Show destructive earthquakes some of the app illing illan DIst axters that kluvo vial tei jaran earthquakes are of so frequent occurrence in ill japan that they are looked upon ws ah a matter of course and unless they are arc accompanied with a loss of life and destruction of property the outside world hears little of them some of tile earliest japanese traditions says Ilar harpers pers weekly are arc of extremely tre niely destructive earthquakes and many fanciful tales are told of those w aich happened previous to the times of trustworthy historical records dF but there are arc many authentic records of earthquakes which destroyed whole cities the most serious of these disturbances tur bances in recent times was that of 1850 1855 when in yedo which was the center of the quake dwelling houses and 1049 fireproof storehouses were overturned in the lust last days of the past october there was a very serious earthquake about cifu and nagoya and there was great loss of life and property there were slight earthquakes on sunday october and these continued with in preas ino ing severity until the morning of the follow follo ing in g friday daring thelast the last two days of the quake distinct berc felt and recorded at G cifu afu th the ai houses 0 u si tumbled a fire fire a and n d those people not caught in the ruins fled to the country and the hills but in nearly every ho se it is reported that one or more unfortunate victim was caught ht ilow how great the loss of life has been lias has not yet been reported but enough is known to place the loss at several thousands when the first shock was felt at cifu the up and down trains on the railway were just meeting the shock was accompanied bya by a rumbling sound and the people on the tram train thought that there had been a collision on lookin looking a out of the windows however they saw the station in ruins and the water in a neighboring pond dashing violently from side to side As the continued cracks in the earth were observed two or three feet wide opening and closing the shipping r in the vai gaii 1 ous harbors was very much injured and on one e ship which recently arrived at san francisco reported that when seventy miles at sea a violent shock was felt thelea the sea was hashed into a foam the waves broke over the decks and the main topmast and cros crosstrees were lost these disturbances at sea have been very common in previous earthquakes and several times great ships in japanese ports have had great difficulty in weathering such unaccustomed conditions |