The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-08-28

out from the outer world, and begged me,
as was safe, not to detain these men, but
to let them accompany him to help in dig
ging out several members of his family
whom he believed to be lying buried in the
rubbish. / assented-"Only send me some
water, pray you, and take them; can
wait now that know help is Nigh" So
they went He sent me some water and
some chartreuse, very acceptable even at that
early hour of the morning; and much re-
freshed, and 1t now being broad daylight,
felt could hold on some little time longer.
But had not long to walt About half past
4 heard the welcome voice OF poor Cristo,
one of the hotel servants (who had himself
just dug his wife out of living tomb, alive,
1t is true, but with broken legl "Ecco II
Signor, Gran Did," and he at once shrieKed
for assistance. To him first came Frances
co lanother waiter), then three carabinieri,
and sthey proceeded literally to dig me
out. First, two heavy stones, which
wedged me in as in vice, and
which | now think had stopped the
further career of the big fagstone were re-
moved, and while four men with improvlsed
levers goodness knows there were enough
rafters about and to spare) lifted cautiously
this miniature rock, fifth pulled me tlghtly
by the. arms out of danger of its falling back
before was free.
These men then left me and went OIL IN
search OF other victims. During the process
OF digging out had made few inquiries
as to the state of the household. The pad
rome and padrona (host and hostessl were
saved, so was Tommy 1.-THE SOM, so were all
the servants, except little Lorenzo, quite a
boy, who could not be found. And the
houser' / asked. LA casa . fnita. It's all
over with the Piccoa Sentinella," said both
men in The same b,eath.
When they had laid me on the ground and
left me lit was now quarter to 81 my first
thought was to light a cigarette. had
longed for one all night, but though could
get at my cigarette-case on my left, could
not from my position) get at my match box
now much to be desired. The garden in
which was lying was network of yawn-
ing gaps, the intervals of which the lightest
shake might detach and produce new ruins
Before me as my only route was bsrricade
of huge, irregularly piled blocks of stone
and brick, the remains of the drawing room
and first floor wall, in fact; while beyond
was an angry-looking block of masonry, the
corner wall of the salon leaning like the Tow
er OF Pisa, not yet fallen, but apparently
ready to fall at any moment. The excite
ment. suppose, had supported me while
lying under that horrible stone, but now all
rose with difficulty, but only to fall flat
down again; once more tried it, but with
the same result. However, felt my situa-
ton so Neutrality-suspicious., was so anx-
ious to look about me--that. with the aid of
strong rafter, succeeded in remaining ON
my legs after a third effort. friendly
Italian, valet, gave me his arm across the
wall of debris, but he utterly declined in so
precarious condition; so that part of the
rOaduau oil fall h.;a lol
to undertake alone. After much difficulty
and many falls, at last reached the terrace
running the whole length of the dining
room (which was at right angles TO the sa-
lon1; and here, seeing my difficulty, a lady
came up to me, and begging me TO lean on
her arm, supported me along the terrace, up
the still standing staircase, along the veran-
da of the upper floor, out at the door, and
over road now composed of fallen walls. to
what was considered the nearest place of
safety, little way from the house, and sur
rounded by low walls, on which the earth
quake had already vented its fury Why
should ] conceal the name of this lady who
came to my rescue and landed me in haven
of safety, and who told me with tears in her
eyes that her husband (Mr. Green) had been
one of the victims of that dreadful night
For him, poor mani there could have been
no manner of chance. He was paralytic,
confined to his chair, aud only able to move
with the help of his servant. Being very
fond of music, he was, think, among the
crowd around the piano at the time of the
catastrophe, so it is probable that the first
shower of stones from the falling roof above
gave him painless and instantaneous
death. Their son was saved, but poor Mrs.
Green, as learned afterward, had been bur-
led up to her neck for three weary hours.
Luckily she could both be seen and make
herself heard, so some friends went to her
assistance, and after three hours hard la
Dor succeeded in digging her out.