Tokyo, Nov. 26.
A severe earthquake shook Tokyo shortly after four o'clock this morning. It is believed that no damage has been done locally.
The shock is possibly connected Jwith a series of sharp quakes which recently occurred in the Idza Penis sula, forty miles west of Tokyo.
The neighbourhood of Mishima, Jwhich was the centre of this morn-jing's earthquake, is reported to have Jexperienced an average of about 300 minor shocks daily since November 110, including a severe shock yesterday afternoon, The Central Observatory states that 1,500 shocks have been record-fed since November 7 in the district around the popular hotpring resort According to a report received the Communications Department, the whole village of Hakonemachi, the four houses have been left standing.
The hot spring resort Ito, is reported to be still on.fire, it began fas a result of the earthquake, The Shuzenji Ohito district believed heavily, but det as communications are completely disrupted.
Hakaominami village has been destroyed by fire. The railway between Atami and Hayakawa has been destroyed. A. gusher of boiling water shot upwards at Atami, The Central Observatory in a toment says the vibrations lasted thirty minutes and were felt over a wide area, extending as far westward as Osaka and northward far as Maebashi and Takata, Nov. 27
The latest figures give the carthy quake death-roll as 252, while the total of injured persons has reached 143, Altogether 1,550 buildings have been destroyed and: 4,637 pare tially damaged.
Though the earthquake has left a sad trail of death and destruction the effect on the industrial and come mercial life of the nation is. vintu> ally nil, as the area hit is primarily, roral.
"Apart from the destruction of individual lives, property, roads and communications generally, the tain, material damage appears to be con: fined to the Shimizu harbour and the Tanna tunnel. The latter has been under construction for several years past and is to link Atami with Nunmza. The cost is ¥. 20,000,000.
nearing completion. The. ex tent of the damage done to the tune nel is not yet certain, though it is. feared to be heavy. The damage to the new construction works. in the:
Shimizu harbour is. estimated at 1,000,000 yen.
Experts are reported to hold the, view that the construction work of the Tanna tunnel is partly respon~ Ne for the earthquake, as the. attended the construction of the funnel from the outset, as the workers have been continually tapping streams of boiling water and one countering other indications of con:
fant seismic activity. For this, reason it is thought. that possibly. the tunnelling work may have me creased this activity.
Though it is believed that the worst is past, after-tremors continu. in the stricken area, The Central" Observatory one nounces that over 850° weak Dut appreciable tremors and namiberless lesser vibrations have been recorded up to mid-day to-day since the initial quake yesterday morning.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of food and though Use cold weather adding to the misery of the refugees, it is really a blessing in disguise, as it lessens the likelihood of an outbreak of disense.—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.