Evening star., 1927-03-09
2,2bD|ED |NQUAKE,
3,441 HURT, TOK|0'S
OFFICIAL SUMMARY
Houses Destroyed, Burned or
Damaged Number 1854.
Suffering Reported Acute.
SNOW AND FISSURES PUT
UP BARRIERS TO RELIEF
Expressions of Sympathy Sent oy
U. S. and American Red Cross
to Stricken japanese.
Hy the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
TOXIC, March 9.-The home onice
announced this afternoon that, ac-
cording to latest advices, 2,2f5 per
sons were killed in Mondays earth
quake in central Japan and 3,44l IN
iured. Houses numbering 3,606 were
DESTROYED by fire, BIB by the quake
15S were partly burned and 1867 dam
aged by the shock.
The Toxic Asahi Shimbun, news
paper, estimated the dead in the entlre
earthquake region at more than 3,ooV,
while the Toxic Nichi Nichi Shlmbun
: gives r 900. with from $4,000 to $4,000
homeless.
Refugees Plight Pitiful.
An Asahi correspondent says the
town of Amino, of 1900 population,
was nearly destroyed with the mum
Der of dead or injured inestimable.
More than 200 were killed and 500 in
1ured in the collapse and burning of a
theater. Troops are digging the bodies
from the ruins. The refugees, many
of them injured, present pitiful
spectacle, their misery accentuated by
the snow and cold and their terror
continuing owing to constant earth
rumblingS.
The snow together with the fis-
sues opened in the earth by the con-
vulsions have greatly retarded at
fernpts to get relief to the sufferers
by automobiles, and food is being car
ried in by coolies Physicians have
arrived at Iwataki and Yamada, and
are treating the injured in constant
stream.
Mineyama is understood to have
been hit the hardest, one unofficial
estimate being THAI fully $500 persons
lost their lives there, either killed by
falling building material or caught~in
the ensuing fire.
Mayer and Family Die.
One report from Mineyama says
Mayor Nakamura and his family were
imprisoned and burned to death when
their home collapsed and took fire.
Other families suffered like fate.
The scenes after the flames died down
were described as most pitiful, some
of the survivors digging in the ashes
for some trace of stiieir missing and
others hunting for crumbs of food
and pleading for assistance from the
arriving relief workers.
Hundreds of bodies still are beneath
the ruins. Newly made bamboo
stretchers are used to carry the bodies,
which are placed in piles awaiting
burial RluejacketS landed from
cruiser and four destroyers are assist
ing the survivors. The naval men
are credited with rescuing 300 persons
from burning and collapsed buildings
soon after the shock.
The shock. which at first was hori
zontaL became perpendicular before
1t subsided and apparently extended
over wider district than the
auakes. which are of frequent occur
renee in Japan. Houses collapsed,
tiles fell and fires broke out almost
Immediately, these three causes ac-
counting for virtually all of the
casualties.
Toxic Felt Shock.
"A majority of the inhabitants OF
Toxic felt the shock, but il was no
worse than others which have been
of no importance. Consequently, for
some time there was a tendency to
minimize the importance Of the quake
and it was not until this morning
that the full realization came of how
serious the tremors had been.
Dispatches from Tango described
the pitiful condition of the refugees,
homeless, hungry and cold. In some
places the snow was from / to 5
feet deep and hundreds Of men.
women and children. possessing but
q few blankets found meager shelter
behind great snow drifts. The suf-
fering of women and children was
considerable.
A newspaper airplane observer
described the smoking ruins Of vii.
lages numerous bodies lying about
and priests reading the final rites.
Survey by Airplane.
a reporter for the Asahi Shimbun,
who went to the scene in an airplane,
said most Of the villages were reduced
to ashes, that no houses were left
standing and that the roads were un-
usable.
It is believed the economic damage
rray not be. great since most of the
datiage was confined to small villages
inhabitated by fishermen and peasants
and that few factories and industrial
establishments were injured.
The emperor and empress have
shown great solicitude for the vic
Tins, both Of them remaining up most
OF last night to obtain news. 1t is
expected that imperial relief funds
will be granted. two imperial commits
sioners already having been sent to
the scene to obtain reports.
Both Kobe and Osaka today were
from the quake. comparatively little
serious damage being caused in them
The Toxic observatory announced
that there were nine after shocks and
that it believed that the main shock
was stronger than the Tajima Quake
of 1925.