Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-01-03
THURSDAY TOWANDA

| parted Ia TWO, ana we leIJ ourselves QeSeenQ-
ing to he earth with a rapidty which took
my breath away, and | became for the time
insensibe. When | recovered my senses, my
first thought was of my husband. | opened
my eyes, and found him still alive, and, as it
turned out, with limbs unbroken, though great
y bruised. He was feeling my pulse and look
ing anxiously at my face for signs of recovery
aud his joy when opened my eyes was evil
| dent even to my enfeebled vision. After
moment, 7 thought Of Madame Torellas and
| her daughters, and asked him in faint voice
if they were safe but be only pointed to what
! appeared heap of torn clothing without
speaking, and comprehended that tbey-who
at the moment when the division took place
were standing at the edge of the terrace look.
| ing at the still bursting ruins-had been pre-
! cipitated into the street aud killed.
When | attempted to move, suffered in-
tense pain in my right leg, which was SO help
less that felt it must be broken. My hus,
band examined it, aud found that it was flac-
tured little lelow the kuee, and that any
further walking on my part was quite ont Of
the question. lie went away for minute or
two, aud came back with some strips of linen
and pieces Of rafterS, which he smoothed and
cat with his knife into spllnts, and set the bone
as well as circumstances w0nld admit Of AT
ter he had done this, he searched for and found
SEINE OF the food which poor TorelIas had
brough. up,and made NE swallow few mouth
fulS but wanted water most, aud this he
was unable to get without going some dis
tance wherefore | preferred to suffer thirst
rather than let hitn go out of my sight. Day
light made no difference in the severity of the
ch L,,r L. (t,r
less frequent and about noon seemed to have
ceased altogether, and people began to appear
again in the streets. My husband appealed
to several who passed to assist him in remov-
ing HE to place of shelter, bat they all re-
fused or pretended not to hear him proba
bly, they had lost relatives the previous night,
and we're toe anxious to discover anythi0g res
pecting them to pay attention to the words Of
u stranger. 1t was impossible to carry me
himself in the condition | was in, on account
OF the pain it gave me to move, and we were
obliged, though with great reluctance, to con-
sent to q separation while be went to Batalha,
the householder, to get mule to carry me, a
vehicle of any kind being useless in such in
numbered streets. Every minute seemed an
hour while was waiting bis return, and yet
minute after minute passed, and he did not
make bis appearance. | knew the distance
was not great, and making every allowance,
as | thought, for the difficulties he might have
10 overcome, be ought to have been back long
since, when darkeuing Of the air, accompa-
MED this time by u strong sulphur9us SMELL
gave notice that another calamity was about
to burst on the devoted city. The openings
of the ground were more frequent ard far
more terrible 10 see, now that the daylight H.
Illuminated them and showed their untathoma-
bls depth. One of these split open so close to
the ruins on which | was lying, that portion
rolled in. The SUMS rays fell directly into it,
aud | shuddered as | gazed into the gulf
which was deeper than the deepest abyss |
had ever imagined myself falling into the wild
est nightmare. | drew back trembling with
horror and fright, aud buried my face in nv
arms to shut out tie dreadful spectacle. |
prayed for my husbands return, but be came
not. | would have dragged myself along in
the direction in which be had gone, if | had
been able bat was entirely powerIcss and
to add TO the teTToCs of ny position, | now
discovered that circular stone building (used
| believe, for the temporary confinement of
pgisoners,) treIbed with every shock and,
cracked as it was in different directions threat
ened every instant to bury me beneath its
ruins.
1t will not be easy for anybody to realize
my feelings as lay on this heap of rubbish,
watching the quiverng blocks Of stone aud
the powdered mortar which was grated out
from betA cen them, and fell upon me in
shower Of dust l entreatld several who
passed to come and remove ne, if only for
few yards, SO that might be out of reach of
the building and some were about to help
me, but when they saw the imminence of the
danger, they, ike the Levite of old, turned
away, and passed by on the other side. The
good Samaritan came at last, however, in the
form OF poor woman. carrying baby in
her arms. In answer to my appeal, she laid
her babe tenderIy on the ground, lifted me
up, aud carried me beyond the reach Of this
last danger after which she offered to get
me some water, an offer which accepted with
a grateful heart, for the pain | was enduring,
and the anxiety had undergone, had parched
my throat to that degree that every breath |
drew caused me the most acute pain, height
ened perhaps, by the sulphurous exhalations
which now filed the air. She was going to
carry her babe with her, but | took it from
her as she was stopping to pick it up, and
tod her wouid take care of it. Poor little
innocent, it anted no further care 1t seem
ed asleep, bat it was a sleep from which it
would never wake again probably it had
been suffocated by the pressure of the crowd
on the preceding night. The kind woman
soon returned with some water, and | raised
it to my lips eagerly, anticipating the most
delicious sensations from the refreshing cool
ness it sent through me the instant it touched
my lips. found, to my disappointment, that
contact between it and my throat caused me
so much pain that could only swallow few
mouthfulS, and | was obliged to content my
self with the relief it afforded me to hold it
in my mouth.
| questioned the charitable creature who