The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-10-19
Tokyo and Yokohama Hold Mod
ern Record for Loss of Life
-MeSSina Second.


and fire that have destroyed Tokyo
and Yokohama in large part seem TO
constitute the greatest calamity, meas
ured by the reported loss of life, that
has ever fallen on any of the great
cities of the world" says bulletin
from the Washington headquarters OF
the National Geographic society. "But
there Is long string of disasters re-
sulting from earthquakes that nave
visited great cities in the past, con-
tinues the bulletin, that are at ieast
comparable, and that loomed DIG
enough in the minds Of the world at
the time.
"The next greatest calamity OF the
sort In modern times was the earth
quake that In 1908 shook great slice
Of Messlna, Sicily, into the sea anu
killed on both the Sicillan and Italian
side of the straits more than 7o,ooo
people. In this case fire played no
important part in bringing about the
destruction, practically all the deaths
resulting from falling masonry or from
drowning.
Lisbon Disaster Stood Out.
"The disaster which long stood out
as the greatest and most destructive
Of recent centuries was the tidal wave
which swept over the city Of Lisbon.
capital Of Portugal, in 1855. The loss
of life in that catastrophe was prob
ably between $4,000 and 10000.
"Ameiica's outstanding calamity to
large city resulting from an earth
quake was the destruction of San
Francisco In 1906. An earthquake
severed the water supply lines, and
when fire broke out Immediately after
wards. 1t soon spread over practically
the whole city. Although only about
100 people lost their lives, the prop
erty damage amounted to some $780,
100000.
tCharleston, S. c., Is the only other
city of Importance in the United
States that has suffered from an earth
quake. In 1886 severe quake shook
down chlmneys and houses in Charles
ton, but resulted in the loss of only
q llvea.
A Modern Sodom and Gomorrah.
"In the West Indies the most dra-
Iuatic earthquake incident that has oc-
Cured was the slipping Of a large part
of old Port Royal, Jamaica, into the
sea in 1892. This was in the days Of
the buccaneers. many of whom fire.
quented Port Boyal and gave 1t the
name Of one Of the worlds wickedest
cities. The superstitious saw in the
destruction of the town modern ver-
sion of the wiping out of Sodom and
Gomorrah.
'.The chief cities of Central Amer
lea, excepting those Of Honduras and
Nicaragua, have repeatedly been de-
stroyed by, ,earthquakeS since the ad-
vent of the Spaniards In the Sixteenth
century. The principal sufferer has
been Guatemala City, which has been
practically destroyed more than half
dozen times, the latest calamity be-
falling 1t in 1917. But Guatemala has
had no monopoly of disasters. San
Salvador, capital OF the republic Of
the same nSme, and Cartago, capital
Of Costa Rica, have been shaken Into
ruins on more thar one occasion.
No Records Of Ancient ouakes.
"The city which has suffered most
treaty. in South America Is Valparaiso,
Chile. Great damage was inflicted by
earthquakes in 1870. 1922, 1880, 1873
And more recently in 1905. AS early as
1885 earthquakes were bringing de-
Struction to the Pacific coast Of South
America, Callao being destroyed In
that year.
'The seeming lack Of great earth
quake calamities IN ancient times may
be due more to the absence of COM
ple.e records than to the inexplicable
escape Of the great cities of the past.
II Is worthy of note, however. that be-
cause of the types of buildings IL
sse, usually low and often with roofs
II straw, no great loss Of life would
result normally even In congested CEN
ters.
Antioch Next to Tokyo In Loss.
"There was never any outstanding