QE EAFTTH SCIENCES LIBRARY LIBRARY OF THB UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. GIFT Class THE (teaf OF 4 COMPLETE REPORT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE RECENT GREAT EARTHQUAKE UNIVERSITY OP ft Q apan No. 70. MAIN STREET. YOKOHAMA. CIE ^CE UBF 228271 I N J APAN AKTHQUAKES are frequent in Japan, says J. J. RTCIN in his able interesting work on this country. Such violent distur- bances, he continues, fortu- nately occur but seldom, that is to say. according to previous experience and expectation, about one in every twenty years. The last destructive earth- quake, however, our author observes, took places in the autumn of 1855, so that already twenty-five years have elapsed without a recurrence and the old rule apparently no longer holds. This was written in 1880, and although in that year a shock of considerable violence was felt it was not until of the 28th October, seismic disturbance of dimensions transpired, amply atoned for any | the extent of the area af- the terrific devastation the morning 1891, that a any startling That, however, delay, and by fected, and wrought, maintained the reputation of Japan for being subject to such fearful visitations. Less extensive in area hut more serious locally the recent shock will undoubtedly be looked upon as the most severe Yokohama has ex- perienced since the advent of foreigners. It was a startling reminder that this is the land of earthquakes, and, indeed, Japanese histories teem with incidents of the phenomena. There is a legend that in 286 B.C., Fujiyama was formed, as well as Lake Biwa, by one of these subterranean up- heavals. The earliest authentic instance is that which occurred in 416 A.D., when the Imperial Palace was thrown to the ground. Again in 599, the build- ings throughout the province of Yamato were all destroyed, and special prayers were ordered to be offered up to the deity of earthquakes. In 679, a tremendous shock caused many fissures, or chasms, to open in the province of Chikuzen and Chikugo, in Kiushiu, the largest of these fissures being four miles in length and twenty feet in width. In 685, a terrible disturbance occurred. Mountains were toppled over, rivers overflowed and tre- mendous destruction resulted. In the pro- vince of Tosa an area of five million tsubo sank into the sea. But corning to a later period, we find that in 1702 the lofty walis of the outside and inside THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. moats of the castle of Yedo were destroyed, tidal waves broke along the coast in the vicinity, and the road leading through the famous pass of Hakone, was closed up by alteration in the surface of the earth. Indeed Tokyo lias been frequently victimized, and fire in nearly every in- stance has supplemented the catastrophe. In 1703, such a calamity happened cost- ing, it is estimated, the lives altogether of 200,000 persons, and laying the capital in ruins. We have not space here to refer to all the ravages of this terrible visitant, but confining ourselves to the present century we note that Dewa was the theatre of repeated concussions in 1804, and in 1822 150 shocks were felt in Tokyo in the course of three days. Once more, in 1828, an earthquake occurred in Echigo, and 30,000 men, women and children were destroyed. Two years later Kioto was afflicted. The Tokugawa Palace, Nijo, was among the buildings overthrown while the number of people slain was described as innumerable. It was not one shock, but three, following each other in rapid succession at four in the afternoon, the ground rocking like waves. The affrighted people were too terror stricken to do anything and it was days before their senses returned to them. Other shocks occurred in the same year, in 1835, and 1847, and then in 1854 the provinces of Suruga, Mikawa, Ise, Totomi, Iga, Settsu and Harima, as well as the whole of Shikoku were severely shaken. It was this earthquake which destroyed the town of Shimoda, in the province of Izu, which had been opened as a foreign port in Japan, while a Eus- sinn frigate, the J)inna, lying in harbour at the time, was so severely damaged by the shock, and the waves which it raised that she had to be abandoned. The last great shock, prior to the Gifu catastrophe, occurred on November 10th, 1855. On that occasion Tokyo again suffered. The chief shock occurred at night and the city was immediately con- verted into a rubbish heap, thirty fires breaking out in various quarters and com- pleting the terrible work of destruction. For two weeks the shocks were almost con- tinuous though of decreasing magnitude. It is calculated that 16,000 buildings were overthrown, and 104,000 lives lost in that awful cataclysm. Curiously, then as now, the area of disturbance was very limited, and it gave substance to the supposition that the volcanic agencies at work on Vries Island may not have been altogether unconnected with the distur- bance. But of that we may have some- thing to say hereafter. MANY KILLED AND INJURED. (From. Wednesday's "Oazette.") fHE earthquake which occurred about two o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, the 20th June, was a short one, but as sharp as any experienced by most foreign residents in Japan. One resident who had lived in earth- quake countries all his life and in countries where shocks are of almost daily occurrence informed our reporter that he had never before experienced such a shock. As soon as the violence of the shock was realised people rushed from their houses into the streets, and did not venture back until there was little fear of recurrence. On the boats in the harbour, we understand, the earthquake also created a commotion. That the shock was THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. not a local one is shown by the deaths and ; other was despaired of. The injured were damages to property at Tokyo. Considering ! removed to the charity hospital at Negishi. the violence of the shaking it is extraordinary | The children's injuries fortunately were slight, that the damages have not been greater in j The disaster created the greatest excitement Yokohama; but as it is, the number of fallen ! in the city; and during the whole of the chimneys and smashed roofs in the city is j afternoon Messrs. Wilson's establishment was beyond count ; while on the Bluff thousands | surrounded by large crowds, of dollars worth of ornaments, &c., have been j Throughout the Settlement and the Bluff destroyed. These damages, however, are in- ! damages are reported. There is probably not significant compared witli the calamity a foreign house in Yokohama where some which occurred at Messrs. Wilson and Co.'s go-downs at Nos. 258 and 260, Settlement. These buildings are quite new, having been only recently completed. They are of red brick, with white stone dressings. Be- tween the tea-firing godowns at the rear and the go-downs abutting on the road is a space about eighteen feet wide, which was damage has not been done. The upheaval upset tables- and dashed vases, curios and crockeryware to the ground. The floor of Messrs. Arthur & Bond's curio store on the Bund was strewn with broken curios, among the number being some valuable vases. The firm estimate the damages at $1,000. At Mr. Kuhn's and at Messrs. Deakin Brothers covered with corrugated iron and supported by j tbe dama S e was verv sli S ht - uprights and beams, tied together with iron In Honmura Road the roof of a