Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-08-25
THE DESTRUCTION IN 1soH1A.
tho Scenes that Followed the
Earthquake.

(From the Courier des Etats Unis.l
NAPLES, Aug. IL will speak only
of Cassamiciola, for have had neither
the strength nor the courage to visit
Forio, the principal place in Ischia, nor
Locco Ameno, where the victims were
quite numerous. Cassamiciola is built
! In the form of an amphitheater, and a
portion of the houses were built upon
the escarpments of the rock. These
houses have naturally suffered most,
They have all tumbled down. Those
at the foot Of the hill have stood the
shock the best Of all, and many of the
bathers lodged in this part of the town
were able TO escape. A hotel called
the Hotel Sauve was not in the least
injured. AS you see it was well-named.
At the moment that the shock was felt
all the tbathers were indoors. The
evening was cool. They were in the
parlors of the hotels singing, PLAYING,
and chatting, when suddenly the cell
ings came down and the people were
thrown into the very foundations of the
houses.
How shall I describe the spectacle
that presented itself to my eyes when I
entered the town? Imagine enormous
piles Of masonry forming barricades in
the streets, walls still standing, beams
pointing skyward, broken furniture,
yawning abysses, confused and entang-
gled masses OF planks and beams; and
all this throughout an immense extent
OF streets and piled up almost perpen-
dicularly. On approaching the ruins
cries for help could be distinctly heard.
All through the night those poor peo-
pie called for help with nobody to help
them. Their calls were answered only
by calls. The greatest difficulty was
experienced in the work of getting out
the wounded. The houses from which
the cries were most distinctly heard
were first taken in hand. The soldiers
were admirable in the display of cour-
age and self-sacrifice, but unfortunate
ly it would have required 10000 men
accustomed to such work to meet the
difficulty. You have probably seen
work Of rescue undertaken in town
where nothing is wanting to save some
unfortunate workman buried under a
sca6olding Or q pile of ruins. You
know what a length of time and how
much trouble aud precaution must be
taken to save the man without endan-
gering the lives of those who endeavor
to get him out. Then fancy the same
scene i'll a town completely ruined |
where everything is wanting, while a |
scorching sun renders the task doubly |
difficult, ,and the men must work. listen
ing OH one side to the cries of wounded |
men and on the other to the piercing
shrieks of women, imploring help,
wringing their hands in despair, and
tearing their hair. When you have
pictured such spectacle you will have
some idea of what l witnessed during
Lhe two days that remained at Ischia.
On Sunday evening it began to rain,
and this added to the difficulty of the
situation. When one has witnessed the
scene that Cassamiciola presented on
that evening in the red light of the
fires that were started to allow the
aded soldiers to dry themselves and to
1rive away the miasma, no battlefield
and no bombarded town can have anv
surprise for him. 1t would be impossi-
Bile to describe all the horrors that
have witnessed. Several soldiers were
crushed by the falling of walls during
The work of rescue.
To render the catastrophe still more
horrible the bodies in the ruins began
70 decompOse. The Minister of Public
Works, who was on the spot, ordered
hat immense graves be dug, Into which
The bodies were thrown after having
been covered with quicklime. But
here are bodies in the ruins that can
not be reached. Happily steamboat
With cargo of phenic acid arrived.
This acid was taken from Rome, Naples,
md nearly all the cities. 1t was dis
ribnted among the soldiers, who threw
t into the ruins. 1t is probable that,
Notwithstanding the prayers of those
Who say that they can still hear cries in
he ruins, this immense charnel house
Will be covered up. Nothing else can
'e done. TO clear away the rains is