Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-08-15
THE EARTHQUAKE.
King Humbsrt's Visit to the Ruins
of Casamict lola.
No Warning Ofthe Fearful Catastrophe That
Hurried Four thousand People
Into Eternity.

DTlDB some auulllOQ9l particulars OF III
terest concerning this awful disaster. A
dispatch from Rome to the Times has
the following: There was no sign
whatever at Isehia on the 18th inst,
while the sun shone brilliantly upon
il, giving the slightest warning Of the
fearful catastrophe impending. The
evening is described as one of the Lowell
lest and most peaceful which it was
possible to imagine. The Gulf of Ma
Piles was like mirror; not breath of
air was string; not a sail was to be
seen. a darkness came on the canopy
or heaven was brilliantly studded with
stars. The many visitors with which
CasamicciOla was crowded were gayly
enjoying such another balmy Italian
night as that which Shakespeare depict
ed in the Merchant OF Venice Many
bad gone to amuse themselves in the
theatre, while others were enjoying a
concert given in one of the hotels, called
the HicCOla Sentinella, and there, as
with prophetic irony, a pianist was
playing ChOpin's Funeral March, In
lCNS lAldll NudIlCI vi
| death with one stroke laid his
hands on thousands, and this
scene Of happy, careless enjoyment was
| sounds of gay laughter gave place to
the shrieks of the dying, One whole
family escaped by having taken boat
haitian hour before to enjoy the starry
| evening on the water near the shore.
They suddenly heard 4 roaring noise !;
the water became agitated; Casamic-
ciOla was instantly wrapped in dense
| cloud; they heard the shriekS and
grOans from within the cloud, and, ter
rified, laid hands to the oars and rOwed
out as far as they could"
Many of the Survivors
owe their escape to having been at the
time in the theatre, situate at for
! tunate distance from stone walls. 1t
was slight, temporary construction OF
wood, covered with velarium of can
vas. SignOr Giovanni Casini, of ArezzO,
who was present in it, passed through
Rome last night, and the following is
! taken from a description given 10y him
to the Captain Fracassa: at was about
9:l5 when nv friend proposed that we
| should 90 the theatre. Atthe half hour
the curtain rose, but scarcely Were the
! first words of the comedy spoken when
we felt tremendous shock, and | was
thrown several feet forward and fell
| headlOug. Imagine, ut the same time,
roaring noise, like that of heavy rail-
way train rushing at full speed on to
| the iron bridge. While the shock
lasted the ground rose and fell like the
sea during a storm. What Immediate
/ " followed | cannot tell; everything
weighs upon me still like the night in
| cumbuS, like a horrible dream. | re-
! member only that we were a heap of
! human beings tumbled together; that
the petroleum lamps had been thrown
down and were setting fire to the seats;
that for q moment we endeavOred u
extinguish the fire, and then out we
rushed in q torrent. | next remember
holding on TO the trunk OF tree, and,
On looking upward, l saw its branches
were filled with human beings who had
clambered up. Pieces of wood were
| piled together to light bOnfires on the
J shore as a signal for help. saw all
around an Undesirable strange
erowd-women in their night at
tire only, old men in their
| dressing gowns and naked children.
During the Night
! half-clOthed women were rushing mad
| ly about like furies among the ruins,
| with torches in their hands, calling
| loudly for their dear ones. Every now
aud then a squalid, unknown figure,
| with eyes wildly staring, would rush up
to one, asking: Have you seen my
husband" Have you seen my son" /"
The Standards correspondent at
| Casalnicciola telegraphS August , the
following with relation TO King Hum
| bert's visit:
1.-THE King arrived to-day and made
| all inspection of the ruins, attended by
SignOri Depretis, Mancipi and Genala
J and several other officials and deputies.
/ The crowd which followed them was
comparatively quiet and self contained,
\ and in general the only sound heard
was the half.suppreSsed sob6ing OF
| women, who at times pressed forward
with outstretched arms, crying 'Maesta!
| AIaesta - as if they expected the mere
presence of the King to bring immedi-
| ate relief The effect throughout was
! singular and touching.
| "His Majesty displayed the greatest
sympathy with the terrible distress OF
! the people, making careful eXamina'
ton of the ruins, and being especially
impressed with the awful and most ex-
traordinary havoc that has been
wrought by the shock in the upper
town. He listened patiently to the
story Of all who approached him, and
replied with kindly and benevolent
words to hysterical complaints of the
group OF old people and women and
children who remain among the ruins,
as If unable to quit the place Of their
former dwellings. One old woman, on
seeing him approach, uttereda piercing
| shrek, rose and rushed toward him and
threw herself on the ground at his feet,
crying: Thanks, King"