brick build- bolts ; and above this was a light wooden ! in - a butcher ' s sho * and a general store- phtform. The earthquake shock had the I slid off and fche froilt of fcbe building is cracked effect of toppling over a triangular-shaped j and is now ba S in S over towards the road. portion of the upright wall of the front go- | Fortunately no-one was injured. Asmallhouse down, and this fell onto the end of the I atthe reai> of the Balfcimore Inn ' in the same wooden platform, smashed through the cor- J locallt y' also collapsed; while the walls of the rugated iron roof and buried a number of men, | Cosmopolitan Inn were cracked and some big women, and children in several tons of! s of stone ; debris. As might be expected, this crash, ... . . ,, , ., , At No. 68, in Mam Street, a chimney has together with the quivering of the build- _ . ,. j been completely twisted. Every stone m it ing, filled the people engaged m the go- ig arafce . and it seemg a miraole that downs with fear ; but as soon as the shock . it did not fall m the shock. ceased, and the frightened people had to j The Eagtem World Qffice fn Wafcer some extent recovered from the excitement, j gtreefc algo had ft bad sbaking . The chim . the work of digging out the buried persons j neyg seeming on the point of falling> gfcakeSf was commenced. About twenty-fivemen, ropeg> and danger noticeg haye been plftced women, and children were covered by | round tbe building. the fallen bricks and mortar. All were j Chimney copings at Messrs. Cabeldu, eventually extricated ; and at the time of j Batchelor, and Schneider's houses at No. 80, going to press last evening we were informed Main Street, fell to the ground ; but for- by the police that one man, whose head tunately nobody was injured. The ceiling of and limbs were injured, died after linger- i a room in Mr. Cabeldu's house also came ing an hour and a half; and the life of an- 1 down. THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1801, Among a large number of other places where chimneys collapsed were Messrs. Isaacs and Brother's, No. 195 ; Messrs. Frazar & Co.'s, No. 200 ; and at a house occupied by a Chinaman at 183. The chimney of a dwelling-house at No. 121 fell and smashed the roof of a press godown occupied by Mr. C. L. Eymard. In the rear of this building there was a most pecu- liar effect, the walls collapsing and leaving the frame standing. At No. 124 a Chinese child was injured by a brick falling from a chimney, and at 153 the roof fell in. In Aioicho, Nichome, a brick house fell and smashed part of the adjoining house. In Honcho-dori the only damage worthy of note is the fall of the roof of a brick house. On the Bluff the earthquake created the greatest excitement and fear among residents. At many of the houses chimneys came down with a crash and every resident is bewailing the loss of treasured curios and crockeryware. In some houses the walls have been com- pletely denuded of ornaments. At Mr. C. K. -Marshall Martin's house at 265 three chimneys came down ; at Mr. J. E. Beale's, No. 58, the chimney top- pled over and fell through the roof; and chimneys also fell at Mr. J. A. Eraser's, No. 21, at No. 72, No. 85, the U. S. N. Hospital ; while at the Convent one of the side walls has given way. A landslip occurred at Man- darin Bluff. Communication by train with Kobe is inter- rupted. took place at Higashi-yato, several tons of : loose earth failing and raining a dense cloud of d'.ist which people in the Settlement took at first for a fire. In both cases, no one was injured nor was any damage caused to property. A portion of the Noge range known as Zeikwan-yama, near the temple of Fukutoku- Inari, also gave way, but the falling earth stopped midway. Here, too, no damage was i caused. FURTHER PARTICULARS. LAND-SLIDES. A portion of a cliff near the Ishikawa Pri- mary School gave way, throwing down a large quantity of earth on to a small space below the cliff, from -the compound of 1,426, Nakamura. Another land-slide (From Thursday's "Gazette.") To attempt to give anything like a com- prehensive list of the damages resulting from I the shaking up which Yokohama experienced i on Wednesday would be hopeless, for so far as i can be gathered there is hardly a house in the Settlement or on the Bluff that has not suffered more or less injury. Clarendon House, which it was feared by many would i not stand an earthquake, had a severe test and is reported to have stood it well. The proprietor says not a beam was heard to crack ; several vases were thrown down from brackets, but the house moved like a solid rock. At Tokyo the earthquake proved more destructive than in Yokohama ; while Kobe escaped the shock altogether. The, accident at Mr. Wilson's godown at i No. 258 was more disastrous than was believed i to be the case when we went to press on Wednes- I day night. Altogether 25 were buried in the i debris 8 men and 17 women and girls. One man died an hour and a half after being rescued; and yesterday morning our representa- ! tive was informed that three women died during the night in the Negishi Hospital, as the re- sult of injuries to the head. In the street up Yatozaka on the Bluff there were many fissures, the largest being 20 ! yards long and 5 inches wide. In the com- -* 0#*> TEA-HOUSE AT TSUKUI, TOKYO. SCENE AT ZAIMOKU-CHO, KYOBASHI-KU, TOKYO. THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. pound of 142 the cracks were very numerous, by Mr. Wakao Ikuzo, and the office of the some being 2 feefc deep and 8 or 9 inches j Asamatsu-gumi in Bentendori Rokuchome wide. Nos. 86 and 89 were so dangerously j collapsed. damaged that the Police sent firemen I Three children were killed in Kawasaki by and demolished the buildings completely, as the fall of a stone wall of the Daishi temple. they were likely to cause injuries to passers i by. The Convent, No. 83, suffered greatly. I WATERWORKS AND WIRE COMMU- In the damage of furniture, Mr. Smedley NTCATIONS. seems to have been one of the greatest j The Yokohoma Waterworks seems to have sufferers, so far. Mrs. Hegfc, 59, had a | suffered much by the earthquake. The water- narrow escape with three children, a chim- ! supply, which bad already become much ney top falling just behind her, and she j diminished in the Ota reservoir, is now im- fell to the ground unconscious. Fortunately pure. A telegram from Hodogaya states that the explosive storage was quite safe. A riki- j the iron pipes have leaked, and the engineers sha-man of the Italian Consulate, Chuzo by j are busy in surveying the damage, name, was knocked down by a brick falling, | Telegraph and telephone wires were broken and was removed to Negishi Hospital but j in many places and communication is in- died the same night. About 50 houses i te'-rupted, especially that to the north of suffered more or less. i Tokyo. At the time the shock occurred Mr. J. Cain's children were playing in the drawing room at No. 119. The shock brought down a chimney, which crashed through the roof and ceiling and fell into the room, causing considerable damage, but fortunately no-one was injured. At Mr. A. W. Payne's THE EARTHQUAKE IN TOKYO. Another seisin ological convulsion has, writes our Tokyo correspondent, given Tokyo the worst shaking up it has had for thirty-eight years. On Wednesday afternoon promptly at 2 o'clock there was a low rumbling sound heard, house at No. 132 a chimney fell, and the | an( i then the houses began