The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-19
LOCAL PARTY
SEES SIGHTS
IN JAP CITY
See Effects Of Disastrous
Earthquake in Jap
Cities
FIND CUSTOMS QUEER

Stcaming into Toxic bay gave one I.
the impression Of visiting naval /
battle ground, according to TONY" !
flcmer, who with Spike" Thaycr, |
Archie McPhcc and other Bismarck
boys is on an Oriental tour on the !
steamship resident Madison, fur
ni5hlng music on board the liner In
letter received by Ralph Trick,
ficmcr records the unusual Scnsa-
tons of the Bismarck boys rs they
entered the foreign port
"Thc first day on land in Japan
has come and passed 1T is a day that
shall never forget, for it furnished
sights. the likeness Of which cannot
be beat" wrote F'lcmer.
AS we entered Toxic bay we saw
an active volcano, and it was very
active, too--Smoke and ashes shooting
up about 800 feet into the air. Prior
to the quake the entrance to the har-
Dor and mouth of the bay was well
fortified. Several islands in the bay
were Just one mass of cement iron
and gun turrcts. These little islands
are only from 900 to 500 yards in
diameter, just enough to get a bunch
Of Notifications on and only few
feet above the water line. Now they
are all torn up. Cement and gun
blocks and gun turrcts standing in
all directions. The bay had the APP
pearance Of Il naval battlefield. Three
or four planes, two balloons in the
air, battle cruisers, several destroy
ers, an airplane carrier, and all ut
once submarine came to the sur
ince not over 200 yards from the
ship. The bay was also just strGwn
with fishing boats and foreign pass
enger and freight boats. 1t surely
presented a busy scene and loo%ed
80 different from Seattle's entrance.
Docks Repaired
''The docks in Yokohama have been
repaired so that we were able to
dock and it did not take US long to
get ashore. Of course the first thing
that looked SO peculiar was the
clothes they worc-no socks, women
and all, and shoes made of sort Of
straw, woven together; just Soies
with a couple of straps to hold them
onto their feet and underneath this
I; couple of plain blocks of wood,
standing on end-in all raising their
feet above the ground above five
inches. | don't see how they can
walk on them at all. bought pair,
paid 80 sen-25 cents American
money. and I'll bet they last the Japs
year, so they don't spend much
money for shoes. Japs coming down
the cement walk sound like drove
of horses.
"Thc town of Yokohama is all shot
to pieces. not building inAthe who lie
town but what was almost entirely
ruined. The buildings were mostly
of stone and brick and debris is seat
tered all over. Streets are very mar
row and some not yet cleared for
traffic.
Many Modern Buildings
-Four and six story buildings made
of stone, concrete, brick and steel
shook to pieces. with only one wall
standing. as if they had been so much
paper. But you should see these Japs
work-just like bunch of flies
around barrel of syrup. Everything
is by hand, pick and shovel, and they
haul debris away in cars. saw one
little Jap about the size of l3-ytar-
old boy-hc was old of course but
small--pullng n cart full of rocks.
III bet he had ton in the thing. Hun
drcds Of these fellows pulling every
thing imaginable; one man pulling a
log so feet long and two feet in dla-
meter Where horses are used they
are hitched singly with one man
leading the animal Horses arc all
shall and seemingly overworked,'
The cntirc party. Fcmcr said, made
Il trip about Yokohama and then start
cd for Toxic, 50-minute ride. The
party had it's first difficulty in this
ride-the boys paid for first class
passage on an electric train and by
mistake got into a third class car
which was filled with coolies. But
the Japs are not sleepy, the boys
found.
"Everythng goes like clockwo'k.'
Flemer said, land if YOU don't get on
like you were trying to make touch
but you don't get on"
After seeing from the train greer
fields-and not an inch of wastee
cround-the party arrived in Toxic
.'Talk about land, labor and capital,
observed Flemer "about all | saw was
labor"
Five Buildings Escape
Toxic. Flemer wrote, was affected
by the earthquake in about one-hai
the city, the part which escaped de-
struction being very modern. There
are a number of eight, ~ and l.
story buildings, he wrote.
"The people and the buildings di'
not seem to jibe at all" he wrote
"as the people looked SO ancient ant
the buildings looked modern
The party had wired the lmperla
Hotel and booked in there for thel
brief stay. After seeing the manage
thew went back to the ship to ge
their orchestral instruments.
81 cannot describe the dance In de
tail but there was plenty of liquo
and tea consumed" wrote Flemer
"Japs drink more tea than Russian
does vodka" :.
Flemer, who saw many things Z
amuse an American, found it woui'
not be difficult for an American
quickly attire himself in the japan
csc mode. =,
"If one wishes to be dressed III tn
prevailing fashions just put on
pair of wooden shoes, long dnner
wear, bsthrove and wrap, a VIM. ~.
hath towel around your head and yo'
are ready for the street" he remark
- mpaorIo look like they are Away