Evening star., 1946-12-21
Quake and Tidal Waves Ravaqe
$4,000 Square Miles Of Japan;
Incomplete Count Lists 500 Dead
$4,000 Homes Are
Rozed or Damaged
In Southern Area
by the Assoeioted Press

TOKYO, Dec. 21.-A violent
earthquake and severe tida.
waves ravaged more than $4,000
square miles of Southern Japan
today.
Incomplete figures listed 500 dead
612 injured and 43 missing; nearly
$4,000 homes destroyed, damaged OF
flooded, and 500 fishing vessels lost
Only one Allied casualty missing
British soldier-was reported.
Seismologists said the quake pos
sibly was the worlds most violent.
Six tidal waves, erupted by the tenn
blor beneath the Pacific Ocean floor,
rushed over Wakayama Peninsula
and inflicted damage over 370-mile-
wide area from ShimodA, on the
Eastern Honshu coast, to Kochi, on
Shikoku's southern coast. Some of
the waves were 10 feet high.
Authorities said loss of life was
not far greater because the quake
epicenter was under water.
Refugees Flee to Hills.
Tonight, thousands of Waka-
yamans fed into the hills, fearful
of repercussions. Tanaba was de-
serted, its $500 homeless refugees
having sought safety in the hills.
Residents of some other Waka-
yama towns likewise fled, carrying
their meager possessions.
Only fragmentary information was
available from the two areas that
appeared hardest hit-the southern
coast of Shikoku and Western
Wakayama, both isolated.
An early estimate that probably
1000 japanese were killed-based on
a report that 200 families at Kochi
were wiped out''-was disregarded
later as Army and Japanese sources
compiled their reports of known
casualties.
Kushimoto, a fishing town of TO-
600 on the southern tip of Waka-
yama Peninsula-at the southeast
ern tip of Honshu-was reported
washed away by '7-foot waves.
Fire destroyed one third of Shingu,
on the east coast of Honshu, and
United States Army flyers said
flames still were visible there this
afternoon.
The tremblor was recorded at
4:20 am. (2:20 pm. Friday, EST.
Slight tremors followed about every
half hour. '~'-''r4
Osaka, Japan's second largest city,
located $50 miles west of Tokyo, re-
ported IA killed, heavy property
damage and water feet deep in
some sections
Food Situation Good.
The famous cities of Kyoto and
Nara, both former Japanese capitals
near Osaka, appeared to have es-
capped any but minor damage. Both
escaped bomb damage during the
war.
The United States Military Gov
ernment said Osaka has five days
food rations for $4,000 people. Large
quantities of imported grain recent
ly were released to japanese at
Kobe. Authorities said they con-
sidered the food situation good at
both places.
However, United States military
officials said it may be necessary to
supply stricken areas on the Waka-
yama Peninsula by boat because of
communications disruptions.
Although concern was expressed
over the situation in Southern Shi-
koku Island, Army officers said no
outside help would be needed.
One British Soldier Missing.
American and British occupation
forces presumably escaped with only
one casualty-one unidentified Brit
ish soldier missing from Miho-al-
though the British were in the CEN
ter of the stricken area. British
headquarters at Kure, ITO miles west
of Osaka, was damaged.
The 7-foot tidal wave which in
undated the southwestern coast of
Wakayama Peninsula and struck
heavily at the southern coast of Shi-
koku was reported to have caused
the major damage.
Railroads and communications
were snaried. Electric, telephone,
telegraph and railroad lines, partic-
ularly on the northern shores of the
Inland Sea, were cut in many places.
Numerous communities were iso-
lated.
Damage extended from atom
bombed Hiroshima on the west to
Milo on the north central coast of
Honshu, bordering the Sea Of Japan,
and to the southern tip of Waka-
wanna Peninsula on the east.
Kydo, Japanese news agency, said
the damage extended into IA pre-
lectures.
The public health section at Gen.
(See QUAKE, Page ABB
[FsL. CS