to rock, at first only walls were fractured, while in the garden gently as if not fully prepared for the task, fissures a foot deep and 20 feet long were fchen the shaking became more rude and then caused. ; ruthless. In a few moments the dust was The Bluff Police summoned their full staff | seen to fly on the roofs, then tiles came and firemen, and made all preparations pos- 1 battering down ' to the ground. For a sible for a recurrence of the shocks. In the native town, there were no fatalities. few moments only the chimneys reeled and rocked as if trying to regain their balance A twelve-year-old girl, Kondo Fusa by name, and then came thundering down. At other in the employ of Tomoye Hanjiro, Hagoromo- places they broke through the loof and cho Nichome, was injured on her left arm and I ceiling and came into the rooms. Such was foot, by the fall of a stone torii at the temple the case at No. 28, Tsukiji, at the residence of of Benteu. Damage to property is not so j Rev. David Thompson, D.D. Here the chim- small as at first believed. Roofs fell in, walls I ney of the one storey house fell through the were fractured and tiles slid down from many roof and ceiling into the parlour, striking the houses. Curio and porcelain dealers stiffered ; keyboard of the piano as it had never before most, A house in Honcho Shichome, owned i been struck, and smashing other furniture, THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1801. Among this latter also a writing table at which wall fell down, striking him on the head one of Mr. Thompson's daughters had been and then crushing him almost beyond writing up to the very moment the shaking be- recognition. He died in less than an gan. As the quaking became severer the hour afterwards. Another student also young lady sprang up and left the room and received serious injuries. Bishop McKim, who had scarcely stepped out when down came has his study in the tower of the new school the chimney with an awful crash, a large piece building, was rushing down stairs when still unbroken striking the very spot where ; several large bricks struck him on the head, she had been writing only a moment before. : Fortunately he had a heavy stiff summer hat At Mr. A. Thompson's, the druggist, on so that he was not seriously injured, the East half of whose large house is The beautiful brick church in Tsukiji, of this occupied by Mr. Ambler, the chimneys on same Mission, was badly injured. So also both sides came through roof and ceiling, on tbe liew Theological Hall. Both will no Mr. Ambler's side falling into nursery, and the j doubfc liave to be rebuilt, at a very con- nurse with great presence of mind quickly siderable cost. snatched away the small child from the Tlms ifc is throughout Tsukiji, at some bed on which it was lying. A moment later P laces worse and at others not so bad. Most the child would have been dead. At No. 6, bouses wil1 iiave to be ^plastered outside and Rev. W. J. White's, the chimney fell inside ' Vases ' dishes ' wines and the like > through the roof and upstairs ceiling into the I were destr y ed without number, boy's bed-room. Had it occurred at night; Out in the city it is no better than here. At the two could hardly have escaped death or one P lace teu aue said fco ba ve perished by serious injury. At No. 49, a one storey build- facing debris. A friend just sends a post- ing, both chimneys broke through the roof | card saying that one student of his school and ceiling. Fortunately the house was un- perished. The Meiji Gakuin will have to be occupied at the time and hence no persons | rebuilt. But for fuller reports we shall be were killed or injured. The old stone build- ! obliged to wait a few days, ing, No. 51, the Tract Repository, also suffered 1 FROM ANOT HER CORRESPONDENT. badly, the upper tier of stones just under the j The earthquake here seems to have picked roof on the west side falling out to the street out different sections of the city upon which and also nearly all of the west half of the to shew its violence. Tsukiji suffered very roof. But the saddest and worst remains yet j badly, there is hardly a house without some to be told. The greatest loss sustained by damage to its chimneys. St. Paul's school, any of the Foreign Missions is that by the belonging to the A. E. Mission, is badly American Episcopalians. The Saint Paul's wrecked. A Japanese teacher was killed in school building, which had already trying to leave the building. Fortunately he beencondemned asunfitforfurther occupancy, ; was about tbe onl in ifc> Thifl gave way on both the north and south sides. to be tbe one hurt in Tguhiji t , Here a Japanese connected with the school, there were several near escapes. Bishop and at the time in the building, thinking it MoKim was only saved by the thick sun hat safer outside no doubt, started to run out. he had on He had only got away some three feet from | At Rie Rokumei Kwan a porch roof fell, the door when a large part of the brick , killing a coachman, a horse, and rendering THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. another horse useless and crushing the car- j damaged, the Private Secretary, Kure's resi- riage. There are several chimneys lying j dence was seriously damaged, a chimney on the roof of the Imperial Hotel, The j falling through the roof, and the walls having Hotel Metropole seems uninjured. Trinity j cracked, the rooms are almost destroyed. Mr. Church in Tsukiji is hadly damaged, while j Kure's family have left the house. The it is said that the Shiba English Church j Private Secretary Nakada's residence has also is badly wrecked. The Pres. Mis. Buildings | suffered through cracks on the walls, and at Shirokane are badly damaged. It is said ! the stones on the eaves being almost dislodged, that there are several deaths in the city. ! the house is in great danger of a collapse. Gin/a and its neighbourhood seems to have j Nearly half the residence of Mr. Sato, the got off without a tile displaced. j Secretary, was destroyed by the wall of Prince AT THE IMPERIAL CASTLE. I Arisugawa's Palace, falling upon it, the part In the Imperial Palace, there was fortunately of the wal1 thus fallen being 12 feet high by no accident, Their Majesties taking shelter in 18 feefc lon g- But no one was lmrt either at the palace grounds. Ohamberlains and Court j tne office or in tne residences, ladies were sent to Akasaka Palace, where | Home Department. Nearly all the chim- H.M. the Empress Dowager lives; but the ! neys have fallen, six of them having pierced Palace was not in the least damaged and J the roof into the rooms set apart for the Her Majesty was in the best of spirits. At 2.30, Imperial Princes, Ministers of State, and other high officials called at the Im- perial Castle, Akasaka Palace, and Crown Prince's Palace. The only damage done to the Bureaux of Public Works, Prefectural Ad- ministration, Police Supervision and General Affairs, and the Secretariat, while a building behind the Department was completely de- stroyed. A paper-plasterer, Sato Seibei, was so Castle was in the cracking of some of the I seriously injured that it is believed he has walls. THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES. Cabinet Building. Through the falling of the chimneys, the roof was severely damaged, and the walls cracked and fell off. The shock coming as the Ministers of State were in consultation sitting round a table, bits of plaster fell upon