The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-05-12
THE EARTHQUAKE OF 1883 AT
CASAMICCIOLA


one. half hours sail by steamer from Ma
pies. Travellers generally go as far as
Casamicoiols, and rarely beyond. The
first landing. place is the town of Ischia,
which has about sixty-fve hundred in
habitants It's harbor is an old crater. The
principal road extends along the shore,
over the north half of the island, by Cas-
smicciolo on the east, Lacco on the north,
and Forio on the west; towns all nearly
destroyed in July, 1883. The views along
these roads are exceedingly beautiful.
Near Ischia are famous warm baths, of
late less popular than those of Casamic-
ciola. Fifteen minutes by steamer, or an
hours donkey ride, will bring the travel
er to Casimicciola, town OF some four
thousand inhabitants. where in the sum-
mer were always to be found crowd OF
invalids, and a few pleasure seekers, en-
| joying it's celebrated warm baths. From
the landing, ride Of fifteen minutes by
donkey or vehicle brings the tourist to the
hotel.
| The town is at the north base of the
extinct volcano Of Epomeo, on two hills,
with two more to the east, each seven
hundred and fifty and eight hundred feet
high. The sides of the mountain and the
terraced valleys were studded with hotels,
villas, and bathing establishments, all
depending for support on the saline, al
kaline, sulphur, and carbonic acid waters,
| gushing out from rock and soil, with
temperatures varying from seventy to
| one hundred and seventy-6ve degrees
Fahrenheit. The magnificent views Of
the Mediterranean, with Vesuvius in the
| distance, backed by the snow.capped
Abruzzi, the genial climate, the pictures
que situations, the blue skies and the
| golden sunsets, the luxurlant verdure,
the bright houses, the fine hotels, and
the healing waters, made this semi-tropi-
cal dreamy island one OF the most de-
| lightful of summer resorts. To-day it is
little more than heap of crumbling
! ruins, the tomb of many unburied dead,
and probably never again be popu-
lar watering place. Half an hours walk
| brings the visitor to Lscco, on the north
| side of the island, with some sixteen
| hundred fishermen as residents, and an
other hour to Forio, on the west, with
| six thousand three hundred inhabitants;
both were dependent on the summer Wis
itors to the bathing establishments
though many wealthy proprietors resided
at the latter. Both are now in ruins.
Among the bathing establishments
some we're fitted up in the most luxu-
rious and Pompeiian style. The "Monte
della Misericordia" was an extensive and
always crowded establishment, exclusive
| ly for the poor, founded in 1900 by
society Of mobiles who annually sent from
Naples, free of expense, many invalids,
who were cared for by SIX ilful physicians
The shock of July %, 1888, occurred at
9:25 P. NJ, SO that utter darkness added
to the horror OF the scene, and most of
the residents, large number of whom
were invalids, were in their houses. 1t
lasted twenty seconds, during which Cas-
amicciola, Lscco. and Forio were nearly
destroyed, with the loss of two thousand
lives. Ischia suffered very little. That
| the disturbance was deep-seated and ex-
indicated by instruments of Rome, nearly
two hundred milds distant. The shock
at first was vertical, and then the wave
was propagated in various directions ac-
cording to the nature Of the soil; the
cracks in the buildings indicated a pre-
vailing vertical movement.
The most heartrendering scenes occur
red in Naples the next day, where the
hospitals were crowded, and the dead
houses filed with the bodies of the victims.
OF the bodies recovered from the ruins
most were so disfgured that they could
hardly be recognized except by clothing.
The majority Of the killed were women
and children, and invalids OF high and
low degree. All the police force was
killed, rendering organized aid almost
impossible in the general terror. Many
persons who might have been saved by
prompt assistance persisted beneath the
ruins.
OF the foreigners saved, the greater part
were those who were at the theater, where,
singularly enough, the play was burles-
que, which opened with an earthquake
scene. Survivors passed the night in
darkness and fear, not daring to move,
even to help those calling for aid among
| the ruine force Of eoldiera arrived
the next day Sunday and rescued many
sufferers even as late as Monday morning.
Scarcely half dozen houses were left
standing. About forty persons were
entombed in the "Piccola Sentinella," of
whom only one-fourth were saved. Tenn
porary wooden huts were erected for the
houseless and government and private
aid feely given. No Italian CONFUSION
has been SO destructive since A. D. 70, ex-
cept the Callahan one in 1888, which was
felt all over Europe, and is said to have
killed sixty thousand people. This was
no doubt caused by sinking, similar to
that which believed produced the Casa
micciola earthquakes of March, 1891,
and July, 1883.-KneeIdnd' "VoIcanoes
and Earthquakes"
|
HABITS OF THE PORPOISE.
Among pets, there is none more inter-