The "Kobe Herald" of the 29th ult. gives the following account of this strange calamity A tragic and extraordinary disaster to a large company of Japanese soldiers is reported from North Japan. A dispatch from Aomori (the terminus of the Tokaido Railway north of Tokio) states that 210 men under command of Major Yamaguchi of the Second Battalion, Fifth Regiment, tioned at Hirosaki, the Aomori restarted on a winter march to a well-own mountain, Hokkoda san, in the district, on the 23rd inst. The men were to spend the night on the mountain and return to quarters on the following day. Not a man returned on the 24th nor on the following day and enquiry was instituted. It was ascertained on Monday (27th) that all the men with the exception of a corporal had been frozen to death. The entire Tegiment and towns-people of Hirosaki set out in search of the missing men.
An official dispatch to the War Department has the following particulars The detachment under the command of Major Yamaguchi set out for Hakkoda san on the 23rd inst. It consisted of 210 officers and men. They were to spend one night on the mountain and then return to barracks. The men did not return up to the 25th and anxiety was then felt for their softy. A detachment of men was sent to search for the missing company and it proceeded towards the mountain on the morning of the 25th. They discovered Captain Kaminari and two petty officers nearly dead in the snow at Tomokino, some miles from Hirasaki and these men were immediately attended to. - One of the petty officers was already beyond help, however, and Capt. Kaminari was uncon. scious. Lhe second petty officer fortunately recovered and told the fate of the company. Tt was learned that the company met with a frightful snow storm on the day they set out. They reached Tomoking with great difficulty and it was found impossible to proceed further. It was decided to camp there but the men were short of fuel for fires. Rations had been brought away for two days only. Tt was found impossible for the whole 210 men to move in one body and the officer in command ordered his men to form small parties and attempt to reach a village. This was done but the surviving petty officer do"s not know where all proceeded. The whole regiment stationed at Hirosaki barracks on receipt of the news left in search of the "missing men but what success met their efforts is not yet known.
Major Tamura and Medical Officer were sent to Hirosaki on Tuesday evening from Tokio.
Another Aomori dispatch to the" chi" states that over 140 of the men, cluding Major Yamaguchi, were frozen to death on the night of the 23rd and G!) men are missing. Captain Kaminari and two petty officers were discovered by the rescue party on the 27th. One petty officer recovered (as stated in the dispatch to the War Department). The whole of Fifth Regiment (the "Mainichi" message says) has been searching for the dead and missing men since the morning of the 27th (monday).
It is sincerely to be hoped that matters may not turn out so badly in this terrible affair as the news printed abore would indicate. There would certainly serin to he uncommon heroism or uncommon Mlondering in tha execution of a maneurre of military training which hac Apparently resulted in the lors of over 200 lives.
The latest dispatch from Aomori, appearing in a late issue of the "Asahi," stetes twat ib is confirmed tnat Major Ya puchi, Capta s Kamninari, Kuraisui, and Okitsu, Lieutenants Nakano, Ohashi, Ito, and 'Midzuuo <V Ensign Suzuki, Medical Offic non-commissioned otnzers and' men lost their lives. Only one man, a corporal as already stated, was rescued. The men of the Fifth Regiment are distributed throughout eighteen posts and they are continuing the search for the bodies of the unfortunate men.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.