them as they rushed out of the room. Privy Council Building. A chimney fell, and there was very little damage done. since succumbed. Among those slightly in- jured, were three clerks, an attendant, and a workman come to repaint the building. Ma- kino, a clerk, had a very narrow escape. A chimney fell through into his room and com- pletely smashed the table at which he was writing ; but he escaped unscathed. Mr. J. de Rijke, an employe of the Department, who is at present at Hakone, has an official residence in the Central Observatory com- pound. The chimney fell and broke the Household Department. An official, on beams ; Mrs.de Rijke had to take refuge in seeing the west entrance slightly damaged, tried to run out and was injured. Attendants the Observatory with her son and daughter. Finance Department. The Vice-Minister and boys were also slightly injured. I and other high officials were in council when Foreign Office. The tiles fell off in many ! the shock occurred. They all ran out of places ; and most chimneys have leaned | the building, followed by the clerks, dangerously. Though the Minister and Vice- Mizoguchi was coming down, when the stair- MiiiiHU'i-'H residences are not perceptibly case came off, and he was severely injured in THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. the thigh. An attendant jumped out of a window ; but just as he came on the ground, a chimney fell on top of him and buried him in its ruins. He was helped out ; and after medical assistance had been called, the two men were sent to the Juntendo Hospital. The clerk is expected to live if his thigh can be mended. Six chimneys came down at the Department and destroyed three buildings. The Official Gaictle office and a disused build- ing for safes were seriously damaged. War Department. The chimneys of the Minister and Vice-Minister's rooms were knocked down, and walls in many places were cracked. Damages, however, were compara- tively slight. BARRACKS AND MILITARY SCHOOLS. Imperial Body Guard. Only a chimney came down in the First Infantry Regiment's barracks, while in those of the Second, a chimney made a hole through the building, while another is on the point of falling. In the Third Regiment's barracks, chimneys of the 3rd, 7th, and 8th companies' rooms fell while those of the 3rd and 4th made a hole in the building. In the 3rd, Lien tenant Kojiro, a volunteer conscript Oshikoji, two men and a tradesman were so seriously injured that they died soon after. Nine other men were slightly injured. The pillars of a bath- room broke and killed a man. Other barracks were more or less damaged, without, how- ever, loss of life. Arsenal. A workman of the small-arms department was seriously hurt by falling on his head. Three or lour chimneys also fell. Another was very seriously injured. Naval Department. The ceilings of sev- eral rooms fell through with the roof, besides falling walls and chimneys. The tiles of a go- down in the compound also came down and :vly injured a fireman. A trumpet-cal! was sounded at the Department and the offi- cial roll was called over; fortunately no one was hurt or missing. Judicia 1 Department. The walls cracked ! and fell in pieces. The officials all ran out, ! and two clerks were seriously injured, one in ; the ribs and the other in the legs. The I Vice-Minister's carriage, which was waiting : outside, was smashed in two by the horse taking fright and becoming restive. Educational, and Agricultural and Com- mercial Departments. These were more or less damaged by falling chimneys, but for- tunately no one was hurt. Communications Department. Damages were slight, but a clerk tripped over a rope as he ran out and was so seriously hurt that his condition is declared precarious. Two or j three other officials were slightly injured. Damages are also reported from the other offices, but without any loss of life. In the city itself, the earthquake appears : to have caused great havoc. The most note- ; worthy, so far as are at present known, are ! as follows : KOJLUACHI-KU. The stone-bank about 20 yards to the right of the Hanzo Gate fell to the extent of about 16 yards. The tiles of the Baba-saki Gate ; fell off. The Tokyo Girls' School, late Kobu Daigakko, at Toranomon, has lost its roof, ! while the walls have been cracked. The : godown near the clock-tower has half col- lapsed. A godown in the Atarashibashi corner of the notorious Soiha mnnsion is also I in a similar condition. Cracks could also be : seen on the walls of the Japan Building Co.'s offices. Numerous cracks have also been made on the walls of the Rokunu'ikwan. The porch fell, and a carriage of the . Household Department which had been sent to take chairs belonging lo that Depart- iment, was smashed to pieces as it was ; standing under it. One of the horses, died i immediately, while the other is not expected THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. to live. The driver was also seriously in- jured. A porter is also in a precarious condi- tion, having been struck on the head by fall- : ing tiles. Several noblemen, who were in the building at the time, ran out without accident. At the Tokyo Hotel, a chimney fell through the roof and the ceiling, but no one was hurt. | The house, however, leans, the wall coming j off and furniture being seriously damaged. ! At the Sakurada Beer Company's works, a j falling chimney injured two men. A jinriki- 1 shaman and his fare, a woman, fell into a j ditch at Kioicho, but escaped witli slight j injuries. The German Legation and the! official residences of the Minister President and the Educational Minister were slightly damaged, while the War Minister had to re- move to his private residence. The Finance Minister's official residence has also suffered. KANDA-KU. Though the damages in this district were comparatively slight, there were more than ten small houses which had to be abandoned as being too dangerous, their smallness having prevented injuries. The students of the great private school, Kinjo-gakko, were leaving it when the shock took place. The roofing over the entrance gave way and killed one student and seriously in- jured another. A third jumped out of the second storey window, but was so seriously injured that he died soon after. Great con- fusion was caused at the bazaars with which the district abounds. Prince Komatsu's palace and Mr. Kono Tokama's residence were slightly injured. The cross of the Rus- sian Church at Surugadai was slightly bent. A woman and her daughter injured their hips by jumping out of the second storey at the Misakiza Theatre, where five others were also hurt. The police reported yesterday evening that sixty houses were damaged in this district. X NlftONBASHI-KU. The walls of the Rice Exchange fell off; while the Stock Exchange was also seriously damaged. The great chimney of Yukosha, the paper-mill at Kakigara-cho, fell, as well as the front arcade of the Meiji-za Theatre. Many houses were damaged, especially the bookseller Uyeda's, doll-maker Kawabata's, the old building of the Kawamura Bank, the bookseller Maruya, and Viscount Toda's go- downs. The total number of the injured in this district is eight. KYOBASHI-KU. This district has been the most seriously injured of all. At Tsukiji, the stone over the entrance of the St. Paul's School fell on the school officer Tamaki Kaknnosuke, who died on the spot, and Mr. Kubo, a teacher, was also hurt. A jinrikisha in front was smashed to