San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-12
BY the Associated Press.


Shanghai, Sept. 12.-The liner EN-
press of Australia, which remained ~
the zone of the japanese disaster for
nine days before she took 100 foreign
refugees to Kobe, was part Of scene
in Yokohama harbor that might have
illustrated a canto from Dante's IN
ferno.'
Passengers arriving in Shanghai on
the Empress of Canada are describ-
ing the plight of the other liner.
A few hours after the first great
earthquake, the Yokohama waterfront
was Il huge torch. Flaming oil and
burning sampans had made the har-
Dor a Dantean sea of Sire. The
steamship, lowering perilously close 70
the wharves, her officers ashore res
cuing foreigners, was surrounded by a
narrowing circle of fire. So fierce was
the heat that it was almost Impossible
for any one to stay on deck. The un'
injured passengers joined as best they
could in fighting off the flames.
A tow line from tug to the En-.
press of Australia had been cut when
the first shock dropped the bottom
of the harbor several feet,i and the
liner drifted-a plaything of cosmil
forces. But the demon fates that over
whelmed Yokohama were kind TO her
and she was towed out of danger, to
return to the region of ruin when the
fires had burned themselves out.
Foreigners Shoot LOoters.
Leroy Petty. formerly manager OF
Shonxhos hAt h.
.Jr.. representative in the Orient for a
San Francisco manufacturer of scien-
tfic instruments. detail primitive
drama that accompanied the cataclysm
of the elements.
They say the officers and crew
of the Empress of Australia. armed
with revolvers. shot several japanese
looters attacking defenseless foreign
crs. Weapons were taken to the for
eigners left ashore. that they might
protect themselves.
Petty and Murphy add 10 the state
ments already made that foreigners
were subjected to cruelty. The En-
press of Australia. they relate. was
saved from fire only by the GOODNESS
of her officers and by the assistance of
the steamer Steel Navigator and a
Swedish ship which lowed her to safer
anchorage near the remains of q
brcakwater.
Fingers Torn Off.
The two survivors said the Yoko-
hama police. on duty continuously
without water or food. finally became
discouraged and deserted the city. leav-
ing it at the mercy of ruthless mob
of crazed plunderers. AL the bodies
of foreigners salvaged from the wreck
age. they say. had fingers hacked off
and ears torn where ghouls had
stolen jewelry. When the Japanese
naval squadron arrived in this city
of the dead. the dying. and the home
less was in chaos.
Il saw one foreigner shot in the
back by a Japanese policeman" said
Petty. "when the foreigner stopped 20
pull body from the ruins. There were
numerous similar cases. and some in
stances where whole parties of foreign
ers were fired on
Petty was standing on the principal
dock Mt the time of the first shock.
He estimated that $50 Japanese and
30 foreigners persisted when the CEN
ter of the dock collapsed during n
crowd. He happened 10 be on small
concrete section which escaned.
B0atn1an Caught in "Vise.''
He was watching the large creek
near the Grand hotel. which was used
rs an anchorage for small boats. Sui
denly its banks closed together. as If
some titan hand were playing with n
sand shape. The teeming sampans were