THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN JAPAN. Ghastly Scenes and Sad Incidents-Over Two Thousand Homeless.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 304, 3 October 1888, Page 5

THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN JAPAN. Ghastly Scenes and Sad IncidentsOver Two Thousand Homeless.

The 'Japan -Mail' or July 7fch says: The vernacular press' contains further informa. tion as to the disaster at Bandaizan. The previous news is confirmed, in so far as concerns the* burial of a region having a radius of two ri round the centre of volcanic disturbance, and the partial devpsfation of a region having a > radius of six ri. The number of persons buried is still put at upward of 400, and the number of those injured ab 900. Among the former ,were 150 visitors to hot springs on the slope of the mountain. There are three of the°e hot springs, called respectively the upper, lower and middle springs. These are not, however, much frequented by visitors from the great towns, as, despite the recently-constructed railway to Sendal, Bandai-zan is still very inaccessible. The spas are therefore patronised chiefly by farmers from the neighbourhood, who go there after the rice has been planted out or the silkworms reared. Iwase-mura, a village in the vicinity of the volcano, appears to have suffered most. Thirty six houses were buried there and fifty-six injured. There was no warning, or at leapt nothing that could be called a warning. About 7.30 o'clock in the morniner of the disastrous day (15th insf. ) the inhabitants of Honmiya, a village near the mountain, suddenly heard a roaring sound, which in general they supposed to 'be distant thunder, though some puspecte 1 it to be the rumbling that often precedes an earthquake. A few minutes later they observed a strange-looking black pillar of cloud or smoke ascending from Bandai-zan, Gradually the cloud expanded and spread over the surrounding district, raining ashes whereever it passed, though not in very large quantities. Not till 10 o'clock did the cloud reach Honmiya. It then presented tho aspect of thick grey mist. At 11 30 o'clock the ashes ceased falling and the sky cleared The ashes resembled disintegrated rock, but had a peculiar bluish tint. Districts lying to the north of Honmiya did not receive as much ashes as districts to the south. At another but mor^ distant village called Miharu the sky suddenly darkened as though heavy rains were about to fall, but in about an hour this appearance ceased. The roaring noise was audible at many other hamlets, and people working in the fields hastened home terri. fied. The volcano which has thus broken into fatal activity is situated about four and a, half miles (English) from the telebrated lake of Inawashiro, and its elevation is about 5,000 feet above the sea. It has been quiescent, so far as is known, for about a thousand years, and as the old crator mu?t have been affectually blocked up, it* reopening ought to have been attended by greater disturbance than the accounts thsp fur received indicate. Moreover, the eruution appears to have taken place irom the smaller of the two Bandal peaks (Sno-Bandal-zan.) It is therefore conjectured that the outburst found a vent through one of the springs. The Wakamatsu district, which lies seven and a half miles to the southwest of the volcano, is said to be comparative] y free from damage. The diameter of the crater now formed is said to be about five miies (English), but this is evidently mere conjecture. In addition to the direct effects of the eruption, disaster was caused by the damming of the Okawa river, and the consequent inundation of a village called Hibara, situated on its bank. We read further that at 9.20 o'clock on the same day — that is to say, about an hour and a half after the eruption at Bandai-zan —a severe 'shock of eathquake was felt at Asama-yams, distance over a hundred miles from Bandaizan, accompanied by an appalling noise. The earth trembled violently within a circle of fifteen miles radius from the mountain —to Warratoze on the south, Uaui-toge on the north and Mikuni-toge on the west — and the inhabitants believed that their last day had come. Until 4.50 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day roaring and shocks were repeated, but on a constantly decreasing scale. A subscription has already bet- n started in Tokio for the relief of the sufferers. His Majesty the Emperor has contributed 3,000 yen, and sent Viscount Higashizono to report upon the condition of the people.