pieces, but the jinrikishaman escaped un- hurt. A brick bath-house at Hatchobori was | half destroyed, and two persons were killed and five injured. All the chimneys of the Hokkaido Colliery Railway Co.'s offices were knocked down. The brick-wall of the Koseikwan As- j sembly Hall fell and so seriously injured a mason at work on the wall that there is no | hope of his recovery. At Honzaimoku-cho, a child of a member of the Yomiuri Shimbun staff was buried in the ruins of an earth wall, but he was safely extricated. At the Ishi- i kawajima Shipbuilding yard, the roof of a I brick godown, the chimney of a foundry, the 1 cupola of a forge, and another chimney were knocked off. At the printing establishment I of Shueisha, in Nishikonya-cho, the coin- | positors and others rushed out of the work- | shop, and some of those who jumped out I of windows fell into a well. A falling chimney seriously injured a workman at the Tsukiji Type Foundry. The Knixhin Shim- ! hun office's roof was almost entirely de- j stroyed ; and also several persons were hurt 10 THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. by jumping out of windows at the Mezamashi Shimbun office. SHIBA-KU. Damages to buildings in this district were great, among the sufferers being Count Ito's private residence, the Tokyo Hospital, Mr. Fukuzawa, and the Shibahama Detached Palace. In Udagawa-cho alone, 12 houses and 8 godowns were damaged. At Atago- shita-machi, a brick-building, 54 feet square and 18 feet high, was destroyed, and two women, aged 67 and 43, were killed as they ran out of the house. At Takanawa, a ser- vant-girl was injured by tumbling walls, a woman at sake-dealer's was also hurt by wine- barrels coming down on her. AZABU-KU AND AJJASAKA-KU. The chimneys at Prince Kuni's, Mr. Matsu- oka's, and others' fell. The Azabu Chapel suffered severely. No one is believed to have been hurt. The walls of the Astronomical Observatory fell, but no injury has been suffered in the observatory itself. We have already referred to the Imperial Bodyguard's barracks. Long, sinuous cracks were made in the earth at Tameike and Reinanzaka. At the Aoyama Cemetery, half the stone walls and lanterns (toro) were destroyed. YOTSUYA, KOISHIKAWA, AND USHIGOME. Nothing serious has been reported from any of these distinct, the only accident taking place at the Arsenal. HONGO-KU, SHITAYA-KU AND ASAKUSA-KU. Half the tiles of the sake-dealer, Taka- saki's house at Oiwake fell off. At Kinroku- cho a woman was buried under the ruins of a godown, but she was extricated with slight injuries. A clerk of the Home Department was injured on the head and feet at Tenjin- cho. The Imperial University escaped with very slight damages. At the Haruki-za Theatre, the audience kept very quiet, and only two or three were slightly hurt. The Shitaya Police Station was damaged, while the exhibits at the Exhibition building at Uyeno were nearly all turned upside down, and the 'stone toro were toppled over in the garden. The chimneys of the Tokyo I Technical School at Asakusa fell, and also about 18 tsubo of the school wall I gave way. At the Asakusa Park, a j stoae idol of Jiso tumbled over ; the wall of the Ryounkaku, the twelve-storied tower, fell down, but not the tower itself which still stands though out of the perpen- dicular ; nearly all the bottles ranged at the grogshops behind the great temple were also tumbled over. At Hatagocho, a girl, aged 12, was seriously, and another child slightly, in- jured, while a servant-girl was killed. HONGO-KU AND FTJKAGAWA-KU. In Honjo several houses lost their tiles and walls, while many godowns fell down, but no injury or death is reported except at the Ka- negafuchi Cotton-mills, where over 10 hands are said to have been slightly hurt. At Fuka- gawa, however, by the falling of a godown be- longing to the Tokyo Warehousing Co., near the water at Komatsucho, a boat was sunk, killing two and seriously injuring one of the three men in it. The bursting of a tank at the Tokyo Cotton Mill, caused injuries to 2 male and 12 female hand?. An old woman was seriously hurt in the face at Oshima-cho. The wall round the Shinseiza Theatre at Nakacho fell on a woman with such effects that she is not expected to live. An- other death is reported through falling walls at Kiyozumi-cho. In this district, where there are many manufactories, no chimney over 120 feet is in a satisfactory condition ; those at Ona- gigawa Rice Hulling and Powdering Works, the Brick manufactory, the Suzuki Cement Works, and Marugoshi Rice Hulling Works, were broken off in the middle. THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. 11 A FIRE NEAE TOKYO. seismometer were destroyed. According to a A fire broke out at the Oshima-mura I member of the Observatory, the shock on Wed- Kerosene Manufactory, Minami-Katsushika- nescla y was severest in Tokyo and Gumma- gun, about the same time as the earthquake. | ken ' and the centre of fche earthquake must be Though it continued to burnfor a long time, | withiu these two Prefectures ; but as there is nothing has yet been ascertained with respect j uo meteorological station in Gnmma-ken, to the cause and extent of the fire. tbere is no meaiis of ascertaining the strength of the shock in that province. Wednesday's TELEGRAM FROM THE IMPERIAL HOTEL. was also small. earthquake is believed to have been more In connection with a statement made in sev ere than that of 1855, but being of shorter the Tokyo papers, to the effect that the duration> it was less disastrous than that Imperial Hotel had suffered from yesterday's | famoug calamity . The area of the shock shock, we have received the following tele- gram from the management : Though the Japanese papers state that some persons were injured at this Hotel, we request you not to publish the statement as no persons were injured here. CENTRAL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY. The following are the reports so far re- ceived at the Central Meteorological Obser- vatory, Tokyo. Tokyo : Time. 20th, 2.04.10 p.m. Duration. 4 mins. 48 sees. Direction. S.W. to N.E. Maximum Horizontal Motion. 76mm. in 1.3 sec. Maximum Vertical Motion. 18 mm. in 1.0 sec. Nature. Sudden. Remarks. The horizontal and vertical motions arose at the same time, and after 7 seconds, the maximum horizontal motion was reached, and continued for 17 seconds, and then began to diminish in force until it became imper- ceptible. Yokosuka 2.04.20 Strong. SCIENCE COLLEGE'S REPORT. Wednesday's earthquake was the severest experienced since the establishment of the seismometrical laboratory at the Tokyo University in 1880. The observations taken at the Imperial University at Hongo were as follows : Time. About 2.02.30 p.m. Horizontal motion. At first it was slight, but in ten seconds it became very severe, giving a maximum horizontal motion of 80 mm. per sec. This was the most marked motion, fol- lowed by more than ten severe shocks. The severest motion lasted for a minute. Vertical motion. The maximum vertical motion arose at the same time as the maximum horizontal motion, being 10 mm. per sec. Horizontal Vibration. The period of vibration of the maximum horizontal motion was a little less than 2 sees. Direction. The direction was rather compli- cated, but was on the whole from S.W. to N.E. Maximum Acceleration. Calculating from the maximum horizontal motion and vibration, the maximum acceleration was from 400 to 500 mm. per sec. This ratio is used in measuring the destructive Numazu 2.03.25 Strong. ^ Utsunomiya ... 