地震史料集テキストデータベース

[未校訂]The last person to find fault with a port without good
cause should be the seaman who has just reached one,
however insecure,after having been tossed and shaken
into a jelly by gales of wind in the open sea.On the
shortcomings,therefore,of Simoda in all the require-
ments of a harbour for men-of-war,and much more
for mercantile purposes,we shall abtain from dwel-
ling.Its deficiencies were so apparent to Mr.Harris,
the American Consul-general,that,by treaty with the
Japanese,he has resigned it for some safer and more
convenient spot.Situated as it is on the extreme of a
mountainous promontory which projects into the full
sweep of the Pacific Gulf-stream, it is most difficult of
access to sailing vessels, and lies in the most active
volcanic region in JaPan,if not in the world.Within
sight of Simoda,the smoking crater of “Vries Volcano”
serves as a beacon to remind the inhabitants by how
precarious a tenure they exist upon the sea-board of
the Idsu promontory. Only four years before our arri-
val, an earthquake, aided by terrible rollers from the
sea, destroyed the town of Simoda and the greater
part of its inhabitants. The Russian frigate Diana,
commanded by the present Admiral Count Poutiatine,
was at anchor in the harbour at the time. She was
wrecked;but her gallant captain and crew were saved
to give us this account in graphic language of the
horrors of that terrible December morning,and the
heroic manner in which they stood to their shattered
ship:―
“H.I.M.S.Diana,in Simoda Harbour,December
23 d,1854.―Nine o'clock a.m.; light W.S.W.wind;
bar. 29.27;ther.7deg.R.（47.75deg.F.）;weather
clear and agreeable.
“At a quarter past nine,without any previous indi-
cation,the shock of an earthquake,which lasted two
or three minutes,causing the vessel to shake very
much,was felt both on deck and in the cabin.At ten
o'clock a large wave was observed entering the bay,
and in a few minutes simoda was inundated,houses
and temples swept away,while the junks before the
town,forced from their anchorage,were seen floating
in every direction,on knocking against another,crack-
ing and sinking.In less thanfive minutes after this,
the water was seen rising and bubbling,as if agitated
by a thousand springs,carrying with it loam,straw,
and other materials,receding and then returning with
tremendous force,and completing the destruction of
the town,boats,and junks.Our men were ordered
to secure the guns and boats,and to shut the ports.
During this short time the bay was covered with thatch.
es and ruins,which had been carried away by the
receding waters.
“At a quarter past ten the frigate was observed to
drift, when the second anchor was immediately drop-
ped. Notwithstanding this, however, the water, return-
ing with greater velocity than before, forced her a
second time from her position. The whole town was
now on vast scene of desolation; and out of about one
thousand houses,only sixteen were standing. At this
time a cloud of vapour was observed over the ruins,
and the air was strongly impregnated with sulphurous
acid.
“The sudden rising and falling of the water in so
narrow a bay gave rise to numerous whirlpools, which
caused the frigate to swing round with such rapidity
that all on board became giddy. At halfpast ten a'
junk was thrown against her with so much violence
that it was smashed to pieces and sunk immediately.
Ropes were thrown to the men to save them from
drowning; but only two seized them, the rest, rushing
into the cabin, chose rather to die than to violate the
law of their country which forbids them without per-
mission to go on board a foreign vessel.
“An old woman also, in a small boat, was drifted
alongside. She was quite insensible, and her rescue was
not effected without several men being expesed to
considerable hazard. But their exertions were success.
ful; she soon recovered, and is still living.
“After the frigate had turned once more round, and
approached within fifty fathoms of a rock, the whirl-
ing of the water became so violent that she was flung
from one place to another, and in about thirty minutes
turned no less than forty-three times round her anchor.
During this time she was nearly smashed against a
rocky island, but fortunately she just cleared it. At a
quarter to eleven, when the third anchor was dropped,
it had not the effect of keeping her stationary; and
when the sea receded, it left her on her side in eight
feet of water. While in this position it was impossible
to stand, and all endeavoured to crawl to the upper
side, fearing the effect of the next rise of the water.
