JAPANESE DISASTER

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11662, 29 October 1923, Page 4

JAPANESE DISASTER

NEW ZEALANDERS’ ESCAPE A NIGHT OF TERROR ON THE HI.LES. firs fanned by high wind. . First-hand accounts of the appalling disaster which, overtook Tokio and Yoko ■ hama and surrounding districts on September Ist last are included in letters received from Mr L. B. Hannaford, manager for the South British Insurance Company in Japan, and his assistant, Mr Vox. In his letter, Mir Hannaford said: “On Saturday morning, September Ist, I had been on board the Empress ol Australia, bidding farewell to a friend. I left there at a quarter to twelve, called at the club for some books, and was driving in the car when the earthquake occurred. My first intimation of anything being wrong was the behaviour of thecar. I thought it was out of control, when suddenly we .wore brought up by half a ton of masonry falling in front of us. Neither the driver, YoGhiharn, nor myself was more than scratched. We jnmped out, but : fell immediately, for it was impossible to stand, as the road was running in waves. For the moment I was more I astonished than scared. PEOPLE REFUSE TO HEAVE HOUSES. “The first heave of the earthquake toppled over nine-tenths of the buildings in Yokohama, and round where we were the sight was appalling. Yoohihara asked to be allowed to go to hi® wife andi child, who were in the servants’ quarters of the house where I was living with Mr RoGe, of the International Bank, t set to work helping to haul people out of the fallen buildings. Tho eight was appalling. To mako matters wons© fires sprang up all round us, fanned by a high wind. We got heaps of people into the gardens and open spaces, hut soon it became necessary to make for safety, as fires were beginning to hem us in on all sides. You will hardly believe the difficulty ,we experienced in : getting people to leave their properties. ' Some refused, and must have been | trapped. | “We eventually got away, and not too i soon, for we had to go over the roofs I of fallen and burning houses to get to ] the hills for which we were making. |We eventually reached the cricket j ground. It was iii waves. Parties ; went out all night, bringing all wo conlrl ! find. We made a camp, and were fortunate in getting all the water we wanted, but oh! what a night! It is one that will certainly never he forgotten by any of us. A blaze of fire on three sides, the town of Yokohama burning fiercely behind, heavy black smoke from burning oil tanks blowing over us, and frequent tremors, followed by more violent ’quakes making its fool anything but safe. But safe we really were. Tt was a terrifying spectacle.

CRAWLED CHEAT?, OF COLLAPSING HOUSE.

“Wo wore very fortunate in being out on tlio hills, for those who were trapped in the park in the settlement and those who took refuge at. the 7’ennis Club had fires all round them, and the heat was awful. Rose esenited from the bank, but was buried under the next building. He get out to the park eventually.—how ho docs not know —but was badly' smashed, and is now in hospital. The next morning wo got

word to make for a certain place on the shore, which we did, and eventually were taken on hoard the Dongola. The tramp with out party of women and children from tire cricket ground to the shore, through the burnt bluff and settlement, was simply appalling, the sight of the number of dead bodies being hideous in the extreme. Once on board we were ordered out of the harbour immediately, as some oil barges had broken loose, and the next day we sailed for Kobe.” Mr Cox, chief assistant to Mr Hannaford, was at Kamakura, and his description of what occurred there is as follows:

“At the time of the earthquake I was in our house at Kamakura with three other members of the mess. Fortunately, I was near au open window at the time of the 'quake, and with the first shake I made a quick exit through it, but the earth was shaking so violently that I was immediately thrown to the ground. I crawled dear of the house, the major portion of which collapsed shortly after my getting o'ear. One of our men was unable to get out of the house, and was killed by the main roof falling on him.

SEA RECEDES FOLLOWED BY BIG WAVE.

“Immediately after the shock the sea receded for about half a mile, and then swept back in one big wave about 25ft high.

“The foreign houses were fortunately not reached, but a number of Japanese houses .were washed away, drowning a number of Japanese. That night we spent in the bills at the back of the town for fear of further waves, the shocks continuing at frequent intervals for some days. Next day we returned to the house, and were able to salvage Bonio of our personal effects, which we were forced to leave behind on going to Kobe, but hope to recover later.

“The following Thursday we walked to Yokohama, and boarded the Empress of Australia, which sailed for Kobe on Saturday evening, arriving on Monday morning. September 10th.” When the .general manager, Mr P. H. Upton, had read those letters to shareholders, Mr C. J. Tanks suggested that some message should bo sent to the officers who had gone through this extraordinary experience, and on his motion it was decided that letters be sent to Messrs Hannaford and Cox, congratulating them on their escape.