2.04.16 Strong. ! powerVf an earthquake. The maximum accelera- Mayebashi 2.05.00- Strong I Pendulum clocks j. ion in the great Gifu-Aichi earthquake ranged Kof u 2.03.00 Strong \ stopped. | f rom 3j000 to 8 000 mm> per sec . OBSERVATIONS AT HITOTSUBASHI, KANDA. Choshi 2.04.00 Weak. Nagoya 2.04.44 Weak. Gifu 2.04.28 Weak. Hikone 2.01.27 Weak. Osaka 2.04.00 Weak, Clocks stopped. Fukushima 2.04.27 Weak. Aomori 2.06.00 Slight. Satfai (Tottori).. 2.07.00 Slight. Horizontal motion. 130 mm. per sec. Vertical motion. 45 mm. per sec. Period of a Vibration. about lj- sec. Maximum Acceleration. 1,000 mm. per sec. Duration. about 5 min. These observations were taken on sets- All the instruments at the observatory were ! mometers for observing great shocks. From damaged, and both the seismograph and the great vertical motion and the suddenness 12 THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. and long duration of the shock, the centre of move, is progressing. The punctured frac- the earthquake was probably in close proximity ! ture on his head has been trephined, and he to Tokyo. At the University, there is a C an now froely move his limbs excepting his column, on the top of which 8 leaden balls, left foot. about 2 inches diameter, are placed to take a i rough estimate of the magnitude of a shock. : EARTHQUAKE IN KANAGAWA-KEN. Up to Wednesday, the balls had never fallen from the column; but on Wednesday they There were sl} 8 lit dama S es onl y m tha all fell, except one on the North-East corner. rural districts of Kanagawa-ken, except in As the soil of the University, like those of the Tachibana-gun. A stone-wall, nine feet h,gh higher parts of the city, consists of rather and 12 feet lon Z> behind the tem l )le of hard loam, the shock was slighter than on the j Heigenji in Daishi gawara-rnura, fell the softer earth of Hitotsubashi and the lower wllole leD 8 tb - Two little 8 irls ' a ed n a " d town. At the centre of the earthquake in 9 ' aild a ^ a ^ ed 8 ' were crushed to death ' AichiandGifuin 1891, the horizontal motion ; as ih ^ were P assin beside H on their ^ was about 5-9 inches. And the fact that on i llome from sch o1 - Four S odo ^ a collapsed, Wednesday's shock, though of great horizon- ! 28 more were cracked ' three roofs were de ' tal motion, was comparatively less disastrous, P rived of their tiles ' and two sheds inclined was due to the fewness of severe shocks. Wed- Dangerously. The chimneys of a local shoe- nesday's earthquake down-town was sim.lar malmfactor y aud lhe Ja P an Silk and Cotton in nature to that of Nemuro and Kushiro, ! S P innin Co ' were knOoked down< The rai1 ' in Hokkaido, a few months ago; and wa ? between H d 8 a y a > Totsuka was it was slighter than that of Kuniamoto damaged " in 1889. As is usual with great earth- quakes, slighter after-shocks must be expected DAMAGES IN KANAGAWA-KEN. for some days. 'J-'' 16 returns made by the Kanagawa Ken- GKEAT EABTHQAKES OF TOKYO. j JjJ 6 8S f U WS ' The number of great earthquakes which ! seriously injured ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 caused great loss of life and property since Slightly Injured ..................... 27 . . J Houses Damaged ......... ............ 127 1627 is seven, giving an average of one every i Godowns Damaged .................. 98 88 years. Since the last great earthquake \ Chimneys Destroyed ................. 67 I Ground Cracked ..................... 2 took place m 18o5, the present year being ; stone-banks Destroyed ............... 5 the 39th after that calamity, such a shock as occurred on Wednesday was only to be expected. (From Friday's " Gazette." j Water-conduits Destroyed 4 Buildings (not Dwelling Houses) Damaged ... 13 Embankment Damaged 1 Hill-sides Fallen off 19 SCIENCE COLLEGE'S BEPOKT. We are kindly informed by Dr. Rokkaku ! According to a report issued on Thursday by that those severely injured at No. 258, by the I the Seismological Department of the Science earthquake, are not without hope of recovery, ! College, though nothing can ba predicted with with the exception of a few. Kimura Chuzo, j certainty as no method has yet been discovered the injured jinrikishaman of the Italian Con- j to forecast an earthquake, examination of old sulate, who could at first neither speak tor ' lecords and its owu experience establish FIRE AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE AT A TOKYO KEROSENE REFINERY. SCENE AT SAKAICHO, TSOKIJI, TOKYO. THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. 13 the fact that the severest shocks almost al- ways occur first, followed by others of less violence. It may, therefore, be asserted with some degree of certainty that no great shocks will occur after the late earthquake as re- sults of the same earth-disturbance. Though it is usual after great earthquake to have nume- rous little shocks, since 2.05 p.m. on Wednes- day, there was only one each at 4. 20 and 9.33 on the same day. The seismological instruments show that the disturbance has almost entirely subsided. According to the local reports received at the Central Observatory, the region of severe earthquake covers the whole of Musashi, Sagami, Kozuke, and Kai, southern portion of Shimotsuke, part of Hitachi, north-western portion of Shimosa and Kazusa, eastern por- tion of Suruga, and northern portion of Izu. The region of weak shocks was bounded on the north-east by Rikuzen and Uzen, and on the west by Settsu, Tamba, and Tango ; while the outer region of very slight shocks were bounded by the southern portion of Mutsu on the North-east, and on the west by Izumo, Aki, the eastern portion of Sanuki and Tosa. Thus the extreme north-esatern portion of the main island, Hokkaido, Kyushu, the western portions of Shikoku and the Middle pro- vinces did not feel the earthquake at all. The Science College's instruments at the Kwannonsaki Lighthouse gave the following readings : Maximum Horizontal Motion. 19 mm. Period of Vibration. 1.2 sec. Principal Direction. N.W. to S.E. Maximum Acceleration. 270 mm. per sec. Maximum Vertical Motion. 2.5 mm. Direction of strong shocks. 1 m. 2 sees. From this, it will be seen that the shock at Kwannouzaki was of less magnitude than at Kongo and Hitotsubashi. The soil under the lighthouse consists of soft rocks of the Tertiary Period. THE EARTHQUAKE IN TOKYO. Mr. Kamei Eisaburo, Councillor of the Legislative Bureau, was sitting at his table near a fire place, when the earthquake took place. Hearing the chimney knocked down, he rushed to the window and jumped out. He was severely struck in the hip. The wells in Honjo and Fukagawa have become muddy, and unfit for drink ; and even those which cleared soon after, taste of iron. At Futabacho, Honjo, the ground cracked to the length of 16 yards and emitted water to the height of three feet for some hours. Many of the stone-lanterns in Shiba and Uyeno Parks have fallen. The great granite torii of the shrine of Sanno, in Kojimachi-ku, fell and broke into many pieces. Though carpenters have comparatively little work, masons are in great request for replastering walls. They are to be the people who will gain most by the earthquake. Next to them come tilers. Tiles and roof-board- ing have gone up 5 to 10 per cent, in price, with a corresponding rise in the wages of masons and tilers. All the officials injured will be medically treated at the expense of their