Imperial Valley press., 1923-09-03
TerrOrs Follow
Japanese Quake
Continued from page one)


homes many who could not be res
cued, whose cries followed them as
they fled. Then successive shocks
drowned these vain calls for help
and added fresh victims to the toll
of dead and living.
The shocks continued until sun
down.
Unto the horror of the successive
quakes was quickly added the even
greater terror of fires which spramg
up on every side. Little groups of
refugees in some instances found
themselves hemmed in by flaming
blocks of buildings and were burn.
ed to death by hundreds. Persons
trapped in dwellings which lay in
the various paths of the spreading
flames had no chance.
A strong wind blew up and fan
ned the fires until every part of
the capital which has fifteen wards.
vas ablaze. 1t was impossible TO
get the outbreak under control. To
add to the disaster, the water sup
ply failed.
When the Mainichi s airplane
correspondent left last evening
nearly all the government offices
had been burned down includine
that of the minister of interior and
police headquarters.
The correspondent estimated that
no less than 100000 houses were
reduced to ashes with many Others
threatened. The city hall WAS
burning and bodies of many work
men lay piled in the streets in this
vicinity. Hundreds of others were
injured in the collapse of the gov
eminent printing offices.
Americans Bring Help
A further intercepted wireless
message says that an aviator. who
flew along the coast between Yoko-
hama and kamkura, saw no build
lngs whatever left standing and re.
ported that some coast towns ap-
parently had been engulfed and
swept away by jiie tidal wave that
followed Saturdays shock.
1t is reported that the foreign
office at Toxic, where the most val,
liable records of the government
was kept was destroyed.
Eight American destrovers have
been sent TO Japan to carry medi
cities.
Following telegraphic communic.
tion with the American legation
Admiral Anderson sent the DESTROY
ers Stewart, Tracy. Smith, Thomp-
son, Barker, Whipple. Boree, and
John d. Edwards to Toxic.
The vessel after landing relief
supplies will take up positions from
which they can relay messages to
Pekin.
Considerable anxiety is expressed
here for the fate of many foreigner.
known 10 have been in Yokohama
and Toxic, the japanese cities which
suffered most severely in the earth
shocks.
The partial airplane and wireless
communication had been established |
by other japanese cities and it was |
felt some word by this time should |
have come from American and |
British and other foreigners in the
devasted region.
Yokohama Destroyed i
Yokohama, a message stated, is |
destroyed. A tidal wave followed
the quake and then the portions |
of the city which remained intact |
were burned. Thousands of wound |
ed, held helpless under the ruins, |
died in the flames.
Other radio and cable dispatches
received here said that wind of
typhoOn force heralded the disaster. |
Just as the wind dwindled about
noon came the first fearful quake. |
Another followed % minutes later.
Then others at frequent intervals. |
The Yokohama conflagration started
in the Bund, Immediately after the
tidal wave and quickly consumed
the shipping district. All houses in
the Benton DOrie sections were
burned. Main aad Water streets
were swept.
Toxic Burning
Fire was spreading through Toxic
at the same time. After the tremb-
lors flames appeared in numerous
places almost at the same instant.
The destruction of bridges resulted
in thousands Of refugees being trap
ped in the burning area where they
perished.
The fire spread over two square
miles of Toxic, aud hemmed in thou
sands Of refugees who attempted TO
scramble over heaps of wreekage
to escape the scene Of devastation. |
Eating its way through the highly
inflammable ruins. the flames ad-
vanced with amazing rapidity, mes
sages indicated. The Harounuchi
building, largest structure in the
Orient was destroyed. The Imperial
Palace at Ninigawa caught fire.
The NihOmbashi and the Kanda, /
principal business sections of the
city disappeared in smoke and
flames. The Shiba, as the embassy
district is called, burned Fate of
the diplomats is unknown. No
word has been heard of the Ameri-
can ambassador.
Henry Fairfield Osborn, New
York scientist, was in Japan as the
time of the disaster and he has not !
been heard from, although he was
NJ