EARTHQUAKES IN CHINA

Kumara Times, Issue 1078, 15 March 1880, Page 4

EARTHQUAKES IN CHINA

The North China Herald publishes a translation of a memorial written by Tso Tsung-tang, Governor-general of Kansu. regarding the disastrous earthquakes in that province a few months ago. The shocks are said to have extended from the 29th of June to the 11th of July, with greater or less severity, and news of the destructive effects experienced in loss of life and demolition of property has been received from no fewer than nearly thirty cities and districts. The memorial says : —On the Ist of Jnly, at about 4a. m., a violent shock occurred in Chieh Chow, Wen, Bsien, and Hsi ho, making a noise like thunder and causing the ground to open and water to rush out. The city walls, as well as the public offices, ancestral and other temples, and private houses were either levelled to the ground or split and rent assunder. The number of persons crushed to death varied from ten in some places to 200Jto 300 in others, in addition to which a large quantity, of cattle were destroyed. On receipt of the information the Financial Commissioner sent off agents to ascertain the extent of the damage, inorder that relief might be sent, and at the same time reported' the 1 circumstances to the Governor-general. The latter observes, that in consequence of the thicknesßof the crust of the earth and the depth of the water in Kansu, there is constantly an accumulation of subterranean gases and sub-aqueous vapors which find a vent in frequent earthquakes ; but as a rule these are very slight, and all is over in a moment. In the present instance, both Sheni and Kansu have simultaneously reported disastrous results from the earthquake, which has been particularly severe in the east of Kansu, though the amount of damage done varies in different departments and districts. In some places, one shock only was felt; in others, several in succession ; while in others again, they continued for the whole 10 days, causing the people to live in constant dread of being crushed. Many of them passed their nights in the open, and at moments when the danger was imminent their cries of distress were truly piteous to hear. There being no one to attend to the animals, even more of these than of human beings were injured or crushed to death, while most of the city walls, temples, public offices and private dwellings were destroyed, and havoc wrought of far greater extent than in disasters of an ordinary kind... providentially, it so happened that the summer harvest had just been gathered, and this being a plentiful one, the measures of relief required were easily carried out.