American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-04-23
A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
particpIara of the Recent Enrthquake In
the Island of kcIo-Thousands OF People
Killed Grent De.tItution Among the
.IIomeIcss Survivors ..

rarticuIQrs Of the Recent Earthquake II
the Island of RcIo-Thousands of People
KiIIed-G renG DestItuti0n Among tn,
.IIomeIcss Survivors
ScIo, April q
IT is now believed that throughoutthe Who'll,
| Island, which contained 7UUD Inhabitants
5000 or 1909 were killed and % per cent of The
survivors wounded. The Frcnch, british
| United States and Austrian gun vessels i'm the
harbor are doing all in their power to assist
the authorities in the work OF relief. 3.
Only ten of the inhabi ants of Che sme wefe
killed, but many houses are in ruins and 3D.
900 people are without shelter.
A correspondent at Scio telegraphs, under
date of the 18th, as follows:
~ have Just arrived here from Constantine
pie, and find a picture of desolation such as /;
rarely witnessed. Thetown looks as if it had
been terribly bombarded. Hundreds of house:
are transformed into q shapeless mass OF
ruins, under which lie buried an unknown
number of victims. A majority of the re-
main ng houses are already cracked and roof.
less, and may fall ut any moment Nearly ey-
cry building in the town suffered more or Less.
"The innsitants Epndersabout, anxious to
search for missing relatives or lost property,
but afraid to risk their lives in the perffous
work OF clearing away therubbssh. Manyvh0
are willing to expose themselves 10 danger are
prevented by friends or by the police
Fear, grief and despair are depicted on
sad or tragic tale to tell. The first shock
WIS felt Sunday afternoon about half-past one
O'Clock. Immediately houses began to fall.
Wild shrieks were heard on every side. Then
followed an awful silence of some minutes.
The terrified survivors gradually ycnt1rcd
into the narrow lanes and reached the open
spaces. Shortly afterwards another terrible
shock completed the devastation. All night
shocks succeeded each other at short fnter-
walls. and each one, was preceded by dull
sounds like subterrapean 'explosreiiss Since
that frequent shocks have been felt. Afew
moments ago, while writing the present dis
patch, distinctly heard an explosion, and felt
the earth 'trenbie; but, rs am under canvas
l have nothing to fear. ,-1s. . cs az.
The old G enoese Fortress, containing about
400 houses, Inhabited, by Mus sulmans and
Jews, suffered more than the,rest of the town.
The ground there sunk about half meier. and
nearly all the houses were Immediately de-
stroyed, and several hundred persons must
have persisted. 1t Is known thht about thirty
Mussulman women were assembled lin one
house, not one of whom escaped. The SOUTH
ern part Of the Islands, said to- have suffered
merethan this town.. -8,e.. r.. = Il 80
II visited Chcsme this afternoon. Only about
ten inhabitants were killed, but many houses
were in ruins and many more dilapidated,
The Mayor assured me that three fourths of
the houses are in a dangerous condition. The
Inhabitants are afraid to live in those which
are uninjured, for every night since Sunday
frequent shocks have been felt. Nearly all
prefer to camp out. As the weather is fine
the hardship in this respect is not great. 1t is
said that throughout the district not less than
10000 people are without shelter. In Kastro
the work of extricatiny bodies and attending
the wounded is progressing satisfactorily, but
the sitting dor in the vicinity of many of the
ruins proves that the former operation is far
from complete. On the other hand, some
wonderful escapes have occurred One wom-
an was buried under ruins fifty-two hours. and
ut last was rescued, having given birth in the
meantime to a child. The child is dead, but
the mother is doing we'll