Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1851-10-09

The following graphic account oi
this earthquake is extracted from the
Naples correspondence of the Lon
don Daily News:
NEAR MELFI. Aug. 20.
will endeavor to give you mar
rative Of what ! have seen in my
Journey from Naples to the scene OF
the awful events Of The 18th. When
| reached the table land OF the Terra
di Lavoro. ] learnt the earthquake
had been felt there much more dis
tinctly than in the city OF Naples;
indeed the vibration lasted 80 Sec
onds; several persons were thrown
on the ground and few houses are
split, that is, the walls are cracked,
but fortunately no lifewas lost as far
as can learn. Continuing my jour-
nev, | found Avelino had suffered
slightly, withou: loss of life. At
MonteYerde, 6 persons were buried
in the ruins OF a house, and many
others wounded. The inhabitants
OF this district are in a most excited
state, as other slight shocks have
been felt. Many have fled from the
villages, and ] saw groups Of people
living in huts outside the towns
Still more pronounced was the effect
Iof the eal lthquake at BovIno and
Asceli, where many houses are in a
dangerous state, and must be pulled
down. Here, also, | found the peo-
pie greatly excited. was contin-
uaIly asked, "did earthquakes follow
one anotherl Was it safe TO remain
in the housesl" The whole Of the
district of Bari has suffered for miles
round; scarcely a house in any Of
the villages in that direction may be
said not to be injured. The terror
and misery is beyond my powers OF
description. Bascilicata has suffered
throughout the whole district. The
town of Venosa is nearly destroyed;
| the market place is one heap OF ruins,
and you see houses here and there
threatening TO fall. In more than
i one place, | observed the earth torn
up and showing ragged assures. In
this district the earthquake assumed its
most terrible phenomena, viz: first, a
perpendicular action, and then an oscil-
latory. Rapola is in ruins; the cathe-
dral no longer exists. An inhabitant of
this town told me the falling of the
buildings produced such consterna-
ton that for more than half an hour
after the event he could find no one who
could give a coherent answer TO ques-
tion. Day and night. women, men,
and children were tearing away the
ruins to find their friends and relatives.
At Rioreno the inhabitants were employ
ed when | arrived in digging at the ruins.
Half this town is destroyed. saw
several of the wounded, not less than
l3O; they were wanting surgical aid
very much, but feared to discover my
profession, as | could not remain, being,
as you know, sent to Melf. ] think |
never could witness a more painful pic
ture, and need not remind you | have
attended the wounded after more than
one battle, and that is bad enough; but
here, with the horrors of the very worst !
of wounds, the crush, you see a mother
lamenting child under mass of fallen
rubbish; father wildly asking, where
is my family? my wile2"-children
without parents; some lamenting over
the dying, some weeping over the dead.
Gran DOisl Gran DOisi The village
OF Bavile has actually disappeared.
found all about this district large assures,
partly filled up with houses. A man
who escaped told me it appeared to him
that, for minute, he was being tossed
about in the air; the earth appeared, as
it were, with a breathing power; and
then came rocking movement, sha-
king TO and fro. Here some military
had arrived to excavate. There was a
strong stencil of decomposing bodies.
This place was really deserted by the
at least saw very few +;
How shall | give you an idea OF what
was once the town of Melf. The
is down. as are the college,
he churches, the military depot. and {
1863 houses; SO are in falling state, |
md 18O are pronounced as dangerous. r
The military have arrived, and are work a
ng away. Our medical staff is by no
means strong enough. More than a f,
housand bodies have already been dug :
Up, need not add, all dead. The J.
are over 600, and present :
very variety of flesh wounds and frac-
nres. The town offers strange and Z
wful appearance. Many have fed, n
'thers linger sbout the ruins, as fond t
riends about all they love best in the Il
World. have no time to give you any b
otice of the various phenomena, indeed C
have learnt little as Yet. 1t appears, 81
owever, certain, that the convulsinp n
urent was strongest in Melfi, and took Il
direction in the centre of the peninsu- :, :
/ towards Sicily. The water is still =
arm, and repeated slight shocks have -
cen felt in several places. Some sup o'
ose volcano will break out, as there al
evidently some subterranean action m
oing on. The whole district, observe, lie
resents many traces of volcanic action th