth
quake shocks were recorded before
nightfall
People Abandon Everything.
"The people fed in disordered
droves along the highways leading
wept and north of the city. They
I had abandoned everything in their
flight and soon thew were suffering
also from lack of food and drink.
When I left Kagoshima the vol
cano resembled an enormous set
piece of fireworks, glowing from the
foot Of the mountain-to the summit
During the night the glowing lava IL
Illuminated the entire district. The
volcano constantly emitted thunder
Gus explosions"
The burning rock and ashes set fire
to several villages. At Moji, on the
Kipshiu railway, one hundred per-
sons were killed. Several villages
along the foot of the volcano were
buried in streams of lava yesterday.
TOXIC, Japan, Jan. ia tidal
wave added its terrors to the earth
quakes and volcanic eruption which
struck Kagoshima, in southern Japan,
yesterday, according to official ad-
vices today.
1t is believed here that the Kago-
shima disaster will prove to be one
I, of the most serious in the history of
Japan. The loss of life and property
increases with fuller news from the
scene.
The full extent of the disaster could
not be ascertained today, as all COM
munication was cut off from the
stricken district south of Kumamoto
eighty or ninety miles north of Kago-
shima. The navy department was un-
able to obtain a wireless report from
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