The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-01-16
THOUSANDS SLAIN
IN ERUPTION OF
VOLCANO IN JAPAN
Whole Japanese City of 5000
Buried by Ashes and Lava
Floods.
kAG0SHIMA is WIPED OUT
keighboring island Is ALSO Swept by
the Fiery stresn-impossible to
Estimate the Loss at This Time
Quake Destroys island.


Nagasaki, Japan, Jan. IA tidal
| wave added it's terTors to the earth
! quakes and volcanic eTuptions which
| struck Kagoshima, in southern Japan.
Monday, according TO official advices.
! II is believed the Kagoshima disas-
! ter viii prove 10 be one of the most
| serious in the history of Japan. The
loss of life and property increases as
! fuller details are received, and indi-
| cations are that the death list will
run into the thousands
The full extent OF the disaster
could not be ascertained, rs all COM
munication was cut off from the
stricken district south of kumamoto,
so or so miles north of Kagoshina.
The navy department was unable to
obtain a wireless report from the war
ships sent to the scene, although many
| MESA es were dispatches to them.
Six Inches of Ashes in Miyazaki.
Ashes to the depth of six inches
have fallen in the sea port of Miya-
laki, on the east coast Of kyushu.
A postal employee who fed from Ka
ing there collapsed during the earth
quake and tidal wave and that many
residences were ruined, while many
people and animals were killed or
injured
The navy and army departments are
fastening succOr and supplies 10 Ka
goshima
hof
any official estimate of the extent
of the disaster viii be impossible for
several days
The population OF the city of Kago
shima, which is almost completely bur.
led in volcanic ashes and stones. was
10000 at the last census. The popu-
latiOn of the adjoining island OF Sa-
given as $4,000
On this island hundreds are re-
ported to have persisted beneath the
streams of molten lava of Sakura-
lima. Many more were undoubtedly
drowned While attempting TO es-
cape
Doctors and hospital attendants
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
quake
Ashes Carried 90 Miles.
The violence Of the eruption of Sa-
kura-Jima is so great that showers of
dust are falling here today, although
the distance between Nagasaki and
the island of Sakura is about 80
miles.
A refugee who arrived here from
Kagoshima gave the following ac-
count of the disaster:
The eruption started suddenly with
columns of thick black smoke and
flame from the crater of SakuTa- lima.
Hundreds of the Inhabitants of the
small island in the Gulf of Kagoshima,
where Sakura-Jima is situated, rush
ed to the beach and leaped on board
junks and steamers, which carried
them across three miles Of water to
kagoshima, ashes, stones asd parti-
cles of white hot lava falling all the
while on the decks.
AT Kagoshima the heat was in
tense. The constantly increasing hail
Of glowing cinders made it impossible
for the citizens to remain.
Earthquakes Ado to Terror.
The horror was increased by the
shaking caused by incessant shocks
OF earthquakes, which rocked the
houses all day More than $50 earth
quake shocks were recorded before
nightfal
THE people fed in disordered
droves along the highway leading
west and north of the city They had
abandoned everything in their fight,
and soon they were suffering from
lack of food and drink.
When l left hagoshima the vol
cano resembled an enormous setpiece
of fireworks glowing from the foot
of the mountain 10 the summit Dur
ing the night she glowing lava ilnmin-
ated the entire district The volcano
constantly emitted thunderous ex-
plosions."
The burning rock and ashes set ire
TO several villages At Moi, on the
kiushiu railway. 1oo persons were
killed. Several villages along the foot
of the volcano were buried in streams
Of lava
Earthquake Wipes Out Island.
Victoria, B. c. Jan 1.-THE entire
western part OF the island of Am
brym, New Hebrides, has been de-
Eastated by volcanic eruption, accord
ing to news brought by the Canadian
Australian liner Makura.
Word was received az Sidney prior
to the departure OF the Makura that
on December 6 six new crateTs we're
observed in active eruption.
The steamer France succeeded in
saving 500 natives Most of these
were old men, women and children left
behind by young. able-bodied men,
who at the first sign Of danger took
tight in canoes.
Wanted Easier Way.
As Mike entered the room, he sow