The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-31
DEATHS TERRIBLE HARVEST
TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE KILLED
AND ONE THOUSAND
WOUNDED.
An Island Riven to Pieces-Was IL an
Earthquake or q Subsidence OF the
Iand,-Grcat Excitement All
over ItaIy-A Theatre Torn 60
Picces-HoteIs Demolish-
cd-FriGhtrui Scenes
and incidents.

A London telegram OF sunday says: Inc
town Of Casamicciola, on the Island OF
IschIa. near Naples, in Italy. was almost
entirely destroyed by an earthquake last
night. The terrific shock was first felt
about $50 o'clock, when majority Of the
people OF the upper classes were at the
theatres. Intelligence from the ruined
town come piccemeal, but each successive
dlsnatch adds 10 the horrors OF the calam-
ity. Almost all Of the houses in Casa
micciola, il is said, were thrown
down. and it is believed that at least
1900 persons were killed and nearly
rs many more injured. All estimates Of
the numbers Of dead and injured, how
ever. are necessarily imperfect. Some OF
the inhabitants 81 the town escaped 10 the
sea after the first shock, and made their
way 10 Naples with the startling news. A
gentleman who was staying at the Hotel
Prccola Sentinclla. and who barely escaped
with his life, relates that he only had time
70 secure some candles TO light him through
the darkness % the ruins before the build
inc went down. The hotel, II is said. sank
into the earth and buried many OF It's in
mates.
Tue AREA OF TIE SHOCK.
The centre Of the area OF this shock was
thc same aS that OF two years ago, but the
radius was much wider. The shock YVES
felt mile, out al sea, and also, it is asserted,
by some Of The people residing on the out
skirts OF Naples. The towns OF ForiO and
Lacceameno. which are not far from Casa
micciola. were greatly damaged. Large
numbers Of men. women, and children who
escaped from Casamicciola were conveyed
TO Naples by steamers, and their descrip-
tions OF the disaster are intensely interest
Ing. According to the statements OF
many persons, the first shock was
followed bv an opening OF the ground
In many places, while In other
places there was no movement whatever.
Water pushed suddenly out OF springs that
previously had not been known. The
walls % the large theatre, which was
wooden structure, were rent aSundcr, and
hundreds OF persons in the audience made
their escape through the openings. Seve-
raj bsilers In The large clearinghouse burst,
scalding and burning people who hap
penod TO be near them. y man who lived
In the vicinity OF the bathing establishment
saws that as he escaped from the place the
walls fell close upon his heels, and he ran
toward the sea shouting TO the terrified
people who were standing about: ITO the
sea! To the sea -
The great excitement that prevails in
Italy over this great calamity may be
imagined from the fact that there were
about two thousand visitors in lschla. M
Guiding many wealthy Roman and Neapoli-
tan families and several deputies who were
taking the baths there. Steamers loaded
with the dead and injured are constantly
arriving at Naples. and the hospitals are
rapidly filing with the sufferers. The
public take no interest in anything else.
and each new batch OF arrivals from the
ruined town Is eagerly scanned for identi-
fication. A dispatch from Rome announces
that the Minister OF Public Works has
gone TO Casamicciola 10 organize measures
OF relief.
AT LACCO.
At Lacco there are many dead and
wounded. At Forio the churches are
ruined, but no one was killed. At Serrara
fifteen were killed. The troops have re-
covered the body Of Signor FiOrentini,
Project OF Lassari. All steamers plying
between Ischa and the main land were
Immediately chartered by the Government
TO bring the wounded from the island.
A Rome telegram says: The Naples cor
respondent Of the BerSdgLiere has tele-
graphed as follows: Il have just returned
from Ischia. Casamicciola, Lacco, and Fo-
rio have been destroyed. They were three
OF the most flourishing communes on the
island, which was hall oyerthrown.
The road between the towns OF Is
CHA and Casamiccioia is impossible"
The train from Rome to Naples to-
day was crowded with passengers 60
inc TO inquire as 10 the fate OF their friends.
There were very few English visitors on
the island at the time OF the disaster. None
OF the special dispatches mention Amerl-
can names among the killed or injured.
None OF the Deputies are known TO have
perished. and il is hoped that all have es-
capped. An English chaplain lost one child.
A Mr.. Green and wife are among the killed
at the Hotel PiCCOla.
THE HOTELS WRECKED.
Telegrams state that all the hotels at
Casamicciola are wrecked. The soldiers
will work TO render the ruins secure and
will engage in a search for the wounded.
A number OF physicians have gone to At
tend to the injured, their aid being ur-
gently needed. The stories told by the
survivors are horrible. Many Romans
having villas at Jschia are known TO have
been lost. The dead are ieariully mutilated.
In some eases corpSes are plainly discerns-
bic through the ruins, but they cannot be
extrlcated. II is surmised that some per-
sons are still alive in the cellars. A CORE
spondent telegraphS tins afternoon that
Judging from reports already at hand the
calamity will infinitely exceed the Chloe
earthquake in 1881.
Among the dead are Professor Palma,
the Baroness Diriseis, Commander Zap
putt, the wives and children OF Signori
Cecere, Sicilani, Ali, and Mariana. 1t is
probable that the Marchioness Pacca Lau-
rati is also among the dead. A Miss More
was saved.
A LEARNED PROFESSOR SAYS 1T WAS A SUB
sIDENCE OF TIE GEOUND-H ORR BL
SCENES.
IBy Associated Press.I
NAPLES. July 3O.-ProiessOr Palmieri.
director OF the meteorological observatory
on Mount VesuviuS. states that the disas-
ter on the island Of Ischia on Saturday
night, by which three towns were de-
strOyed and great number OF lives lost,
was not due TO an earthquake, but to the
subsistence Of the ground. The scenes
here occasioned by the accident are
heartrendng. The hospitals are crowded
with wounded survivors and the dead
houses are Tiled with bodies OF the victims.
The bodies Of several Neapolitan ladies
have been recovered from the ruins. Five
houses remain standing at Casamicciola.
Cries for help can be heard coming from
the ruins. Sappers are hard at work en-
deayoring 10 rescue the-persons who are
still alive. Boats from the island filed
with dead bodies are arriving here con-
stantly.
TWO THOUSAND KlLLED-0NE THOUSAND
WOUNDED.
JoNDoN July 1880 =. MA dis.