Salt Lake Tribune | 1913-11-02 | Page 15 | Rats Threaten to Wipe out Colony

RATS THREATEN TO WIPE OUT COLONY TOKIO, Nov. lw The entire population popula-tion of tho small island of Nakashima, of the Ten Islands group in southern Japan, has boen threatened with extermination ex-termination by a veritablo plague of rats. Nakashima is inhabited, by a doren families, all ongagod in agriculture. The rodents increased thoro at suoh an enormous rate that thoy absolutely took possoBBlon of tho Island, ravaging the farms and devastating tho crops, and actually attacking cattlo and othor Hvo3tock. The inhabitants killed or captured 5000 of them, but not before thoy had lost all their provisions. The authorities woro forced to send a quantity of rice and barley to Bave thorn from starvation. Meantime, a campaign was organized from without to exterminate the rodonts. Thin was' a difficult, matter, as they hod burrowed bur-rowed retreata in all parts of the Island. ,