respective departments, while the University and the Redcross Hospitals have offered to treat gratis those injured by the earthquake, who are too poor to pay. Great anxiety was felt on the state of the prisoners at the prisons ; but at the Kosuge prison, there was no acci- dent, nor did any prisoner attempt to escape ; but near the prison the ground cracked, producing a gap five feet and a half long and 1 inches wide, out of which muddy water was ejected. At Kancla, there was a crack over 60 yards long, while at Hatagoya, Higashi-Tama-gun, many gaps were seen, ranging from 6 to 14 yards. There are many similar cracks in Shiba and the suburbs, THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. At the Keio-Gijuku, Mr. Fukuzawa's great \ school, bottles of sulphuric acid were knocked ; down in the chemical laboratory ; and a fire was threatened, but was instantly put out with the college pump. KEROSENE WORKS ON FIRE. The kerosene refinery at Oshima-mura, in Minami Katsushika-gun, was set on fire by the shock. The damage to the plant and j buildings is put at 30,000 yen ; and 3,000 I cases of kerosene, valued at 6,000 yen, were consumed. The works were insured for 10,000 yen. ACCIDENT AT THE ARSENAL. Shirane Yurizo, aged 89, had entered the i Arsenal in 1876, and by his long and faithful j service had gained the confidence of the j officials. He received 80 or 90 sen a day. \ He was in the small-arms fitting shop, on j the second floor, and when the shock took i place, he jumped out of the window on to the roof of a engine-house. But as he had boots on, his feet slipped and he fell on the ground. He struck his forehead and fainted. He was taken on a shutter to the surgeons' office, but died immediately after. He leaves behind a wife and two children. TOKYO COTTON MILL. Between the two mills at the Tokyo Cotton Spinning Co.'s works at Higashi-Daiku-cho, Fukagawa, was a tank, 15 feet square and 60 feet high. As it fell through the shock, it knocked against the roofs of both mills, and made big holes in the ceilings of the second stories. The men and women cried for help. In one mill, a big piece of the brick-wall, weighing over a ton, fell on a boy of 19, and killed him on the spot ; while in the other, an old woman and two young girls were killed by falling bricks. Fourteen others, two young men and twelve girls, were hurt. A boy and a woman Avere killed by the falling of a chimney at Mr. Asano's Cement Works, HON HATCHOBORI . At Hon-Hatchobori, Kyobashi-ku, Koyama Tokumatsu had built a strong brickwall, 15 feet high and 42 feet long, to his bath-house. On the other side of the wall was a block of six small houses ; and beside them was a go- down. When the earthquake took place, the wall fell and with it the godowu also gave way. They both crushed the block. The inhabit- ants rushed out in terror. Of these, Yoshida 0-Shio and her two children, in the house No. 1, Yokoyama 0-Take in No. 2, Komatsu Tomoye in No. 3, Nakamura Tomekichi, a boy of eight, in No. 4, Kubota 0-Ume, in No. 5, and Shibata 0-Yasu in No. 6, with another woman, were knocked down by falling beams or walls and buried as they at- tempted to run out. They were struck on the head, dislocated their hips, or lost con- sciousness. Their cries brought their neigh- bours to their aid. They were extricated, but seriously hurt. Doctors were called. 0- Ume was sent to the Tokyo Charity Hospital as her injuries were very great. Koyama, feel- ing sorry at the accident caused by his wall, removed the families to other houses in his possession, while five of the injured women are being nursed at his house. THE ASAKUSA TOWER SAFE. One of the first buildings people thought destroyed was the Ryounkaku, the twelve- storied tower at Asakusa. It was even ru- moured that it ~had snapped at the fourth storey, with terrible injuries to those within. Both the police and gendarmes appeared to be equally anxious on the fate of the tower ; and immediately after the shock, over twenty of them went up to the tower. They found there over 80 visitors, and 15 girls from 13 to 17, engaged at the stalls. They all remained still with pale faces, expecting to be killed every moment. The police helped them out ; and fortunately no accident took place. There were small cracks at the fifth, sixth, and seventh stories. THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. 15 THE EARTHQUAKE IN THE PROVINCES. NAGANO-KEN. Nagano, 20th, 8.22p.m. About the same time as the Ttfkyo earth- quake, there was a strong shock in Saku District. Though many walls fell off, so far no report has been reported of death or injury. Mount Asama shows no extraordinary symp- toms. GUMMA-KEN. Mayebashi, 20th, 9.17 p.m. To-day's severe shock was most strongly felt in the districts south of Mayebashi. Most godown- walls have fallen off, and there is scarcely a stone wall unaffected. YAMANASHI-KEN. Kofu, 20th, 8.25 p.m. There was a severe shock at 2.05 p.m. Walls were damaged, but no death or injury is reported from the neighbourhood. FUKUSHIMA-KEN. Fnkushima, 20th, 8.40 p.m. There was a shock here, but nothing serious. NIIGATA-KEN. Niigata, 20th, 8.55 p.m. There was a slight shock this afternoon. TOCHIGI-KEN. Utsunomiya, 20th, 9.0 p.m. There have been three shocks since the morning, the severest being at about 4.0 p.m. People ran out of their houses. In the villages, however, damages were comparatively slight. SHIZUOKA-KEN. Shizuoka, 20th, 9.05 p.m. There was a strong shock at 2.0 p.m. but nothing serious has taken place. In the districts, too, little damage has been done. AICHI-KEN Nagoya,20th, 8.20 p.m. There was a shock at about 4.0 p.m., but nothing serious. OFFICIAL REPORTS. TOKYO PREFECTURE. The earthquake of the 20th inst. was the severest since 1855 ; and the damages done were also great. On the whole, the greatest damages were done down-town, while they were comparatively slight on the suburban hills. Again, stone and brick buildings and godowns suffered most, while wooden houses generally escaped with fallen tiles. Eight-tenths of the damages done were suffered by the former class of buildings ; but the Ryounkaku at Asakusa were not injured except for slight cracks. Two-tenths of the killed and injured met with the accidents through their confusion in attempting to run out of their houses. Numerous stone torn, stone lanterns, and gravestones were knocked down in the various districts. Cracks in the ground were caused in 15 places at Aoicho and Tamachi Rokuchome and Shichichome, in the Akasaka Police limits ; in one place at Sarugakucho, under the Kanda police ; in 38 places in Shiba ; and in from one to three places in Yotsuya, Shinjukn, Fuka- gawa, and Komatsugawa. At Komatsugawa, black sand was thrown up, while a crack in Fukagawa was three feet wide, and emitted water and sand. These cracks varied in width from If inches to 5 feet, and in length from two feet to 180 feet. At Tamachi Rokuchome, Akasaka, about 60 feet of the ground near the drains were slightly depressed. There was one fire through the earthquake. At the Kerosene Refinery, in the Komatsu- gawa Police limits, an oil-case fell into a hearth, and exploding, set the place on fire. The manufactory and two dwelling-houses were burn I down. 16 THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. The total damage done was as follows 9. 