Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-09-15

Hongkong, Sept s.-The Canadian
Pacific steamship company agency
here received Rdvices from the COM
pany's Kobe agent that. after being
fouled by two steamers as result Of
the tidal wave following last Satur-
days earthquake, the liner Empress
OF Australia Unanswered to the out
side of the harbor at Yokohama and
anchored in a safe position at noon
last Sunday.
The message said the vessel had
hard fight to reach safety, but gave
no details. 1t was added that as soon
as divers had been brought from Kobe
and had cut away cable with which
the ships propeller had become en-
tangled, she would proceed to Kobe
to land number of refugees that had
been taken on board and to obtain
provi ons and fresh water The yes
sci then will proceed to Vancouver.
B. c.
Japan Pushes Relief Work.
Nagasaki, Sept. S.-Relief in the
earthquake zone is proceeding vigor-
ously. The Tokyo government is pre-
pairing to extend funds from its re-
serves without restriction for pur-
chase of provisions. The entire stock
of army and navy tents has been
placed at the disposal of the homeless
pending completion of barracks which
are now under construction.
Banks have resumed business and
are paying out sums not to exceed 100
yen to a person. The vice governor
at the Bank of Japan has returned to
Tokyo and announced resumption OF
business. The specie held In the head
Office, amounting to 1,050,OOO,OOO yen
and the deposits amounting to 2,SZo''
100000 yen, are intact.
District Of Horror.
Kobe, Sept. S.-The horror district
of Japan has become land OF pesu'
lence.
Plague, disease and famine have
made their appearance in the stricken
area, as reports Of an outbreak OF
cholera, dysentery and yellow fever
combined with an acute food shortage
In and around Tokyo and Yokohama
reach this city.
In spite of temporary relief meas
ures the food supply for millions Of
homeless In the disaster zone Is wholly
inadequate and stark famine threatens
to add TO the general horror.
Water Polluted.
Polluted well and river water-the
only available supply for millions Of
fear-crazed peoples beginning to
add to the death toll already claimed
by earthquake, fire and an all-destroy-
ing back wash from a convulsed sea.
Tokyo and Yokohama, as we'll as
scores Of smaller cities and hundreds
of villages and hamlets, are desolate
piles of charred ruins filed with dead.
Transportation and communication
throughout the empire continue yirtu-
ally paralyzed. What telegraph wires
are in operation are overcrowded with
official business, and adequate trans
mission of news reports is out Of the
question.
The country from twenty miles north
of Tokyo to Kodzu, forty miles south,
is a vast scene of desolation and ruin,
wherein human life is no longer sig
nificant Three-fourths Of Tokyo is
smeldering ruin, wherein thousands of
earthquake and fire victims were
trapped.
City In Ruins in Six Hours.
Yokohama ceased to exist six hours
after a titanic CONFUSION. Buildings
collapsed instantly, roads writhed in
pillows, and cracks twenty feet wide
swallowed up terror-stricken inhabl-
tants who sought to run away from
the scene. Beneath brick and tiles
thousands lay blackened, while fire
was sweeping everything, preventing
rescues.
The harbor was a scene of widest
confusion, the seismic waves dashlng
liners together, crashing against the
concrete docks and hurting the bulls
in all directions. The Empress of Aus
tralia and the Steel Navigator were
fouled, fhe former losing its propeller.
Harbor Swept by Blazing Oil.
Burning oil swept the harbor. while
rescue work was being frantically
pursued
Communications are broken, rail-
roads are twisted aimless, lines of
steel and iron roads are split by
cracks, bridges and wires are down.
American and British shipping at
Yokohama led the relief, the Jeffer-
son landing rice in care of the Sal
walton army.
Banks ReopenIng.
The principal banks in the stricken
zone are reopening. The Bank Of