Terrible Earthquake at Formosa.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXII, Issue 3874, 16 May 1906, Page 2

Terrible Earthquake at Formosa.

GREATER THAN ‘FRISCO.

Sydney, May 14

Details of the Formosan earthquake show that 1106 were killed and 1862 wounded, while 8842 bouses were destroyed and 2121 partially destroyed.

Early on the morning of March 17th, the inhabitants near Kagi were startled by several slight shocks, followed by a severe one and accompanied by subterranean explosions. The shocks continued at intervals of from five to ten minutes all through the day arid the day following and abated on the 19th. The devastated area is about thirty square miles, and the surfaoe of this country is much cracked in all directions, while water spurted up several feet in some parts of the land, which subsided and lakes formed.

In other places the land exuded mud hillocks.

[Formosa is an island ninety miles from the coast of China, and has a population of about two million. It is perhaps best known as having been the theatre of the war between France and China in 1884-1885. Its chief towns are Tamsui, Taiwan, and Eelung].