Sept. 5, 8.55, p.m.
Mr. Matheson, the correspondent of the "Chicago Tribune," arrived in Kobe to-day from Yokohama. He said that no less than 500 foreigners resident in Yokohama perished. The Bluff. and other elevated sections where foreigners resided contain nothing but charred ruins and bones of the former occupants.
Of 200 visitors at the Grand Hotel only a few escaped.
Only one man escaped from the Yokohama Club where many were The Oriental Palace Hotel literally, sank into the ground except the upper and part of the second floor which are above the level of the Bund.
The majority of the houses on the Bluff collapsed_at the first tremendous shock. Frantic calls for help came out from beneath the wreckage. Assistance was only possible in a few cases.
The Temple Courg Hotel and the Cherry Mount Hotel were completely thrown off the Bluff into the town.
The Bluff Hotel was hurled down to the bottom.on the Hon-maku side. A few occupants escaped.
The French Orphanage containing 16 Sisters and 160 children was smashed by the flood. There was not a single survivor.
The American destroyer, Number 211, was the first to arrive in Kobe with a view to giving aid to the Tokio and Yokohama sufferers.
It is reported from Tsingtao that the American Far Eastern Squadron has left Chefoo for Yokohama and also that the American warships stationed at Manila are on the way to Japan.
The United States Shipping Board steamer, City of Spokane, laden with 6,000 tons of flour, at Kobe, received instructions from the American Government te offer the entire 6,000 tons of flour on its behalf to the sufferers. Accordingly the steamer left for Yokohama to-day.—_Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.