The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-01
WRECKED ISCHIA.
Nontlnung the Search for the Dead..-
The Scene in the Theatre
Described.
The BEND Estimated nj AOO0, An
American Hurt-- Descrip.
tiOn of the island and
Eis Attractions

NAPLES, July 3l.--A search of the ruin
for the bodies Of the victims of the earth
quake On the island of Ischia continued dur
ing the night. All the bodies recovered were
buried Immediately to prevent masns Al
eye witness describes the scene at the theatre
at Casamicciola when the earthquake occur
red as an awful one The curtain had Just
risen, when a tremendous shock was felt
fearful roar followed, aud the ground rocked
like thesea in storm. A great cry Of terror
arose from the audience, who were thrown
into heap, and large mum
ber were buried beneath the timberS Of the
building, which fell on them Two more
shocks occurred All who could rushed ont
side of the theatre, and hundreds ciambered
into trees in the vicinity for safety Most of
the people, however, escaped TO the shore,
where houfires were lighted as Signals Of dis
tress Hundreds of half-naked men AMI
women, wild with terror and grief, ran to
and fro among the ruins with torches during
the night, searching for missing friends
The only American known to have been in
jured by the earthquake on the island Of
lschia was a Miss Van Allen, aud she WAS
only slightly hurt
Among TIE persons who were on the island
of lschia Saturday night, and who have been
missing since the earthquake occurred was a
Mr.. SOmmer, an English or GermBn gentle
man He resided Mt the hotel Manz
The dead are now numbered at 1000 and
there are ,00j wounded, most of whom will
be CrppleS for life.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND.
Ischia, known to the ancients as Pithecusa
on ISla Of toll
the north entrance Of the bay of Naples Its
circumference is nineteen miles and its area
twenty-siX. The extinct volcano Monte
Epomeo rises to a height of 1900 feet nearly
| in the center of the island, and the whole
surface slopes from the summit to the sea
In 1902 Il formidable eruption of Monte
Epomeo desoated the island at time when
NeSuviuS was quiet, but since that date Ischia 5
verdure has never been destroyed The
soil is very fertile, and produces rich harvests
OF corn, figs, grapes, olives, and mulherries,
while groves OF Oak and chestnut trees anl
| thickets of myrtle and arbutus skirt the
mountain sides aud line the roads Iron and
| sulphur are found in various parts of the
| island and the manufacture of brick tiles,
and pottery is carried on to some extent
But the great sources of wealth are the
thermal springs, which are considered the
| best in Europe. Casamicciola is the head
quarters of the water, hot air and sand
baths, but LaccO is popular it, the
season, which lasts nominally from
june till September, but such is the
fame of the island for its salubrity and
beauty that stream of visitors is allured to.
the place all the year through From the
most ancient time the baths of the island
have been famous, and it has been said if a
disease be cnrable, the water of some one of
the springs there will effect u radical reStora
ton The people are chiefly engaged in till
ing the soil and fishing. The chief town,
lschia, containing G,5OO inhabitants, is the
seat of the bishop, and contains an Old castle
dating from the fifteenth century The other
towns are Fario, & 100 Casamcciola, Lacco
Panza, and Moropano
This portion of Europe has frequently suf
fered from terrible earthquake shocks, erup
tions ot lava, showers of ashes, and risings
and sinkings OF earth. Islands and capes
have appeared and disappeared with each
succeeding CONFUSION of nature, but such is
the happy-go lucky nature of the people that
they never suffer much anticipation or retro
spection SO long as the wants of the day aI~
supplied The numbers slain will soon Ike re
placed by others, as ever since the Greeks
first settled the place it has not lacked a pop
ulatiOn. Their rude and simple methods OF
agriculture require but little capital, the
fishers stock will soon he replaced, and in q
few years all traces of the ruin will be swept
away or covered by the luxuriant growth ot
vegetation which i'll that climate soon cover,
everything with its mantle of living green