Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-04-14
HELLENIC HORRORS.
FIRST DETAILS OF THE CHIC CA.
TASTROPHE.
Thrilling Description Of the Terrible
Commissions OF Nature,

thrilling Description Of the Terrible
Commissions of Nature.
LONDON. April "a correspondent at
Chic, telegraphs under date OF the 7th,
as follows:
l have just arrived here from Constanti-
noble. and find picture of desolation
such as Is rarely witnessed. The town
looks as IL it had been terribly boubard-
ed. Hundreds of houses are transformed
into a shapeless mass of ruins, under
which lie buried an unknown number of
victims A majority Of the remaining
houses are already cracked and roofess,
and may fall any moment. Nearly
every building in the town suffered
more or less. The inhabitants wander
about, anxious to search for missing
relatives or lost property, but afraid to
risk their lives in the perilous work of
cleaning away the rubbish. Many who
are willing to expose themselves to dan
ger. are prevented by friends or the
police.
FEAR, GRIEF AND DESPAIR.
aie depicted in nearly every face. All
have some sad or tragic tale to tell.
The first shock was felt Sunday after
noon about 80 O'Clock. Immediately
the houses began to fall. Wild shrieks
were heard on every side. Then follow
ed an awful silence of some minutes.
lhe terrified survivors gradually ven
| tured into narrow lanes and reached an
open space. Shortly afterwards another
terrible shock completed the devastation.
All night shocks succeeded each other at
short intervals and each one preceded by
dull sounds and by
sUBTERRANEAN EXPLOSIONS.
Since that frequent shocks have been
felt A few minutes ago. while writing
the present dispatch. ! distinctly heard
an explosion and felt the earth tremb-
ling. but as | am under canvas, | hare
nothing to fear. The old Genoese fort
ress, containing about 400 houses, mhabi-
ted by Musselmen and Jews, suffered
more than the rest of the town. The
ground then sank about half metre and
nearly all the houses were Immediately
destroyed. and several hundred persons
must have perished. 1t is known that 80
| Musselmen women We're assembled i'm
one house.
NOT ONE WHOM ESCAPED
The southern part of the island is said
to have suffered more than this town.
Her Majesty's gun vessel, Bittern, ar
rived this morning. The captain at once
came ashore and after consulting with
the Governor of the island organized
relief parties for sending to the wounded
and extricating the dead from the ruins,
He then went over to Chesme and made
careful inquiries regarding the state oi
the town and inhabitants. Tomorrow
he intends visiting the southern part OF
the island where less has been done fel
the relief of the sufferers. | visitee
Chesme this afternoon. Only about ten
in inhabitants were killed but many
HOUSES ARE IN RUINS,
and very many more dilapidated. The
mayor assured me that three-fourths OF
the houses are in dangerous condition
The inhabitants are afraid to live even
in those which are uninjured, for every
night since Sunday frequent shocks have
been felt. Nearly all prefer to cam1
out If the weather is fine, the hard
ship in this direction is not great. He
said that throughout the district there
are not less than 80. 900
PEOPLE WITHOUT SHELTER.
In Kastro the work of extricatins
the bodies and attending the wounded
is progressing satisfactorily. but tn,
sitting odor in the vicinit- of MANY OF
the ruins prove the former operation
is far from completed. On the Other
hand some wonderful escapes have oc
cured. One woman was buried unde,
the ruins of Sc houses and at last was
rescued, having given birth in the
meantime to child. The child is dead
but the mother is doing WELL
CHJOS A nril ga n,o1;,ol ,n,,,,,;,
sion is now sitting to consider expedien
cy of covering the rubbish in the fortres.
with earth, as there is no hone of saving
any lives, and the disinterment of the
dead might produce an epidemic.
1t is now believed that throughout the
whole island, which contained 70 ,OO(
inhabitants, 600O or 1000 are killed
and 20 per cent. of the survivor:
wounded.
French. British. United States, and
most of the gun vessels in the harbor.
are doing all in their power to assist the
authorities in the work of relief.
Only 10 of the inhabitants of Chesme
were killed. but many houses are in
ruins, and $4,000 people are without
shelter.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, April H. Earth
quake shocks of considerable violence
begun again i'll Chic. Barely twenty
houses remain habitable in the whole
place. Forty-five villages were totally
destroyed and the population in many
localities has absolutely disappeared.