Evening star., 1935-04-22
2,793DEAD, 1900
HURT IN F0RM0SA
QUAKE DISASTER
Fire Adds to Devastation
as Families Are Wiped Out
and Homes Razed.
HUNDREDS TRAPPED
ALIVE BENEATH RUINS
Long Rows Of Injured Lie on Mats
Along Roadside Scream
ing With Pain.

tcopyrisht, 1885. by the Associated Press)
TAIHOKU. Formosa. April 22.-
Fires broke out today in the ruins OF
several Northwestern Formosa COM
munities where violent earthquakes
yesterday killed at least 2,793 persons
and injured about $4,000.
Streams of injured continued to
straggle into the emergency hospital
centers, while army carrier pigeons
brought reports hourly of further
devastation in remote sections.
Two terrific earth shocks shook the
populous sections of this Japanese
island possession at dawn yesterday.
sending hundreds of flimsy dwellings
cr,lmbling about their sleeping in
habitants. In many villages not a
building was left standing. Entire
families lost their lives.
Hundreds of persons, trapped in
debris. cried for help. Frantic relief
workers, their efforts handicapped by
insufficient equipment, were able to
reach only small percentage of the
injured.
Army Takes Over Relief.
An army battalion stationed at
Taichu, in the center of the ravaged
area, sent out so relief parties to set
up field dressing stations.
Gov Gen. Kenji Nakagawa Of
Formoea announced 100000 yen
(about s4.5000 in Japanese gov
ernment funds was available to aid
the victims of one of the worst catas-
trophies in modern Oriental history.
It was understood that Emperor
Hirohito also was to make donation
from the privy purse.
Recurring after shocks, combined
with the outbreak Of fires and the wall
ing of the injured and homeless. con-
verted the period following the two
main quakes into nightmare Of
terror.
Men. women and children wandered
through the debris, shouting the names
of lost relatives The correspondent
for the Rengo Japanese News Agency
told of seeing long rows of injured
persons lying on mats along road
side screaming with pain.
250,0OO Are Homeless.
Early official estimates placed the
number of homeless at 250,000 and
the number of dwellings destroyed at
16,493. At least 10000 other struc-
lures were damaged.
Most Of the victims of the catas-
trophe were of Chinese racial origin,
since Formosa was taken from China
by Japan in the war of 1895.
The destruction centered in dis
trict approximately 40 miles in diam
eter, including scores of populous
villages in Taichu and Shinchikll
Provinces.
Especially stricken we're the towns
Of Naiho. where 58l died. including
the head man.; Kamoika. with AS
killed; Taiko, where fires added to the
destruction; Byoritsu, which saw a
majority of its houses leveled; Kori,
Chikunan and Taianko.
The epicenter of the earthquake
was near Toyohara, only miles be-
low the surface, accounting for the
unusually heavy damage.
The shocks opened assures and
4 feet wide in modern highways,
twisted the rails of railroad lines and
shattered oil pipe lines and gas mains.
Americans Outside Zone.
Although there are many Americans
and Europeans residing in the islands
larger centers. none was believed to
have been among the victims of the
disaster. Most of them Live outside
the earthquake zone. wher2 many are
stationed at missionary poS;S.
Airplane surveys of the stricken area
indicated the devastation extended
approximately 1000 square miles from
Scninchiku City on the north to
Taichu City on the south and from
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