The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-02-11
no struggled lss some time vainly TO r.;

IA struvpisd Ies some time vainly 10 70.
lease himself, when another shock saved !
him: the earth was again rent open, and he
escaned from this terrible dursnce. Ano-
tber instance Of remarkable escape occur.
red to three paper makers OF Pizzoni d.
Soriano, named Greco, Roviti, aud Felia.
They were walking near each other on the
plain, when suddenly the ground was sha
ken by q terrible convulson. Greco and
Feia Immediately fled, and had the good
fortune to escape, but Roviti. encumbered
bya gun, which he would not relinquish,
was exposed to instant and deadly peril.
The earth yawned widely beneath him, and
he fell into the chasm. but was immediate
" thrown up by another shock, and fell in
to a contiguous swamp. He was young
and powerful man, but the ground contin.
ued To heave like waves, and kept him en-
tangled in the deep swamp, from which he
long struggled 10 escape, until at length a.
mother mighty shock threw him out, and
he fell upon the brink Of a newly opened
chasm, where he remained for some time
half dead with terror and exhaustion. a
week after his escape. he found his gdh on
the bank ofihe river Caridl, which had en-
tirely changed its bed. An affecting IN
stance of maternal love and self devotion
was discovered in the ruins ofPoistena.--
The mother Of two chldren-a boy aged
3 years, and an infant Of seven months
was sucking her babe when the house fe
and destroyed ell three. The position II
which the bodies were found afforded the
clearest evidence that the mother dellber
ately exposed her life to save her offspring
She was laying on the ground with he
face downward, the infant close TO her DO
som, while with her body she covered as'
the older child, thus Offering her back 4
the falling timbers. Her arms were clasp
ed round both, and in this affecting post
ion the half decsyed bodies were discov
cred when the rubbish was cleared away
Another striking instance Of parcnta
selfOblivion, which occurred at Scido. u
thus recorded By Vivenzo. and was als'
related to me BY four individuals at Pizzo
"Don Antonio Ruifo and his wife had on
" one child, a daughter, Of whom the!
were pnssionately fond. When the earth
quake shook their dwelling to its founda
ton, and escape was impractlcabls. the!
placed their little girl between them. ant
embracing each other, awaited tho will
Heaven. The house gave way. a hcav!
beam fell upon the group and destroyed
both parents, but did not separate them
After the lapse Of several days, the ruins
q, were partially removed, and their bodies
were discovered with the child, APPARENT!
dead, between them. The little girl, how
ever, soon began to moan; she was takes
out of the rubbish, and. although life wa
nearly gone, she at length recovered, an'
Is now alive and we'll" IL was general,
remarked that the positions of the mel
killed by the fallen ruins indicated that ev
cry sinew had been strained in resistance
while the features and attitudes Of the fe
males exhibited the extremity Of despair
and in many instances tho latter were
found with their hands clasped above the
heads. Wherever children w-ro foun.
near the parents. the attitudes ofthe moth
ers indicated entire self-abandonmcn,
while farthers were often discovered fold
ing n child with one arm, and endeavornl
with the other to stem the superintendent
ruins. [Blackwood's Magszinel