The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-06
A Competent Observer, Familiar with the
District, Disputes the Theory Adj
vanced by Prof Palmieri.
The Soldiers the French Will En-
counter in the East.
A French Naval Demonstration-The Losses
of the Annamites at Hue-MOre
Rioting in Croatia.
THE DISASTER IN IsCHIA,
Statement of Competent Observer WI
Has Studied tic District

Statement of Competent Observer Who
Has Studied tle District
Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.
NAPLES, Aug 20.-But thirty months ago
thrill of horror passed through many peo-
pie, especially those who had visited Ischia,
when they read of the earthquake that de-
stroyed the greater part of Casamicciola.
That catastrophe, however, was soon forgot
ten when the far greater one of the island of
Chios was heard OF, and which quite eclipsed,
in point of destruction, that of Ischia. The
shock that then occurred at Casamicciola was
at LOS P. NJ. on March 4, 1881, at an hour
when many of the peasantry were out of
| doors at work, and as consequence, only 127
people perished. All the worst houses fell;
those better built were either fssured or not,
in proportion to their newness and quality OF
construction. Many were plastered up,
few iron ties inserted, and people re-
sided as comfortably as if nothing had
occurred. The following bathing season
was bad one for the thermo-mineral estab-
lishments and hotels, but this year conf
dence seemed quite restored, and the place
was literally crowded.
| About a week before the disaster left the
island after a stay of some days. The beauty
of the climate and vegetation seemed to
excel any other time | had visited the
locality. Everything appeared to smile at
one, the clear air, beautiful flowers, the
! homely hum of bees, and chant of the peas
ant, combined with the magnificent scenery,
made up the Italian paradise of which a
northerner often dreams, but, even if he
visits the sunny South, is rarely so fortunate
as to see
AS we sat al the dinner table our CON
versation was merry, and even myself, who
was but too well aware OF the danger,
could never have realized that many of
the sixty or so of my convives in a few days
| should recognize amongst crushed and
putrefying corpses. At the present moment
one can but too we'll realize Hamiet's solil-
oquy over Yorick's skull.
On Saturday evening at $50 peasants were
already in bed, dinner was over at the
| hotels, and the visitors were either in the
garden taking coffee, in the salon listening
| to the music of some volunteer, or at the
| theater. The evening is described as mag
nhcent, the gentle breeze waiting along the
odor of flowers, and all nature seemed placid
| A terrific report followed by a series OF
| others diminishing in intensity, and accom-
panied by the violent rocking or humping of
the earth, which in a few seconds completely
| razed CassamcCiola, most Of Lacco Ameno
| Forio, Fontana Serrara and BaranO to
the ground. There rises a gigantic
cloud of dust accompanied by the shrieks,
cries and groans of hundreds of wounded
What was an earthly paradise in a moment
converted into vertable metropolis, where
from 1000 to 1000 people lie buried beneath
Two large landslips detached from Monte
| EpOmeo, swept down everything before them
| and converted many gardens and vineyards
into an avalanche OF stones. The whole of
the road from Casamlcciola is destroyed, and
| the stone bridge is totally ruined. All COM
| municatiOn is entirely cut off in the whole
| of the injured region, and men with axes cut
paths through vines to carry the wounded
| and dead to the port Fires declared them
selves ats several places amongst the ruins
The scene on landing, thirty hours after is
indescribable. Wounded, dead carabinieri
villains, etc, hustling each other
| Five steamers are at anchor
unloading bales of biscuits, ice, panks for
| barracks, medicines besides large quantities
OF bread and cheese. At the same time the
steamers are taking on board the wounded
| ard start Immediately. All the hospitals in
| Naples are full, and the barracks and churches
are being made use of The dead bodies are
| left in the roads as they are found, as all at
| tention is devoted to the recovery of the
wounded. From the great heat decomposi-
| ton has already set in, and the odor is over
| powering. Many localities had not been Wis
tied, so that there may be many wounded
perish for the want of aid, although the COM
| munication with Naples is bringing by
means of twelve large steamers as many
excaYators as possible. Some lives have
already been lost among the different squad
rons of soldiers and other workers by the
| falling of dangerous walls. The shock was
! felt on hoard the steamer anchored off shore
Many people were saved by being III the
| wooden theater, which, from its hghtness,
was not thrown down. David Petite, the
celebrated comedian arrived at Naples on
| Sunday morning in the dress of Pulchingla,
| and as was remarked, what a contrast"
The three shocks of 1921, 1881 and 1888
were exactly in the same locality, influenced
| the same area, had the same characters, but
the intensity has increased each time.
Professor Palmieri, in 1881, considered the
/ effects to be produced by the tumbling in of
| clay pits and cavities excavated by the min
eral waters, and again proposes the same ex-
| planation on the present occasion, which
few accept, for there is no change of level,
nothing more than superficial assures in
banked up roads. Neither is it credible
that the largest cavities could
destroy an irregular area five or more
miles square, nor should we expect
such to shake less in Naples, Capodimonte
| and Sorrento, all many miles distant.
In the writer's opinion, who has devoted
| much time to the study of the last shock,
we have the vibrations produced by volcanic
| matter rupturlng its way to the surface. The
center of the damaged area occupies SINH
| lar position to that of the great volcano of
Ischia as does many other volcanic cones on
its hanks, some of which are historic. From
! certain calculations we have arrived at the
conclusion that the igneOus matter is but n
short distance from the surface. If we may