SERIOUS EARTHQUAKE IN YUNNAN.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2486, 16 June 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

SERIOUS EARTHQUAKE IN YUNNAN.

Suffering and Death.

The North China Herald of the Bth March says :—The Governor of Yilnnan reports tho occurrence of a very serious earthquake in the south of the province. The disturbance commenced between 5 nnd 6 p.m. on tho 14th of January lust, and lusted till 4 a.m. on tho following day. Duriug this period there were ten or more serious nhocks, which were accompanied by a noi.se as of thunder, In Shih-p'ing, Chienshui and other district cities tho town walls were either thrown down or cracked, while the public offices and temples shared the fame fate. At Shih-p'ing, in tho south of the city, eight or nine-tenths of tho private houses fell, in the cast aa mnny as a half, in the north and went rather less; but still even there more than a 1000 rooma were loft with cracked or slanting , walls. Two hundred persons of all ages were crushed to death, and more than 300 permanently crippled. There was much loss of life or limb in the surrounding villages, namely, in those to the east, 800 killed and 700 or SOO wouuded ; to the south, 200 and 400; to the west, 300 aud 500 ; to the uorth, 100 and 200 ; making a total, inside and outside the city together, of more than 4000 killed and wounded. But this does not represent the whole of the suffering caused. For a large majority of the people, rich and poor alike, are left without homes, all their provisions and other property being buried beneath the ruins of their houses. In the town of Chienshui itself seven or eight people were crushed to death, and some scores were injured. In the neighbouring villages 249 people were killed and 150 or 160 hurt. The suffering there is of a similar uature to that in the Shihp'iog and its neighbourhood. In view of the unprecedented magnitude of the disaster, and the vast amount of misery it has caused, tho Memoralist has instructed tho Taotai and the Prefect of the locality to lose not an instant in providing fund.s and in despatching special officers to assist the regular authorities in discovering those who are in want, and distributing charity to them. In A-mi Chou, Hsinshing Chou and Weiyuan T-ing, though fortunately no lives were lost, a number of houses were thrown down. One of these was the district gaol at Wei-yuan T'ing, from which all the prisoners consequently escaped. Among the fugitives that have not been recaptured are four men, accessories to the murder of three persons in one family. Orders have been issued to recover the criminals, aud further to hold an investigation for the purpose of discovering if the escape of the prisoners was due to any couni ranee on the part of the gaolers. Also, accounts will be made up and sent in, showing the exact amount of money disbursed in charity and the number of persons relieved. Tho Rescript declares that the Emperor is much distressed by this serious calamity, and orders that measures be taken to ensure the relief of every single one among the sufferers.