The Bismarck tribune., 1935-04-22
FIRES BREAK OUT,
ADD TO misery OF
STRICKEN DISTRICT
More Than 1900 Injured and
Other Thousands Home.
less in Disaster
TEMBLOR OCCURS At DAWN
Flimsy Dwellings CrumbiG
About Sleeping Inhabitants,
Pinning Them in Ruins
Copyright. 1885, by the Associated


Press)
Taihoku, Formosa, April 22.-Fires
broke out Monday In the ruins Of
several northwestern F'ormosa COM
munities where violent earthquakes
Sunday killed at least 5000 persons
and injured about $4,000.
1t was feared the number of casu.
alties would be increased materially
when figures were obtained from th6
regions inhabitated by aborigines I'm
the interior which relief officials have
not yet beeen able to reach.
Streams Of injured continued t6
straggle into the emergency hospital
centers. while army carrier pigeons
brought reports hourly Of further de.
vastation in remote sections
Two terrific earth shocks shook
the populated sections Of this Japan
ese island possession at dawn Sun.
dav, sending hundreds of flimsy dwell
lings crumbling about their sleepina
inhabitants. In many villages not q
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 ia
reach only . small percentage Of the
injured
Army Rushes 70 Aid
An army battalion stationed 1t Tai
chu in the center of the ravaQed
area. sent out so relief parties 70 set
up field dressing stations.
Governor General KENT NAlIasava
OF Fornicsa announced l60oo00o yen.
(ahc,,t q 10000 II Iapane1a 1oser4f.
ment funds was availahls 10 aid tn
victims Of one Of the worst catas.
trophies n modern Oriental history.
Recurring after-shocks. combined
with the outbreak Of fires ana the
wailing Of the injured and homeless.
converted the period following the
two main quakes into . nightmare Of
terror.
Men. women and children wandered
through the debris shouting th&
names Of lost relatives. The CORE.
spondent for the Rengo Japanese
news agency told Of seeing long rows
Of injured persons lying on mats alona
. roadside screaming with pain.
Early official estimates placed tho
number Of homeless at $4,000 and
the number Of dwellings DESTROYED at
l6.493. At least 10000 other struc.
lures were damaged.
Most Victims Are Chinese
Most Of the victims Of the catas.
trophe were Of Chinese racial origin
since Formosa was taken from Chin
BY Japan In the war Of 1895.
The destruction centered in 4 dis
trtct approximately 20 miles In diam
eter, including scores of populous vil-
lagos In Taichu and Shinchiku pro-
vinces.
Especially stricken were the towns
OF Naiho, where 58l died, including
the "head-man" corresponding to
mayor; Kamoika, with As killed:
Taiko, where fires added to the de.
struction; Byoritsu, which saw q mai-
ority Of its houses leveled; Kori, Chi
kunan and Taianko.
The shocks opened fissures three
and four feet wide In modern high-
ways. twisted tho rails Of railroad
lines and shattered oil pipe lines and
gas mains.
The disaster was the worst to If.
fltct japanese territory since the
earthquake Of 1923, which devastated
Tokyo and Yokohama with q loss or
approximately 100000 lives.
Sum Beats on survivors
The scorching tropical sun beat
down pitilessly al day yesterday on
the misery torn survivors, inflictinn
new suffering @ scarcity Of water
assumed grave proportions. Practi-
cally Ill pipelines and water reser-
voirs had been wrecked by the earth>
quakes.
An airplane survey disclosed thar
the area worst affected extended
from Shinchiku southwark to Taichu
and from the eastern seacoast where
the aborigine head hunters, "the.
green savages," dwell.
Taihosu, the capital Of Formosa,
and Tainan, the old capital, whero
most Of the American and European
residents live, were not seriously dam
aged.
Early estimates Of property DAMAGE
ranged from 100000 to twice that
amount.