The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-04-15
SciO's Great Loss by Earthquake.
HUNDREDS OF HOUSES COMPLETELY DFNfOT,
IsHED AND SEVEN THOUSAND LIVES LOST.

HUNDREDS OF HOUSES COMPLETELY DEMOI-
IsHED AND SEVEN THOUSAND LIVES LOST.
The London Times correspondent at Scio.
the scene of the recent terrible earthquake,
telegraphS as follows under date of the 9TH
inst.
I have Just arrived hers from ConstantInoule and
find picture Of desoIation such as Is rarely wit
messed. The town looks as il it had been terribly
bonn moaTdcd. Hundred Of houses are transformed
into shapcIess mass of ruins Tnder which lie
buried an unknown number of victims major
lty OF the remaining houses are already cracked
and roohess and may fall at any moment Nearly
every building in the town has suffered more or
less. The inhabitants wander about anxious to
search for missing relatives or lost property but
are afraid TO risk their lives in the perilous work
of clearing away the rubbish. Many who are will
ing TO expose themselves 10 the danger are nre-
vented by friends or by the police. Fear grief and
despair are depicted nearly every face. All
have some sad or tragic tale to rsU Tbe Grst
shocS was felt on Sunday afternoon at about ! 80
O'Clock. Immediately houses bcoaT to fall Wild
shricks were heard on every side. Then followed
an awful silence Of some minutes The terrified
survivors gradually IS ventured into the narrow lanes
and reached the open spaces. shortly afterwards
another terrible shock completed the dcvaS tatiou
lhcn 10 remained quiet until sunset. when il again
began to shake the island t1-oIrh01if a. sovereIv
as before All night the shocks succeeded each
hv dun sounds ILc evIosios Ssince
that frequent shocks have been felt. 4 few min
distincfIy heard an eZ-losion filee snrn5 IN gIi
the earth t-emblc, but as am under canvas / have
nothing TO fear. The old GenUcsc fortress. con
taiung about four hundred houses inhabited Tv
rest Of the town. The ground there sank about
halt a metre, and nearly all the houses i'm
mediately destroyed and several hundred persons
must have persisted. 1t is known that about thirty
Musselman women were assembled in one Of the
houses, not one of whom escaped.
A medical commission Is now sitting to consider
the eXpedieucy Of covering the rubbish in the fort
TeSS with earth. rs there is hope of saving any
lives, and the diSintcrment OF the dead might pro
ducc epidemic i j. now believed that through
ont the whole island, which conta ued 20 O0 inhab-
itantS, six seven thousand were killed, and 2j
per cent. Of the survivors were wounded. The
French. British, United States md Austrian war
vessels in the harbor are doing all in their power
20 assist the authorities in their work relief
niy ten OF the inhabitants of CheSne were killed
/ OUT many houses are in ruins. and $1,000 people
are without shelter The southern part OF the island
I ls said 70 have suffered more than this town. l
/ VISITED CheSme this afternoon. Only about ten
Inhabitants. were killed. but many houses are In
runs and very many more are dilapidated. The
mayor assured me that three-fouTths Of the houses
are IN dangerous condition. The inhabitants are
AFRAID 70 live even in those which are uniniured.
iuT every night since Sunday frequent shocks have
4 heen iclt- Nearly all prefer camp out. As the
weather is fne the hardship in this respect is not
great IN hastro the work of extricating bodies
anu attending the wounded is progressing salts
iactorliy but the sitting odoT in the vicinity of
many OF the ruins proves that the former opera
ton u far from complete. ON the other hand some
{ wonderful escapes have occurred. One woman
was buried under the ruins for ifty-tyo hours and
I at last was rescued, having given birth in the
{ meantime to a child. The child is dead. but the
mother is doing well.''
ANOTHER TERRIBLE SHAKING.
SCTo, April A violent shock Of eartboualze
lasting four seconds and gradually increasing in
strength. has Just passed the island followed
( by the falling Of houses on all sides.