The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-21

Tokyo, Dec 2l-tUP)-A devostotins earthquake and tidal wave struck Japan today, killing at Ieost 500 persons, moking O,0O0 homeless, and smoshing at least 50 cities and villages on the shores of Jopon's lnlond Sec.
 The pre-down quake, which registered more severe thon the 1923 Tokyo disaster cost ing nearly 100, 900 lives, sent e tidal wove roll- ing over 300 miles of eOostline along Shikoku Island and south-eentrol Honshu.
 Preliminary offieioI reports set the known decd ot 800 but other estimotes boosted thot total by 1000. The earthquake end the tidal wove demolished or damaged l46S6 houses and factories. and destroyed more then .4OO fishing vessels.
 Only One Allied Casualty
 Early compilations listed 628 persons seriously injured and S23 missing. The only Allied military ces- ualty reported was British soldier missing at Miho in Hiroshima Prefecture.
 The laundering wall of water, which swept in from the Pacific after the submarine earthquake, pulled thousands of houses out to sa it receded, and in other places flooded homes smashed them flat. ..
 Tonight thousands of families were without shelter in bitter cold weather, with icy winds adding to their misery.
 Japanese relief resources were mobilized to rush aid to the stricken area which extended from Hiro- shima on the west to Osaka Wakayama and Kainan
  Red Cross Goes To Area
 JaDan's Home Minister, Seich Omura, told the House of Representatives tonight that authorities doing tne utmost utilize shattered communications facilities ana send aid to the disaster victims
 The Japanese Red Cross hurrying aid and had the cooperation of American Red Cross officials
 The earth jclt 62 miles off the Japanese coast ct :2O A. M today. It felt almost immediately in dozens of cities and villages where houses collapsed and citizens ran into the streets terrOrized ~
 In Nara prefecture 100 houses demolished Nine persons were killed in the vicinity of the Horyu Temple believed be the oldest wooden structure in the wOrd but the temple, built in 607 A. D. and housing word-famOus muralS, unharmed.
 Water Rolls Five Miles Inland
 Then the wall of water rolled on the shOrefne where most of the pOpulace slept.
 City after city flooded. KOchi, on the south coast ShkOku Island and it's neghbOrng villages on the low lands swept by waves seven to 10 feet nigh WHICH rolled five miles and more inland.
 Later the coast of HOnshu on beyond Shikoku began to be hit Kanan, city of 26OO0, was virtually cleaned out by six successive The tidal disturbance pene- rated the Tokushima Strait and entered the Inland Sea- great port city of Osaka affected and so was Waya kama. To the vest Hiroshima and kure were hlt
 Inland the quake damaged the shrine city of kyOo ana other localities Deaths injuries and damage reported from 14 prefectures.
 | Houses Pierced By Boats
 photographer for Manichi said 4S1 ships were washed away in the Wakayama He described the tidal waves approach as tornado of water which drove fishing uns through sraws driven through tree by gn winds" Mainchi published some of his pictures which showed houses pierced by boats.
 For more than IS hours afterquakes continued to be felt every half hOur but fresh damage was recorded ...
 Experts believed Japan missed duplication of the 1Sz3 death toll only because tOday's shock OffshOre
 Nevertheless deaths drowning, from cOllapslng buildings and fires reported at dozen ctie including Osaka Wakayama, KyOtO Kaihan and Hiroshima on Honsh | cOnvd Page s-CTIDAL wAvE