Imperial Valley press., 1914-01-14

of these at ate hour tonight.
A message from Miyasaki said {
party of refugees from Sakura haC
arrived today. They reported the in
habitantS of 300 houses in the vii
lage of Seto, on the island, overtaker
by a lava flow before they reached
the seashore when they fled. All are
believed to have perished. They think
the victims there numbered 1,5O0 anc
declared that hundreds were drowned
trying to swim across the Gulf OF
Kagoshima.
They say Sakurajiama completely
changed form during the eruption and
that several new craters appeared.
The hail of ashes and stones al
Miyasaki ceased today, after thirty.
six hours. Heavy rain then cleared
the atmosphere. All crops in Sakura
and a portion of Satsuma provinces
were destroyed. Volcanoes Throughout
the archipelago are breaking into ac-
tivity, apparently from the same sub
terranean cause.
In northern Japan the crops are re-
ported a failure on account of the
weather and national famine inn
pends. No serious damage is reported
from eruptions of other volcanoes.
Toxic, Japan, Jan. 13.-This is a
country of woe tonight. From every
part of the archipelago comes news
of volcanic action. How many lives
are lost as result of the terrible
seismic disturbance today is unknown,
but meagre details filtering over the
wrecked telegraph lines show l fright.
full mortality, with enormous prop
erty damage. 1t is definitely known
that the city Of Kagoshima is totally
destroyed by eruption of Aukara Jima.
Mount Kirishima, 80 miles north of
KagoshimS, is in violent eruption.
Mount Asama, in central Japan, has
begun eruption. A great tidal wave
followed the volcanic eruptions and
earthquakes.
The state of public mind cannot be
described. The starving ten millions
of Japanese in the northern islands as
a result of famine are forgotten in
the new calamity which has over
whelmed the kingdom.
Some estimates place the loss of
lives at $4,000, and it is generally
conceded that thousands of lives were
lost from the eruption of Auraka
Jima.
Auraka Jima is on an island in the
Gulf Of Kagoshima, Southern Japan.
The town of Kagoshima, on the main
land several miles distant from the
volcanic island, was utterly over
whelmed and thousands of its 10000
population were trapped.
Some terror stricken fugitives
reached the island of Kiushiu to-
night, bringing word that fully 5000
men, women and children had been
killed. Great forest fires started by
the molten lava, trapped many ref
ugees.
Prof. Omori, head of the depart
ment of seismiology of Toxic uni
versity, declared tonight the indica-
tions are that volcanic activity
throughout the islands will continue
some time.
Kagoshima is in the province of
Satsuma, the wealthiest and most i'm
portant of the political districts of
Japan, the home of Togo, Oyama, and
the present premier, Yamamato.
A fleet of warships is on the way to
the affected area.
The violence of the eruption was s.,
great that a shower of ashes fell all
day at Nagasaki, ninety miles away.
The story of a witness states that
when the great volcano began activ-
ity a lurid flame shot Thousands of
feet into the air. Then the whole rep
of the mountain rose and molten lava
and rocks of all sizes were hurled
through the air in every direction.
Lava flowing down the sides made the
mountain glow from its base to sum-
nit. Two cruisers arriving on the
scene tonight reported the volcanoes
still active.