New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-18
THE EARTHQUAKE AT SCIO.
VISIT TO THE SCENE OF RUIN.


PRRERs
lFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRBuSE.I
STEAMER vEsrA, OFF ScIo. April l5.-On my way
from Beyrout to Athens, via Smyrna, onr steamer
made step cf few hours at the port of Scio, the
principal scene of the recent earthquakes IN this
locality From personal observation and statements
made 10y reliable gentlemen OH the ground,
especially the Rev. George Constantine, Of
Smyrna, who has spent several days among the
ruined buildings, the dead and wounded OF the ISL
and of Scio. obtained much information regard
ing the disaster that has devastated the island.
The first and most fatal shock occurred about 2
o'clock Sunday afternoon, April 3, and consisted
of a double motion-an upward propulsion Of tho
EARTH shatteriug the houses, and horizontal one
from east to west, sweeping them down. The build
ings of the city of Sco, which numbered about
5000, mostly Of stone, three four stories high.
and many of them dating back several hundred
years. some to the time of the GcnOcse occupation,
were almost without exception placed in ruins, or
rendered uninhabitable. The very latest estimate
puts the dead in the city of Sco at 1000, and the
wounded at three four times that number Tho
streets are very narrow, and owing 10 the inhabi-
tants in great numbers hurryng into the thorough
fares at the first alarm, mutitudes who would have
been comparatively safe had they remained in their
houses were caught and crushed by the falling
Castle by which is meant the Jewish aud Turkish
quarter, where there we're 80 houses and where
500 600 persons were killed or wounded. Tho
place is an utter ruin and the stencil Of the dead
there makes il impossible TO ascertain how many
bodies are still beneath the debris The earthquake
occurred on the day of the year when the women
allowed TO enter the mosque. and there were SO
or 100 Turkish women buried in the ruins Of
that edice, most of whom were killed ont
right In many whole families have been
blotted out. and the most heartrcnding stories OF
disaster bereavement and suffering told. II has
been ascertained that father, mother, five chill
dren, two women-seryants and one servant were
all simultaneously crushed to death in one house.
There families where the parents killed and
the children left, and vice versa.
One young woman unearthed day or two
since who had been imprisoned among the ruins OF
her house for forty-fye hours, during which time
she had become the mother of dead babe. She Is
still alive, and there are hopes of her restoration to
health. The case of another rescued alive
was related to me. who had been wedged in among
the ruins seventy five hours with dead husband
lying her chest and a newly born dead infant at
her side. Until within day two groans and
cries have issued through the heaps of rubbish
from victims to whom it impossible, both on
account Of the depth 10 which they were buried and
the scarcity of workmen, to afford relief Many OF
those who have been wounded are insane from the
great shock caused by their physical sufterngs and
their losses of property and friends Where honses
standing. the people afraid to occupy them,
and just the nights raw and chilly, and tho
supply Of clothing and shelter is totally inadequate.
The United States man-of-war Gaens English and
French men-of-war, Austrian, German and Greek
ships, at the port affording all possible assist
ance. The missionaries the Consnls of the various
fborn fha itaI
States Consul at Smyrna, Mr.. B. Odell Duncan, TO-
gether with the doctors and Sisters of Charity of tho
vicinity all busy searching for the dead nursing
the sick, and caring as best they for the desu
tute. The city Of Smyrna. about six hours dis
tant by sea- responded most readily TO the
call for assistance, and Is furnishing food,
clothing. bedding and all kinds of aid
with great libe-ality. A committee composed
chiefly of Frcemasons, and superintendcd by them,
has taken up quarters in of the city parks and
is preparing and issuing rations to about 5000 peo-
pie daily. Many Of the inhabitants of Sci0 are WE'LL
to-lo people but their clothing. money, goods and
food have either been burned, stolen covered in
the ruins so to be unavailable, and hence nearly
the whole surviving population is for the time de.
pendent on charity. The products of the island arc
chiefly mastic gum. oranges and lemons. out Of
which many of the Greek residents have acquired
wealth: but there great numbers of the inhabi-
tants whose characters are not the best, and
they together with thieves from neighboring sea-
ports have ndulged their stealing propensities in
these dark hours to greatly increase the suffer
ings of the worthy and render them in a very high
degree the objects of human pity and charity.
The American committee that has been organized
in Smyrna, consisting of the Rev. Messrs. Bowen,
Crawford and Constantine. and Messrs. L. j. Dance
and Alex Ldi, merchants, with Mr. Duncan. United
.Io md fha
fdence of Americans wise almoners of any cone
tributlons that may be sent them. Future assist
ance will be greatly needed in rebuilding the hoUses
of the poor who are left shelterless ami penniless
and in making permanent provision Hr those who
have been disabled for life in body mind both.
| have thus far only referred TO the disaster in
connection with the capital city of the island,
but this is not all the story of destruction. There
are sixty five villages on the island, OF which thir
teen on the north side did not suffer- but of the
other ffty-two scarcely escaped more or less
damage In these small towns the very latest esti.
mate puts the loss Of life at 1916 with very large
number of wounded The population of the island
Ir from ofU Of the Whole Of the inhabitants
have either been killed received bodily injury by
this catastrophe. II was all done IN two minutes,
though there were several subsequent shocks which,
while lighter might have wrought much ruin had
not the first been so overwhelming that there waa
little left in the general track to oyerturn. Tbs
marks of upheaval The work Of ruin extended also
10 the cities of Cheshme, Alatzata, and Kato
Panaga, on the mainland Of Asia Minor opposite
the Island Of Scio in the city Of Cheshme the peo.
ple being warned by previous shock mostly He'd
and only, it is thought, five lost their lives and
about seventy received bodily injuries; their
houses however, in great numbers were levelied to
the earth The killed of Aatzata and Katd
Panaga, so far as ascertained are sixty in the
former, with two hundred wounded, and in the
second about q similar number, while in the two
places over 1000 houses have been thrown down,
One side Of the city of Scio is white with hospital
tents Of which the Americans have two. where the