11 791 61 f 2 1 17) 20) 1,736 ) 32,204 ) Deaths- Male Female Injured- Male ... Female Horses Killed Injured Houses Destroyed Inhabited Destroyed Uninhabited . . . Half-destroyed Inhabited Half-destroyed Uninhabited Damaged Inhabited Damaged U ninhabited . . . "Walls Damaged Telegraph Toles overturned Boats Damaged Roads Damaged ; length, 15 feet ... Stones-wall Destroyed Hillsides Destroyed Drain and Water-pipes Damaged. . . Bridges Destroyed Damaged Ground Cracked Subsided Chimneys Knocked Down Damaged SAITAMA PREFECTURE. The damages done in this prefecture, so far as were known on the 22nd, were as follows : Injured Prefectural Buildings Damaged Public Buildings Damaged Dwelling-houses Damaged ... Qodowns Destroyed 2 Damaged 29 Chimney Destroyed Walls Damaged Torii Destroyed Stone-lanterns Destroyed Embankments Damaged; length 640 yards.. l\ ff 90) 181? 20 140 18 37 33,940 171 1 6 6 42 13 6 95 271 Roads and Fields Cracked At Kasawara-mura, in Kita-Saitama-gnn, water and green sand issued from a crack, while at Jokoji-mura, Kita-Adachi-gun, greyish sand and muddy water were seen ; and at Sakurai-mura, Minami-Saitama-gun, only j sand was emitted. One well spouted sand for some time and became dry. GUMMA PREFECTURE. On the morning of the 20th, it was ex- | tremely hot, though nothing extraordinary i was noticed in the weather. At 2.05 p.m., | there were two severe shocks within two | minutes. It is considered the severest shock since 1855. At the Isobe mineral springs, in I Usui-gun, about 6 feet square of the wall of an | old godown was shaken down, while at Taka- j saki Town, the tiles and walls of godowns i fell off, and three feet of the roofs of the I houses built against these godowns were also ; knocked down, and clock pendulums were I also stopped. At, Isezaki Town, two or three ! window panes were smashed. People mostly j ran out of their houses. NAGANO PREFECTURE. The earthquake of the 20th was severest in Saku-gun. It took place at 2.05 p.m. At first it was gentle, then became very severe, and finally died away gradually. About Iwamurata and Karuizawa, there were | cracks in the walls of houses and in the ground. | Articles were knocked down from shelves. I In some old houses the lintels came down. ' Top-heavy gravestones at the Seinenji i Cemetery, in Iwamurata, were knocked down ; and in the same town a lightning conductor j was snapped in two. People ran out of their houses, women and children crying aloud ; but no one was hurt or wounded. MOUNT ASAMA. A report from the Nagano Prefectnral Office states that nothing was noticed on Wednesday morning beyond that there was a little less smoke than usual issuing from the crater of the mountain, and in the evening at 6, there was a strong smell of sulphur about Fumikake. THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE X>F '1.804:.. 17 PROF. 81MQYA ON EARTHQUAKES. ! kagawa, the soil of which is very soft. The i centre of last Wednesday's earthquake must have become depressed, though slightly. DIRECTION OF THE GKEAT EARTHQUAKE. FREQUENCY OF EARTHQUAKES. ' Professor Sekiya, the chief Japanese, an- | The oldest earthquake on record in this coun- thority on seismology, was interviewed on | try took place on the 14th day of the 7th month Monday by a reporter of the ,/iji. Before Mr. of the nfth year of tlje 2 Qtli Emperor Inkyo's Sekiya spoke, Mr. Omori Fusakiclii, Lecturer re i gn (413 A.D.) Since then, tlie number at the Science College, showed the reporter a o f earthquakes which overturned and damaged table showing the direction in which the houses, depressed and brought down land, stone-lanterns had fallen in Tokyo. Out of am ] injured men and cattle, is 121, or an 324, 72 had fallen to W.S.W., and 24 to average of one in 12 years and 5 months. jS.Jr.JE. From this it was clear that the Those which are merely called great earth- direction of the earthquake was W.S.W. to ; quakes are 237 in number, or one in six years E.N.E. and four months. These two kinds make a THREE KINDS OF EARTHQUAKES. total of 358, or one in four years and two Professor Sekiya then said that the earth- j months. It is erroneous to suppose that earth- quake of Wednesday, the 20th June was ' quakes regularly take place once in 38 years, severest from Utsuiiomiya on the North ! for sometimes there are no great shocks for a to Kwannonsald on the South, so that ! hundred years together, while at other times the centre of the shock was near Tokyo, they take place annually. There is, therefore, no Tht re are three kinds of earthquakes, those j such thing as periodicity in the occurrence of caused by volcanic eruption, by land de- earthquakes. Though there are no fixed pression, and by land-slips. Though the I seasons when they take place, they area little first causes serious damages at the foot of the volcano, the shock does not extend to a great distance and endanger life and property in remote parts. When Mt. Fuji burst and Mt. Hoyei was formed, the shock, it is said, was not felt at a great distance. The second kind takes place most frequently in Switzer- land. Thermal springs issue out of the earth, more frequent in whiter than in summer. PRECAUTIONS IN HOUSE- BUILDING. The destruction of buildings by earthquakes is due, first to the motion of the earth, and secondly to the motion imparted by it to the buildings themselves. In the case of high towers, for instance, their own induced motion is greater than the earthquake and is and cause a vacuum in the strata, where- j the cause of their destruction. Theoretically upon the upper stratum falls in and j speaking, then, the best buildings are the fills it. The centre of the earthquake in that case is always near a hot spring. The third kind is caused by the shrinking of the earth through dissipation of its heat, ii first two are seldom very severe, but the simplest. Such are square and long houses. It is most dangerous to connect a single- storied house with a two-storied one, or with a tower, for being of different heights, their motion varies and will cause their disconnec- last is the most dangerous. The late earth- tion. And then, by knocking against each litake, as well as that of 1885, was of the other, the two buildings will come to pieces. Siird kind. Greatest damages were suffered ! It is best to build them separately, but if K 1855 and the other day in Honjo and Fu- artistic requirements make their connection 18 THE . AT .-.EARTHQUAKE OF 1894. necessary, the joints should be most firmly constructed, so that they may not feel the shocks. CONSTRUCTION OF CHIMNEYS. The large number of chimneys that have come down shows that their construction was defective. Prof. Sekiya built his own chimney with bricks up to the roof of the house, above which he used an iron column. This mode of construction is, he adds, being pursued in Yokohama, as it is far safer than the usual brick stacks. FOUR GREAT EARTHQUAKES. We may add that Messrs. Wada and Baba, of the Central Meteorological Observatory, give the four great earthquakes of the last five years in the following order of magnitude : I. Aichi-Gifu Oct., 1891 II. Kumamoto July, 1889 III. Nemuro April, 1894 IV. Tokyo June, 1894 ESTIMATED DAMAGE IN TOKYO. The Asaki hears that the damages done in Tokyo have been estimated at over 120,000 yen ; but this appears to be far below the mark. 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED EARTH SCIENCES LIBRA: This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. n CTTtt7 f]rr t\ K ^Afin *Jt I U 8 2002 - T rk 01 A n, 1 n RI^ General Library T/T^OHT? 5 Universg-of^onua ;