It is gratifying to know that no lives were lost by the visitation of the 22d
ultimo, although many houses were greatly injured in the neighboring city of
Yokohama, as were also some houses here.
I inclose herewith a notice of the occurrence as published in the Japan Daily
Herald of the 23d ultimo.
[Inclosure in No. 1077.—Extract from the
Japan Daily Herald, February 23, 1880.]
the earthquake.
We announced in one of our recent numbers that the volcano of Asama Yama
was showing signs of activity, and that the inhabitants in its vicinity
were in dread of an eruption. This fear has not, at least up to the
present time, been realized; but in its place the inhabitants of this
neighborhood have been subjected to the most severe earthquake which has
occurred in Japan since the memorable one of 1855, which forms a
landmark in the modern history of this country, from the wide amount of
damage done and the great loss of life which resulted. There is but
little doubt that during the last few years the symptoms of volcanic
activity have increased in importance in this neighborhood, as witnessed
in the threatenings of Vries and Asama; still, no actual eruption of any
magnitude has taken place; but, on the other hand, earthquakes have been
unpleasantly frequent in number and of more than ordinary severity.
The chemical and mechanical forces which are working in the earth must,
in one way or another, find a vent, and we are almost tempted to wish
that one of the adjacent volcanoes would break out into activity, and
thus form a safety-valve for the locally pent-up forces of nature. The
destruction in the immediate neighborhood might be great, but it is
questionable whether it would equal the wide-spread and ruin which would
be caused by another earthquake of equal severity to that of 1855.
Fortunately in that of last night, although the shock was heavy enough to
do great damage and to cause excited people to objurgate “the land we
live in,” and to express an intention of leaving for Europe by the next
mail steamer, we have not to chronicle, so far as is as yet known, any
loss of life, the destruction being confined to property only.
At a few minutes before one o’clock yesterday morning slumberers were
aroused by a premonitory but comparatively a mild shock. Then came
another, but a very heavy one, in the middle of which was heard the
crash of falling chimneys, walls, articles of furniture, &c. The
panic—for the alarm reached that stage—was intense, and people might
have been seen flying to the doors of their respective habitations and
into the streets in the airiest of drapery. An interval of about thirty
seconds elapsed, and then another but less violent shock occurred, after
which mother earth again sank to repose and left the bewildered
inhabitants to inspect damages to household goods, and too seek such
repose as their fears permitted them to obtain.
The Japanese Government established some years ago the necessary
apparatus at Tokio for registering the duration, force, &c., of
these very unpleasant phenomena. From the native papers of to-day we
learn the exact details. The first shock took place at 0h 49m 22s, and lasted fourteen seconds; the second
one was at 0h 50m 19s, and lasted for one minute
twenty-six seconds; whilst the third was at 0h 52m 15s, and lasted only six seconds.
Of these, the second one was, as already stated, by far the heaviest. The
index of the seismograph showed that the shock was in a north-northwest
and south-southeast direction. The force of the shock was registered at
79°.
[Page 683]
The scene of the greatest damage is the bluff; but a narrow strip, the
eastern end of the settlement, bordering the creek, has also suffered
severely. On the bluff it is difficult to discover a house which has not
suffered to some extent, although there are a few such. A walk around
the road shows a melancholy panorama of fallen and twisted chimneys,
tiles which have slid into the road from unroofed houses, walls cracked,
and in many cases partly fallen, exposing the wooden frame-work of the
houses, &c.
Nor does the external view alone show the real extent of the damage. In
many cases houses which have apparently suffered but little, upon a more
particular examination show a large amount of internal injury, caused by
falling chimneys and plaster, by which furniture has been irretrievably
rained, and valuable china and curios broken or injured. In several
cases cracks are plainly visible in the ground in different portions of
the bluff. In the settlement, the Grand Hotel has lost five stacks of
chimneys, and a portion of the stone facing of the inner wall of the
building has fallen. The side of a small house on No. 130 has also been
leveled, and No. 123 has suffered very considerably.
It must be considered a very fortunate occurrence that in the midst of
all this destruction no injury to life or limb has occurred, and this is
the more remarkable, inasmuch as on the bluff many of the chimneys
crashed through the roofs into rooms in which persons were sleeping; in
one case, a portion of the débris actually
falling on the bed in which a gentleman was reposing without injuring
him. Another danger was also added by the overturning of kerosene lamps,
which were in most cases, extinguished without further injury. One fire,
however, occurred from this cause, but it was extinguished without doing
much damage.
Probably it is rather under than over the mark if we place the losses in
Yokohama alone, incurred in the few moments of Sunday morning, at
$50,000.
