The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-02
A Terrible Earthquake.
1000 PEOPLE ENGULFED AND TIRE
TOWNS DESTROY

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TOWNS DESTROYED.
The town of Casamicciola, on the Island
of lschia, near Naples, was almost entire
ly destroyed by an earthquake Sunday.
The neighboring towns of FOrio and Lac
ceamenc We're greatly damaged.
1t is impossible as yet to give the num-
Der of the dead. In the latest accounts
the number is estimated at 1890. The he
tel Piccola Sentinella sank in the earth
and buried many of its inmates. Some OF
the inhabitants of the town escaped to the
sea at the first shock, and made their way
to Naples with the news of the calamity.
| The centre of area of the shock was the
same as that of two years ago. but the IA
dius was wider. The shock was felt at
sea, and, according to some accounts, even
at Naples. A gentleman who was staying
at the Hotel Piccola Sentinella and who
escaped with his life, relates that he only
had time to secure some candles for use in
the darkness of the ruins before the col
lapse of the building. A person who lived
says he escaped from the place amid fall
ing walls and balconies, the terrified peo
pie shouting, ITO the sea ~
A dispatch to the New rork Herald from
Naples, dated the 29th inst, says:
| The stories told by the survivors are hor
rible. Many Romans having villas at Is
CHA are know to have been lost. The
dead are fearfully mutilated. In some
cases corpses are plainly observable thro
| the ruins, but they cannot be extricated
1t is surmiSed that some persons are still
alive in the cellars. A correspondent tele
graphs this afternoon that Judging from
reports already at hand the calamity viii
| infinitely exceed the Chios earthquake il
1881. A correspondent says l have just
returned from ISchia. Casamicciola. Lac
| co and ForiO have been destroyed. They
were three of the most tiourishing com
munes on the Island, which was half over
| thrown. The road between the towns Of
Ischia and Casamicciola is impossible. }
The perfect of Naples telegraphs that the
| town of Casamicciola has ceased to exist
| The Syndic of Casamicciola telegraphs as
follows: The shock came with irresistible
| violence and was accompanied by deaf
ening noise. The confusion in the theatre
was fearful. Lights were overthrown and
set fire to the building. A dense cloud Of
1 dust filled the all. Cries of pain and ter
ror were heard on all sides. On hearing
the shouts of ITO the sea ~ a general rusl
was made toward the shore, Every boat
and floating thing was taken by assault.
The excitement in Italy may be imagined
| from the fact that there were 1000 visitors
in Ischia, including wealthy Roman ant
Neapolitan families and several deputies
who were taking the baths there.
| One solitary building remains intact al
Casamicciola, and two others partially
stand and are in good enough condition tC
afford shelter. This is all that remains OF
a city that had a permanent population OF
over 1900, and was full of summer yisi
tors, of whom it could accommodate 500
The dead are everywhere, mostly in sucl
positions that they are recovered with the
greatest difficulty, being wholly or partial
| ly buried under the ruins, OF so deeply en-
quilted that they can never be found. Many
were buried alive, and their cries can still
be heard coming from the ruins and from
the earth. Few of those yet alive will
probably be saved, but there is no lack OF
effort, the government having Forwarded
two corps of trained sappers and second
full regiment Of infantry to aid them as
laborers. Every church on the island that
was left standing has been turned into q
hospital. Terror and confusion still pre-
vent an accurate estimate of the loss OF
life, and accounts vary all the way from
1000 to 5000. The original estimate OF
1000 can however, scarcely be an exaggera
ton, since there are over 1000 dead in
sight, and the buried must largely have eX
ceeded that number.