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Show S. L Japanesec Fear fcr Rcktivcs Cable Inquiry Brings No Reply Utah Importer D es cribes Cities NONE of tha more than 500 JapanM ridenta of Saltj Lake, nearly alt of whom hare many relatives and friend in Yokohama and Tokio, hai rewired an.r word a to the fata of thoae for whom they are mot anxious, according to Edward D. Hashimoto, well known Japanese importer and merchant at 163-165 Wert South Temple street. Immediately upon receipt of .the new of the terrible earthquake and fire In the two eitiea most affected, Mr. Hashimoto sent a cable message of inquiry, but no answer has been received nor has his message been returned to him aa undelivered. Hs assumea that tha cable connections have been severed and that the telegraph company com-pany la Bending hla message Into tha atrlcken city by radio, and ha supposes thst his meeeage will hsvs to take Its turn smong ths thoa' ssnds swsltlng delivery. I According to Mr. Hashimoto, tha city of Toklo was originally built to wlthatand aarthquakea to which the eectlon in which Tokohama and Toklo, aeventeen mUea apart, are peculiarly euecepttble, but of lata years many tall buildings of reinforced rein-forced concrete hsvs been erected not so well adsptsd to withstand earth tremors. SITS FILLED IN. - "Ths city of Tsddo was established estab-lished shout toe years ago by lye-yssu lye-yssu Tokuwsga. tha ehegun, as ths capital of his shogunsts," aald Mr, Hashimoto thla morning. "Al that time the sits of ths future city waa nothing but awamp and marsh and the ground upon yhlch Tokugawa built hla city waa all filled In. As ths city Increased mora awamp was reolalmrd until now tha city reaches tha foothills, ascent an tha aide facing the bay. Yokohama bay at Toklo la vary shallow and not navigable for boats of any eon-alderable eon-alderable else. There being na bedrock under the site of the city, sll of ths buildings are built unoa pile foundations snd these structures struc-tures have been the moot affected by tha aarthquakea of the past, of which there have been very many; none, however, equal, to thia one, unices It be ths great earthquake of Hit. whan more than 100,000 Uvea were lost. "About fifty. five years ago, when the power of' ths shoguns wsned snd lbs emperor gained tha ascendancy ascen-dancy In government, the .seat of empire waa fixed at Yoddo and tha name af ths city was changed to Toklo. , . RISIOINCtS PLIMSV. "Practically all of tha residences In Tokohama and Toklo are of very flimsy wood construction, with tils roofs, being conetructed primarily ta wlthatand aarthquakea. But of course, this very fact makee them veritable traps In case af fire and It la undoubtedly fire that la causing caus-ing auch extraordinary lees of llfs st ths present Urns," said Mr. Hashimoto. -Residents of ths United States wha are accustomed to plenty at room, can have no Idea of the density dens-ity of populsllon In Tokohama ee Toklo, unless they have actually been there ta see for thelaeelvee,' hs continued. "Yokohama, the port af Toklo, baa nearly I.OOe.M Isbabliante at preeent and Tokle haa mors than I.DOS.Svv, having Increased very rapidly within tba paat few yeare. Ia tha capital sll these people era crowded Into aa area comprising not mora than twenty square miles. Kvsry Inch of ground lo accounted for and ae spaoa ia wasted. Tha streets are very narrow aad many of them are not wide enough for modern veblalea. With falling building all around them and ths fire hemming them In. It Is not Impossible Im-possible to believe thst many more than IvS.evs. the estimated number, may have perished.' |