This speedily took place, and with great rapidity and
violence, forcing them into the midst of the bay, and
causing one of the guns to break loose, when it instant-
ly k illed one, and wounded several others of the men.
Another effect of this rush was manifest in the frigate's
keel and rudder, which were now to be seen floating
near her. The rising and falling of the water were
very great, the depth varying from less than eight to
more than forty feet; and these changes, at intervals
of about five minutes, continued till noon, when it was
discovered that there were thirty inches of water in
the hold.
“At this time a perceptible diminution in the fre-
quency and violence of the changes took place, and this
opportunity was embraced, and every available effort
made, to lessen the influx of water. But scarcely had
half an hour elapsed, when, before these operations cou-
ld have been completed, the rising and falling of the
water became more violent than before.
“Between this time and a quarter past two, when
the agitation again became much less, the frigate was
left four times on her side; and once, while thus laid
in only four feet of water, the upheaving of the ground
was so violent as to force her past her anchors （the
upper parts of which were visible）, and back again
to her former position.
“Continuing to decrease in violence and frequency,
by three p. m. the agitation of the water, and the
motion of the vessel consequent there on, were very
slow. She now floated in twenty-five feet of water,
but within her hold it was observed to be raising at
the rate of thirty inches per hour. At this time a fresh
west wind was blowing; the bar. stood at 29.87, and
the ther. was 10. 50 R. （about 55.63F.） The bay was
covered with ruins, on which men were seen walking;
and at four p. m. we began to disentangle the anchors,
the chains of which were so twisted that four hours
were required to clear one of them.
“During the ensuing night a frcsh S. W. wind blew,
and the pumps were working twice an hour.
“We had now to obtain the consent of the authorities
to our seeking a bay in which to repair the frigate,
Simoda not being well adapted for this purpose. After
some delay this was granted, and a suitable place was
soon selected. Some necessary repairs having previously
been made, we weighed anchor on the 13th January,
and with a light wind left for the appointed place.
The wind soon failed us, we were left drifting towards
the breakers, and our position became one of imminent
danger. But ere long a gale arose, and after approach-
ing nearer and nearer the shore, all hope being aban-
doned, twenty fathoms wer ecalled out, and the anchor
dropped.
“On the 15th and 16th there was less wind, but
the water in the frigate rose to such a height that
grave fears were entertained as to the possibility of
saving her. The Japanese authorities sent a hundred
junks to tow her to the bay, and on the 17th all hands
were landed. This was not done without great difficulty
（on account of the dangerous surf）, which was particularly
the case with the sick, who, wrapped in sails, had to
be dragged through it. Next day （18th） the junks took
her in tow, not a single man was on board, and the
water already half filled the gun-deck. After proceeding
a few miles, a small white cloud appeared, on perceiv-
ing which, the Japanese, panic-stricken, cut their ropes
and fled. This appeared strange to us, but a storm
speedily justified the fears they had manifested.
Had they delayed much longer, they would have been
in great danger, and not improbably might have shared
the fate of the frigate, which forthwith sunk.”
The new town of simoda was being rebuilt when we
were there. The ruins of a Japanese city are by no
means imposing ; wood, thatch, and a small modicum
of bricks, constitute the materials generally employed
in a country where a man may naturally expect to
rebuild his house more than once in a lifetime. The
spick-and-span new appearance of whole streets told
its own tale; and the appearance of a formidable
stone-faced breakwater, erected some feet above high-
water mark, and fully thirty feet high, cutting off the
pretty vale in which the town was situated from the
waters of Simoda Bay, showed in what direction the
greatest danger was anticipated, ahd whence they had
suffered most, during the last dreadful visitation. Yet
there was nothing in the appearance of the good folk
of Simoda to lead one to suppose they fretted much
about earthquakes, rollers fram the sea, or the Vries
Volcano. Every one looked as happy and free from
care as any people could do. The men welcomed us
with a good-natured smile, and the women, young or
old,seemed as curious to look at us as we were to
look at them. Everybody appeared well to do―not a
beggar was visible ; possibly the earthquake had swept
them off.