The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-05
Earthquake Horrors.

The letter of Boston woman who escaped
as If by miracle from the earthquake at Casa
miccoa, to her friends in Boston is published
in the advertiser. 1t recounts individual ex-
perience in graphic way and extracts will be
read with interest 1t is more than a week
since wrote my last letter l feel stupefed
by this dreadful event. | have hardly the cour-
age to revive In my mind its horrors by repeat
ing them, or, rather by attempting to repeat
them. ! doubt If shall ever be able to make
you understand how terrible 1t was, for an
earthquake IL one Of the things that battle de-
scription. We had been in Casamicciola six
days. Saturday morning, July ~, when |
awoke, did not feel quite we'll The weather
was 30 beautiful that everyone remarked it,
The air was so clear and transparent and 80
light that all sounds that came up to us from
the valley below seemed changed into notes
OF music. Many times that morning | went
to the balcony and looked around on that lovely
scene and wished you could see this beautiful
place. | did not feel able to 60 TO dinner. 1t
was this ndisposition of mine which saved our
lives. John, who was SUITE ring with toothache
was glad enough to join me In our little paror
that looked out over the beautiful valley toward
the mountains We dined at half-past six.
Everybody was in the dining-room. The din
ner was at half-past seven. There was to be
music in the parlors, and everyone was gay and
gaily dressed. When the first sounds of music
came up, felt lonely and wished that had
gone down, Notwithstanding my headache. II
had, | should not be writing you this sad sto-
ry, for all that gay company were killed.
When the night came on John called me TO
come in, fearing the evening air. 1t was then
almost nine said felt 80 i'll i should go to
bed. He begged me not to go so early, saying
| the night would be 80 long and tedious. He
said we would play few tricks first. We ac-
| cordingly sat down on the sofa in front of the
| chimney taking the board on our knees, and
| began our game. We played through the half
hour that brought us to the terrible moment,
| little thinking that death was 30 near to u.s.
reaching out with his terrible arms toward us
and preparing TO fold in his cold embrace al
most everybody about us. can never tell you
| what followed. 1t commenced like the most
| terrible thunder. Then everything swayed
backward and forward, as il swayed by the
wind. Walls fell in with crash like ten thou
| sand thunders. The mountains opened, send
ing forth II imes Of fire, rolling down with the
tumbliDg houses toward the valley, while the
| valley, In its turn exploded, sending everything
into chaos. Not one house was left standing.
| In the midst OF this dreadful noise wild shreks
| then came darkness and the silence of the
grave. The noise lasted only few seconds
and the silence a few more, which seemed an
eternity. Then the smoke began TO clear away
and the terrible cries OF the wounded and dying
filled the air as II truly coming from the bow
els OF the earth. oh, how little this gives you
began John knew what 1t was. and said, (" Great
| God, an earthquake" With one bound we
reached the window-way, 1t being considered
the safest place. which proved true. Had We
remained sitting we should have been instantly
killed. A falling wall enveloped the sofa where
we sat The whole world seemed dssovng
around me. ! had no hope Of life from the first
sound, and turned my thoughts heavenward
1t was not till heard the dreadful cries of the
wounded and dying that trembled with fear
thinking Of the suffering which my poor body
might endure before | should reach the other
side, But did not lose courage, and prayed
for strength to help me through Heaven did
not seem very far off. After the shock John
said: I" We will try and save ourselves out Of
this ruin, before the repetition shall come y
N There are always three shocks in an earth.
quake) The darkness was still so great that We
could not see whether the floor had been carried
away. or whether the wall where we were