The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-03-05 00:00:00

THE. RECENT EARTHQUAKES IN
FRANCE AND ITALY.

The work of recovering the bodies of those victims
of the earthquake buried underneath the ruins of
Diano Marina was proceeded with as rapidly as pos-
sible. At Savona all business was still suspended on
Monday, and the inhabitants were chary of returning
to their homes. Further shocks have been felt at
Genoa and other places. From Nice the flight con-
tinues, and 15,000 visitors are estimated to have left
since the shocks. King Humbert has sent 60,000
francs and the Pope 10,000 francs in aid of the suf-
ferers.

Some peculiarly pathetic incidents are recorded by
some of the correspondents. While searching for the
dead among the D:ano 111,rina a boy who lad been
buried for three days was found almost unhurt in bed
under the debris. The people bivouac under the olive
and almond trees. At Bajardo the roof of the
church fell in, as did that of the church of Bussana.
The village is a mass of ruins, and completely unin-
habitable. Prolisions began to fail on Sunday, and
supplies of medical requirements, such as drugs,
stretchers, &c., are greatly needed. The bodies of
those dug out were terribly disfigured.
The work of excavation and rescue was proceeded
with all possible speed. Troops with fixed bayonets
had to keep back the crowds of despairing relations
and friends who as the bodies came to light tried to
throw themselves on them, and impede the work. As
the churchyard could not hold all thebodies, the town
council was called to decide where to bury them, but
only three members of the corporation appeared, all
the remainder being amongst the dead. Not a single
member of the Mayor's family has been saved. The
survivors at Diano Marina seem stunned, and have
lost all consciousness of what is going on. Half-clothed
people are seen wandering about the seashore exposed
to the cold north wind and rain. Many a victim
will be added to the number of the dead in
consequence of the fearful sufferings people hive
since undergone. Some soldiers, who were working
by torchlight in the uresence of Signor Genala, the
Minister of Public Works, succeeded in rescuing a
man alive who turned out to be only slightly injured.
Only a single member has been saved of a family of
the name of De Maestri, which was composed of 22
persons, and he is in a half-demented state. Groans
having been heard from under a wall which gave
evident signs of being about to fall in altogether,
General Sonnaz, as-Asted by some friars, attempted
to approach the place, but they were themselves very
nearly buried under the tottering wall, and were
forced to relinquish the attempt. At another place
faint moans having been heard, workmen began
excavating and, to their aotonishmEnt. came upon two
goats which had not been hurt.

A Times correspondent writes from uenoa under
date Feb. 28th: The work of extricating the bodies
and imprisoned living from the ruins of the towns
goes on slowly, and supplies of food and material for
the building of sheds are continually arriving. The
main demand now is for help to the living,'for there
is little probability of releasing any more survivors.
The weather is bitterly cold, and until this morning it
has been rainy. The mountains about are covered with
snow, and the wind blows from them. This morning
the sun came out, but it had little effect on the tern -
perat are, and nearly the entire population of the villages
in the district are living in the open air, paralysed
by fear and unable or unwilling to return to their
abandoned houses. Diano is literally demolished,
Savona has few houses intact, and the villages and
minor towns where a large part of the buildings
are insecure cannot even yet be enumerated. But
the reports of loss of life in some cases have been
greatly exaggerated. The heaviest losses have been
at Bajardo, where, mainly by the falling of the church
during service, 250 were killed. In the villages about
San Remo 303 bodies have been disinterred, and at
Diano 112. In the other towns where the material
damage was great the loss of life is not so serious as
might have been supposed. In one village the church
fell in just after the entire congregation had gone out
to accompany the Sacrament to the house of a mori-
bund. The editor of the Cafraro kindly furnishes
1113 with the following details received from his
correspondents in advance of publication :
Alassio, abandoned by the inhabitants, is under
a military guard. Another shock was felt this morn-
ing at 330, which considerably damaged several
houses. The population is on the seashore, and sheds
are being constructed. At Laigueglia the municipality
is distributing food to the population, which is entirely
destitute. Three hundred and seventy tents have
arrived, but are insufficient. At Andorra 500 tents
and 25cwt. of biscuit have arrived for the inhabitants.
Nearly every house is more or less damaged. Eleven
persons were wounded and two children killed. The
inhabitants, as well as those of Stellanello, are under
canvs.s. Nearly all the houses in Cervo are ruined.
Two pirsons were killed.
At Oneglia no one dares to go into his house, and
the population sleeps out in the open, believing that
the shocks will recur on the fifth day. At Porto
Maurizio little damage has been done. At Rive
Ligure no injury has been done, yet the ee,tire popu-
lation is out in the open. At Taggia mucteinjury has
t,een done to the houses, and the panic is undiminished.
The population is under canvas. Arenzano, Cogoleto,
Celle, Bergeggi, Borgio Terezzi, Pietra Ligure, Loano,
and Borghetto are abanrionod, though little or no
damage has been done, and the people refuse to reoc-
cupy the houses. At Varazze nearly every house is
damaged, and the inhabitants are collected on the
shore. At Albissola Marina four persons were killed,
and the population is under canvas.
At Savona some slight shocks felt yesterday re-
newed the panic, and though the number of houses
damaged in not large in proportion, the population
is all under tents. At Vado the houses are much
dansa;ed, but only one person was wounded. At
Spotorno three shocks were felt last night, and one
house fell, killing a man. All the houses are
damaged, and the population is out in the open. No
help has yet been received. At Ceriale shocks were
felt last night, and the population refuses to enter the
town, though the injuries to buildings are slight. No
help has arrived yet. At Albenga great damage was done
to the palace of the Prefecture, and the churches all
threaten to fall. The population is panic-stricken.
The editor of the Caffaro estimates the total of those
killed at 1000. but it is doubtful whether it will be so
large. The people of Genoa have in three days con-
tributed over 100,000 f. for relief, of which the Gear°
has collected more than 25,000 f. The effedzs of the
earthquake are apparent from Albissola westwards,
the centre being at Diano.

The hom( less persons number 20,000, and the
material losses amount to about £2,000,000. The
damage falls mostly on industrious villagers, with
little means, whose destitution is complete. Piano
Marina is a complete wreck,