The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-02-12
Terrible state of Anaira i'm Naples

The London journals draw fearful pictures of the
present condition of the Kingdom of Naples
Amid all the horrors of the earthquakes, the work
OF prescription aud cruelty to prisoners goes on
A Naples letter say: The Mayor of the province
of Basicata reported that during the repeated
shocks, eight hundied prisoners, most of whom
were uneonvicted. were in state of terror, as
their crazy prison thKeatened to fall and bury them
in its ruins. gallery which fell killed. three and
wounded several of these unfortunates. A room
afterwards fell in. but did no mischief SIT is i'm
possible saysthe Mayor, in an official report tt,
the Minister Of the Interior dated Decembar 1stb
ito describe the confusion which reigped-fear
cries OF desperation, endeavors to escape prayers
tears and baspbemy; such the scene met
In order to maintain order. the guard fired on the
prisoners but with powder only. To restore con.
hience and tranquility, L assured the prisoners
| would remove them from those quarters of tho
building which the shock had rendered danger.
Gus. gave this assurance In the name of TIE
king, our august master" In answer to This dis
tressiDg report, BaDchiori replied In cruel fash
ion. But even worse remains to be told On the
18th Of December, another earthquake occurred
and SO, 900 men, women, aud children. persisted In
the province OF Basicata. The same Mayor ask ell
for surgical aid on behalf of the inhabitants; 4O0
ankutation casts awaited their arrival Sixty
surgeons offered their services, but perhaps being
poor, asked that their expenses might be maid
which his majesty declined, and the poor crea
lures suffered to die for want OF aid that coud
be SO cheaply rendered. The same terrible re
rort AIDS that $50 600 persons were rendered hon
less by this earthquake, and leo died each day
from 1ant of food.
Several gentlemen have returned from the eoun-
try which has recently been devastated by the
earthquake. They had passed nearly fortnight
il wandering from one place TO another, and the
information hich they bring back is of the deep
est and most painfu interest. According 20 them,
the shocks continue throughout the entire district
to the number of five SIX day, sometimes tel.
erably- strong and generally oecasioning the fall
of many houses. The hair-breadth escapes which
they had rather matter for private narrative,
but they much heighten the color of the terrible
picture they draw. Thoir trip was extended far
beyond Polla and into the very csntrs OF volcanic
scten, as ProtenZa, Briensa Tito and many other
places Of mourntul celebrity. The scene Of desc
Iation was beyond the power of description The
actual labor not to rebuild but to destroy; the
few houses that remained standing were insecure,
and one would have said, nninhabitable Tut that
the people in their misery, st clang, like rocks,
to their falling habita;ions. S1s country ia ma
ny parts, still gaped with vide fssures Of the
breadth Of two arms. and when they had closed.
had done uBequally. one side being MANY
teet higher than the other Come Of the incidents
which they relate, seem more Ike fables than
facts. An infant had been ding ont alive, sitter
having been under the ruins for eight days
Its mother fed it bountifniy and 10 died. girl
of eight years Of age hae been disinterred after
eleyen days burial and was still living The monks
Of g. Francisco in Padnla, related story OF girl
of II years of age, who had been recovered alter
spoke of having been visited la her subterraneap
tomb by lady dressed in black. who gave her
bread and water. She believed that it Was the
Madonna. Mules had also been dug out alive,
after q days burial. One Of the monks told my
informants that on the night Of the 10th u't., Che
shock was so violent as 70 throw him out Of bis
bed through the window into the garden OF the
monastery. At feggiauo. a poor woman had lest
her husband and two children beneath the rups:
two yet survived. but they quickly died Of hun
ger, and the wrefched mother hanged herself
Tales OF wonderful and tragic interest abound, aud
If the reader donbts the possibility. he has only to
read Coiletia's graphic description of the earth
quake Of 1853. The people had not settled down
to nything like regular occupation, but grubbing
among the ruins for whatever they could find
and seeking for the bodies Of their friends, ef
whom hundreds still remain ~ yet disinterred--
Supplies were slowly coming in for the poor peo
pie. but roads there were scarcely any, and much
had to be transported on the backs Of mnlss. The
province Of Basiicsta Is the largest In tho king
dom, and yet has not more than one carriage road
threugh IL Of any importance. e