Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-04-23
SCORES OF VICTIMS.
Serious Results of The
Earthquake IN Greece.
MANY HOUSES DESTR0YeGc
Government Will Take Immediate
Steps to Relieve Distress

ATHENS, April 25. many reports from
the towns which have suffered most So
verely from the earthquakes Of the last
two days were received yesterday after
noon and evening The loss of life and
property is much greater than was at
first supposed.
Thousands of people spent the whole
night in the streets, dreading that should
they enter their houses n more severe
shock might bring the buildings down
upon them. Telegraphic communication
with many parts Of the country is badly
interrupted, and IL is impossible to get
news from some OF the towns that must
have been affected by the shocks This
uncertainty has given rise to many ru-
mors regarding I he loss of life, some OF
the estimates placing IL at very high
number. That IL Is large there is no
doubt.
All the dispatches from the srovipces,
20 the number of killed and injured, will
greatly swell the accounts of the damage
to property In three villages alone.
Maselina. Proskina and Martno, all in
the province of Locris. 100 persons were
killed.
heavy shock occurred at Proskina
while vesper services were being held in
the parish church, which was quite an
old building. but very su bstantial edi-
fee. The walls of the church fell, bury
ing all the wOrshippers In the ruins. The
residents Of the building were terror
stricken at the violence of the seismic
disturbance, AMI some little time elapsed
before they recovered enough presence of
mind TO attempt TO remove those covered
with the debris Of the church. Finally,
however, force was organized and the
work of rescue began. Hardly "A person
in the church escaped without injury
Thirty were taken out dead, amid the
wailing and sobbing OF their relatives and
friends. Houses were thrown down I'm
other parts of the village, and the money
loss is great
Villages Practically Ruined.
Some of the villagers are practically
ruined. At Malesina houses tottered and
fell as though built of cardboard. Hun
dreds of their occupants were caught
before they had time TO more than at
tempt to escape. In this little village 60
persons were killed, some of the bodies
being crushed out of all semblance to
humanity. In some cases entire families,
fathers, mothersland children, were taken
out OF the ruins dead.
At Martno 80 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 top
pied upon the worshippers. The others
who lost their lives were killed by falling
houses.
1t would be almost impossible to &c
scribe the scene in these villages The
people appear to be stunned by the sever
ity of the blow that has fallen upon them,
and many of them are completely apa-
thetic.
Others who lost loved ones are nearly
crazed with grief and many heart-rend-
ing scenes have been witnessed as the
dead are tenderly removed from the
masses of wreckage that once represented
dwelling houses and places of worship.
In the vicinity of Athens the fatalities
were less numerous, but the damage to
property il immense. The offices of the
American Lloyd and other steamship
companies were partially destroyed.
The domes, walls and mosaics Of the
famous byzantine church of Daphnea
were very seriously injured.
Many Victims In Churches
King George will start for the mari
time districts that have been devastated
by the shocks He will be accompanied
by the minister OF the interior and other
officials, and together they will decide
upon the measures that must be taken
to alleviate the distress among the
people.
The reports that have thus far been re.
ceived show that very many of the deaths
occurred in the churches Last week was
passion week in the Greek church aud
religious services were held every day and
evening. The services were very largely
attended, and, several churches falling,
this, i'm a measure, accounts for the large
loss of life. A majority of the victims
were women and children.
The government will be compelled to
adopt extraordinary measures to help the
poor in the districts affected. Steps to
this end have already been taken, and the
state authorities are giving quick re-
spouse to the calls that are being made
upon them.
The total number OF deaths thus far re-
ported Is 100, but there is scarcely any
question that this number will be aug.
mented when the more remote villages
are heard from.
When this dispatch was being sent
from Athens, a sharp shock was felt that
for a time caused consternati ion among
everybody in the telegraph office.
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