, 1881-05-07

WAUA UKC&1up Jul DIG III SIO6b VAIN VI ulOuA~
cal assistance, which is being given to
them by the English and American doc
tors. Though the shocks are now weak
and occur at long intervals, the people arc
still 80 frightened that they have not yet
begun to clear away the ruins. Great
efforts are being made both by the native
authorities and the crews of the foreign
war ships to relieve the sufferers.
The ironclad Thunderer is expected to
arrive here tomorrow.
April. 9,
The population are gradually recovering
from the panic which for some days para
lyzed their energy and made them incapable
of helping themselves. The day before yes
terday [ did not see anywhere a single open
door, and did not meet a single person in
the narrow streets. To-day when wander
ing among the ruins, | noticed several
people carrying out furniture, and on moro
than one occasion / narrowly escaped q
shower of pillows, bedding, and similar
articles. thrown from the upper stories of
the houses not completely wrecked. These
exceptional houses are nearly all built of
solid masonry, and seem t. date from the
period Of the Genoese domination. AT
one or two points / noticed fe BILE attempts
being made to clear away the ruins, APP.
parently with the intention of rebuilding
the houses, but such cases are still very
rare. The prOprietOrs. who waste their
time in wandering about listlessly or chat
tering in the cafes about the details and
effects of the disaster, have q dozen excus.
es for their inactivity. They say that the
shocks which still occur several times
daily may increase in intensity that there
are no masons or bricklayers to be found;
that they are utterly ruined and have no
energy 10 begin life anew. The more
energetic men are having booths of light
boards constructed in the open spaces of
dwelling houses or shops but the majority
content themselves with rude shantes or
tents, and enjoy with their families the
dolce far niente in the bright genial sunshine
of the open fields or the perfumed shade of
dark green orange groves where the chill.
dren merrily dance and play as if they had
never heard of earthquakes, and regard the
camping out AS a delightful episode in the
ordinary course. Their fathers and mothers
are, of course, more sedate, but no longer
wear that haggard lock Of mingled terror
and despair which I noticed so often on
the day of my arrival. The weeping and
wailing, which were at first general, a,e
now confined to the old women and the
wounded, and of these lat er [ must say
many bear their wounds with admirable
Stoicism. The number of wounded is not
80 great as might nave been expected, and
the fact is easily explained AS the houses
throughout the island are of stone, nearly
all who aid not escape unhurt, were immedi-
ately buried under a large mass of heavy
material, and for several days, during
which the intense panic prevailed, little
or nothing was done TO ext tCate the sur.
vivors. One poor woman told me that for
days she heard her child moaning under
@ heap of stones and rubbish, but that she
could not induce any of the villagers to
help her in saving it. Some of the blue
jackets from the Bittern, hearing the sad
tale and touched by the mothers grief. at
once set to work, at the risk of their lives,
and in less than an hour rescued tho litt Q
one, but it was already cold and stiff, hav-
ing died evidently from starvation or ex-
haustion. Many heartrending tales of this
kind might be told.
The excavations within the old fortress
here, which con aimed about $50 Mussul-
man and SO Jewish families, AVE been
begun. One hundred and fortysfve bodies
have already been recovered. Judging
from the Presidential odours which | en-
countered when clim bling over the noun
tains of rubbish this forenoon, [ should say
that many still remain.
The a~mbulances and relief committee are
actively at work,
Early yesterday morning the British
Ambassadors despatch boat Antelope ar
rived from Constantinople with Major Trot-
| tar an delooate from the CO%nStantin ple Re.