A series of rainstorms, attended by violent gales, at times approximating the ' velocity of cyclone, raged over the main island of Japan for about 48 conecutive hours Inst week. Houses were uprooted, bridges collapsed, vers burst their banks and mile on mile of cultivated land was submerged. Tokyo was least struck by the storms, but, none the less, over 2,500 house in the capital' were submerged, largely because the River Sumida, on which Tokyo stands, overflowed. For some time was feared that the main embankment of the Arakawa River, n the upper reaches of the Sumida, would give way, in which ease all Tokyo, with the exception of the hilly regions, would be swamped by the waters of the Tama and the Sumida. Nothing disastrous, however, oreurred.
About 3,000 persons climbing Mount Fuji were caught in the storm, and several perished, largely because they ventured to brave the storm, The majority took re-fuye in the caves that abound or the side of Fuji, and remained there till the storm was over. They haa ft cla' in thin clothes. When the arm burst the mercury dropped about half-way up the moun.
it became piercingly cold.
Among foreigners who were climbing Fuji at the time was Miss Alice Beach, of Pasrden, Cal fornia, She had gone to the base of Mount Fuji with her brother-in-lew, Mr. "Kibby, who is connected with the St. Luke's Hospital here. Before the ascent of the mountain was commenced, however, Dr. Kibby had to return to Tokyo. Miss Beach, nevertheless, was determin ed to climb the mountain, and Dr Kibby assigned Mr. Ogata, one of his assistants, to accompany her. They had an awful time while the storm raged, but when a rescue! party reached them were found tu be perfectly all right, except that they wore drenched and were almost famished.
bers on the Japan Alps had less luck, and proportionately the greatest number of storm fatalitiies came from this region.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.