Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-18
CHI0'S AWFUL CALAMITY.
THE EARTHQUAKES WORK OF
DESTRUCTION.
Whole Populations Rngulfed-HOpes
that Many Fled TO the Mainland
A FanatIcRl Priest Urging the Snr-
Vivors TO Fly-RepeatedS Shocks IR-
terferiug with Relief.

LONDON, April 16.-The correspondent of
the Times at Chic says: 81 have now made
from personal observation, and with the
help OF others, pretty thorough canvass
OF the state Of affairs throughout the island.
The total number OF dead IS scarcely less
than four thousand, although some allow
ance may be due to the fact that immedi-
ately' after the disaster many persons
crossed to the mainland and some
OF those now reported as
dead may be there. The
villages on the southern side of the island
were completely wrecked, hardly a single
house being left standing. The centre of
volcanic action seems to have been near
Nenita, overlooking Megalo Bay, on the
east coast, where three hundred persons
perished out of q population of twelve hun
dred. AT Vounos twentY-six perished out
OF population Of six hundred; at Philitia,
sixty out of two hundred ard fifty; at Kla,
monti, forty out of fifteen hundred; at Ar
milla, forty out of six hundred, and at
Kinri one hundred and thirty out of four
hundred and eighty.
"On the western side of the island at
Mesta many houses fell but nobody was
killed. At Vesha three fourths of the mild.
killed. At Lethi twenty-three persons were
killed out of six hundred. At Argonims
forty out of four hundred, and at Anabatos
twelve were killed. This is the most
northerly town on the west side which
suffered severely. The other towns
we're severely shaken, but are not in
ruins. The department OF Chic and
the towns southeast of it suffered
most OF all. Kallimassio is simply a mess
of ruins, and it is difficult to distinenisb
one house from another. cannot conceive
how any considerable number of the popu-
lation escaped, yet only 449 perished out of
1,SOO. The neighborirg villages suffered
similarly. Seven OF the principal ones. con-
tanning 500 people, are believed to have
lost 1897 dead. At least nine tenths
OF the houses in the southern and south
eastern portions OF the island must be re-
built and repaired. The population are now
tenting out, and there Is great need Of food
and shelter. The northern part requires
help, but to less extent Those severely
wounded are nearly all being brought to
Chios by the men from the ships. The work
of clearing away the ruins has begun here
but in the villages the people are
still panic stricken. Little can be done as
long as the shocks continue. OF two hun
dred persons, for example, who perfshed in
the Lopotamoi only sixty five of the bodies
have yet been recovered, and similar pro-
portion in other villages. About so 600
people are camping in the southern part Of
the island with nothing but what they have
on their backs.
PROGRESS has been made towards system
atizing the relief organization. The people
are further demoralzed by the preaching of
foolish Greek priest, who warns them all
to fee, as the island is about to be COM
pletely swallowed up. The Archbishop and
Governor are seeking to allay the excite
ment, but many are still emigrating to the
mainland and to the adjacent islands.
"At Kallimassio, German doctor who
was in one Of the houses at the time Of the
disaster, relates that the first warning he
had was seeing the dishes on the table lump
up and fall on the floor. few seconds
later, the walls fell outward. From this,
ald similar testimony, believe that In this
district the first shock was nearly vertical,
followed Immediately by horizontal oscilla-
tions.n