San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-08-16
Foreign.

An appalling catastrophe occurred at
Cassamaccia, town in the Island OF
Ischia in the bay of Naples, on the
night of July %. The town was almost
wholly destroyed by an earthquake,
and 5000 people were killed outright
and 800 niured. The place is noted
for it's thermal springs, and is visited
by people from all parts OF the world.
Neighboring towns were also much
damaged. The Island of Ischia is OF
volcanic origin. The population IS
about $4,000. "A dispatch to the
French Ministry of Marine says that
Col. Badens with force of 500 French
troops made sortie from Hanlo, cap
turing seven pieces OF artillery and
killing l 600 of the enemy. The French
lost but eleven men. &. T.. Three thousand
carbines have recently been sent from
Liverpool to Henry M. Stanley the ex-
plorer, who is now in the western por-
tion of Africa A man named Terry
crossed the English channel on tioat-
ing tricycle., going from Dover to Cal
ais in eight hours. .Consldera9le III
feeling exists between England and
France, growing out of the Suez canal
and other foreign affairs in which both
countries are interested.
The Director of the Meteorological
Observatory on Mount Vesuvius states
that the appalling disaster on the Is
land of Ischia was not caused by an
earth quake, but by the caving IN OF
the ground. A Naples dispatch OF July
1, says the scenes occasioned by the &C
cident were heartrending. The hos
pitfalls were crowded with the wounded
survivors, and the lighthouses were
filled with the bodies of the victims.
Cries for help could be heard coming
from the ruins, and the sappers were
hard at work endeavoring to rescue the
persons still alive. Most of the corps
es recovered were so discolored by dirt
that even after they had been washed
the features were unrecognizable. And
the members of the police force at
Cassamicciola were killed. Only five
houses in the city were left standing.
The stencil from the dead bodies of
human beings and animals was almost
unbearable. and pestilence was feared.
The loss of life 10y the accident it was
believed would not fall short OF 81, 600.
The dead at Forio number 300; at
Laccoanmeno, 500; at Fontana Searar-
ia, 200. Twenty four children persisted
in the Nisericordia Asylum. The King
and Queen of Italy have subscribed
100000 lire and the Pope $4,000 lire
for the relief of the suffers.
The play at the theatre in Casamic-
cola. on the evening of the terrible
disaster, was burlesque, which,
strangely enough, opened with scene
representing an earthquake. Eye-wit-
nesses describe the scene when the
real earthquake occurred as an awful
one. The curtain had just risen when
a tremendous shock was felt. A fear
full roar followed. and the ground rock
ed like the sea in a storm. a great
cry of terror arose from the audience,
who were thrown in a heap, and a
large number buried beneath the tim
beers of the building, which fell on
them. Two more shocks occurred. All
who could rushed outside the theatre,
and hundreds clambered into the trees
in the vicinity for safety. Most OF the
people. however. escaped to the shore,
where bonfires were lighted as signals
f distress. Hundreds Of half naked
men and women. Wild with terror and
grief. ran to and fro among the ruins
OF Casamiociola. with torches. during
the night. searching for missing friends.
A Naples .liSuatch saws. the latest es-
innate places the uu--ber q delths at
between 4.OOO and 5.0o0. Is i v7c1ld