Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-04-25
DESTRUCTIVE EARTHQUAKES IN
GREECE.
Churches Fall on NOrshippers.
Many Killed and Wounded.


A telegram dated April 22nd. Sunday
last, says the destruction of life and
property by the earthquake shocks
which have prevailed throughout
Greece since Friday last has been very
great. People are panic stricken, as
the shocks still continue.
Ali last night the oscillation of the
earth was noticeable. Thousands of
persons spent the whole night in the
streets, dreading that should they enter
| their houses more severe shock might
bring the buildings down upon them.
In three villages alone, Malesina.
Proskina and MARITIME, all in the PROV
ince of LOcris, 1919 persons were killed.
The mayor of Larymni telegraphs that
! a heavy shock occurred at Proskina
while vesper services were being held
in the parish church, which was quite
an old but substantial ediice. The
walls of the church fell, burying all the
worshippers in the ruins. The resi-
| dents of the village were stricken
at the violence of the seismic disturb
ance ad some little time elapsed be-
fore lney recovered enough presence of
MIND 0 attempt to remove those cover
ed with the debris OF the church. FL
nally, however, force was organized
l
! ly person in the church escaped with
out injury Thirty were taken out
dead, amid the wailing and sobbing of
their friends. Houses were found
thrown down in other parts of the vii
laQe and the money loss is great. Some
of the villagers are ruined.
| At Malesina houses fell and tOttered
as though built of cardboard. Hun
dreds of their occupants were crushed
before they had time to make their es-
cape. In this little village sixty per
sons were killed, some of the bodies
being crushed out of all semblance to
humanity. In some cases entire fami-
lies, fathers, mothers and children
were taken out of the ruins dead.
AT MARITIME thirtynine persons were
killed. Here, as at Proskina, the
parish church was the scene of the
greatest number of fatalities, the walls
of the structure being thrown from
their foundations and toppled upon
the worshippers. The others who lost
their lives were killed by falling walls
of houses.
The villages around Ataianta have
suffered terribly.
Larymni, Proskina, Malesina. Mazi,
Pella and Martina are in ruins. Very
serious damage has been done at
| Chalcis and at several villages on the
Island of Euboea.
At Thebes about fifty houses fell dur
ing one of the shocks, but, according
to reports in circulation here, Thebes
must have been almost totally destroy
ed, and its inhabitants will have to be
promptly succored by the government.
as they are said to be without food or
shelter.
In the vicinity of Athens the fatal
tiles were less numerous, but the dam
age to property is immense. The Of
fees Of the Austrian Lloyd and other
steamship companies were partially
destroyed.
The Church Of st. Elias, on Castella
Hill, between the Piraeus and Phale-
rum, has been racked beyond repair
and is tottering to fall. The domes,
walls and mosaics of the famous Bysan-
tine Church of Daphne are very seri-
ously injured.
ATHENS, April 23.-There were sey-
eral light shocks of earthquake to day.
! kilograms received from the shaken
districts represent an appalling aspect
of affairs. The total number of deaths
reported is now 227 of which $50 were
killed at Malesina alone.