The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-04
Ot''Po riN ipooOu OpOti OOCQil Like CorkS-WhoIe Sea Seemed to Rise Up, Witt nesseS Say-Japanese Fish, ermen Victims of Elements TWO GREAT SHOCKS ARE FELT BY INSTRUMENTS s1 -
 Tremor Is Recorded by Seis- mograph at Spring Hill Col Iege-WindoWs in Small Mississippi Town Rattled. Center of Shock Is Mystery

HONOLULU, Feb. 3.-(By As sociated Press.)-Seven tidal waves this afternoon swept Hilo Bay, Island of Hawaii. The waves reached maximum height of 15 feet. The waves, apparently the result of intense earth shocks, brought death to a number of per sons.
 One Japanese was killed when the Matson Navigation company's lighter Wailoa struck the railroad bridge across the Wailuku river. The victim fell from the bridge and perished in the wreck. The body of one Japanese fisherman has been recovered. Four others are missing.
 How many, if any, other persons met death was not known tonight.
 On the islands of Oahu four waves struck Haleiwa, with sec ondary effect visible in Honolulu bay, where the water rose and re- ceded maximum of six feet.
 WHOLE SEA ROSE UP
 A section of the Oahu railroad tracks 1t Mokuleia was washed out. Persons who observed the waves said that tine whole sea seemed to rise up.'
 The heaviest damage was at IIilC where the only deaths, those of Jap anese fishermen, were reported. The tiday wave swept out the railroad bridge over the WailulSu river and swamped practically all the Sampans in Hilo harbor. One Sampan was seen on the crest of wave running at full speed. It disappeared and those aboard it are missing.
 The stores on the HilG waterfront were thrown into the streets, their foundations being swept out.
 Many automobilists abandoned their cars when they saw the huge waves sweeping toward them. Inc Standard O;l tanker Doaue was in evident distress in the bay here to- night. She was believed to be on a sand bar whistling for assistance. Cars Wrecked
 On Maui a tidal wave brought serious injury to pr. l.. c. Smith whose automobile was hurled by the wave over q fence and overturned A number of other ears were said to have been wrecked and their occu- pants injured.
 The high waters washed over the streets of the water front at kahului wrecking the wharf and destroying freight. The wharf shed virtually was demolished and the water cov- cred tho wharf office to depth of three feet. The Kahului damage is es- timated at $500,0OG.
 Several large lumber scows were driven ashore at Kahului. Mud cov- CTS the streets and fish of all sizes were found in the roads swept by the waves. The steamer Makawaia tonight was attempting to recover several scows which were torn from their anchorage and drifted to sea.
 SCIENTISTS BAFFLED
 WASHINGTON, Feb 3.-(By Asso- ciated Press. 1.-Two distinct earth quakes, one of tremendous and un- usual proportions. the other of mod crate intensity, occurred today but their exact location could not be de- termined from the records of deli cate seismographs, and scientists differed widely in their opinions as to the regions affected.
 The first quake, the worst of the two, was estimated to have been cen tered 5000 miles from Washington. Its tremors continued for more than three hours and before they had ended the seismographs recorded a second series of shocks estimated to be at another point between S,2O0 and 37O0 miles from Washington.
 Seismologists were much at vari- ance on their estimates as to the ex- act location of the major disturb ance Designations ranged from Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and the Arctic region on the north to north ern Argentina on the south. On the west the range was from the bed or the Pacific ocean at point south west of Lower California to the Vi cinity of the Marshall islands, be- tween Hawaii and the Philippines and in Japan.
 Prompt radio communication with Japan, disclosed no unusual disturb ances ill that country.
 The quakes began at 1l:l2 a. m., when the first preliminary tremois according to the instruments al Georgetown university and the sec ond preliminary tremors were re- corded at ,dl:23. The maxlm.n VI hrations were at 11:4o and cof nued for ten minutes during wht the needles on one of the Georgetown seismographs were thrown off the records. The trcmors were contn
 tCcntinucd on Page Two)