Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-01
AN EARTHQUAKE SECRET.

The following melo-dramatic incident OF
the Ischia earthquake has just come to
light. Count Jeppi, who possesses an
enormous fortune, and one of the oldest
titles of the Palstinate, had made love
match. His young wife was the daughter
OF Prince Cinella, ETHEREAL as a Raphael and
radiant and blonde as a Titan. During
eight months of the year the happy couple
were in the habit of living at Florence.
When the crosses chaleurs began they
went to this coquettish little villa, draped
with vine branches, on the side of the
mountain, and near the sea at Cassmicciols
One evening last July the Count left his
wife to ramble, according to custom, along
the seashore. The night was superb. Sud-
denly the earth trembled as if shaken by
the march of an invisible army of giants.
The sky became overcast with black clouds,
and the ground cracked open, emit.
ting blasts of sulphurous smoke. The
Count was thrown upon his face senseless.
When he became conscious his first thought
was of his young wife. He retraced his
steps through the village-now a mass of
smoldering ruins, mangled humanity and
half burnt men and beasts. Cries arose
on every side "Padre Madre Folio !!
Jesu Maria Santissimo % Each stone
seemed to wall and moan. With cold
sweat dropping from his temples, Count
Jeppi stepped ever dead bodies and
climbed up walls of tottering houses
with the sole thought, "Shall | arrive in
time ?" At the corner of street hand,
still trembling, projected above a mass
of ruins, and a plaintive voice was
heard crying for help. Count Jeppi dared
not STOP He turned his head aside and
hurried past. After having missed his
way, and having twenty times crossed
and recrossed his steps, Count Jeppi at
last arrived at what had once been his
villa. A narrow end of wall was all
that remained, and quietly hanging from its
nail gilded wickercage containing young
dove which had been the favorite pet of
the Countess. The Count felt himself be-
coming as feeble as a little child as he
gszed upon this terrible debris. Suddenly
he thought he heard voice The voice
seemed to come from great distance. He
strained every nerve. The voice was
heard again. He recognized it as that of
his wife. 81 will save her," said the
| Count, and at once set to work. He fell
| upon his knees and began to dig into the
smoking ruins with his hands. The fine
| hot plaster seemed to run through his
| fingers like water. He lifted up with his
bleeding and burning hands heavy stones
and blocks that fell again, jamming and
bruising him fearfully. The distant, fee
BILE voice guided him. Suddenly it ceased.
He had been working for nearly an hour.
| With the exertion of despair, he doubled his
| 1t T,s+ he oh 70 fa,n
| from exhaustion, the debris upon which he
was standing caved in and revealed an
empty space filled with smoke. Count
Jeppi jumped into it, and, stretching out
his arms, felt in every direction. His
hand at last touched something soft and
clammy. 1t was the dead body OF his
young wife, He passed his hand softly
over the face. The mouth was open, the
eyes were closed and the hair was tangled
and matted over the forehead. Caressing
in the darkness the golden tresses, he ex.
claimed " If you are still alive, speak OF
make some movement" Being convinced
of his wifes death, he tried to lift her out
of the terrible tomb in which he had foun
her. Selling her by the shoulders he tried
to raise her up. But she seemed to have
become terribly heavy, as if an enormous
weight were attached to her feet. At last,
with one supreme effort. he dragged the
body near the opening. He scarcely dared
gaze at her. But scarcely had he done Sc
when the bereaved husband uttered a cry
ike that of maniac. His wife pressed t.
her heart the corpse Of man who had his
right arm thrown around her fragile waist,
while his left held in its rigid grasp a
white rose that had never withered. The
head was crushed, and no features were
recognizable. The man wore no ring, and
no clue of any kind could be discovered.
The next day the bodies were exposed tc
the villagers. The Count stated that he
believed he had found the body of long.
lost friend and offered 10000 lire to any
one who could make known and prove the
identity OF the Strangers corpse. But al
in vain. The Count had the bodies buried
separately in the cemetery OF Cassamicciola
and is still seeking to discover the name Of
the man who had stolen from him his wife'I
| heart tt London News.