The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-19
THE AMALFI DISASTER.
Vivid Account of What Happened by
Participants in the Catastrophe.
From the London News.

From the London News.
Rome, Dec. 24-Details of the disaster
at Amalf continues to arrive, showing
how extensive and terrifying the iandslip
was. 1t resembled in many particulars
what took place at Casamicciola at the
time of the famous earthquake. The fish
ermen of Amalf in their expressive way,
say it was like the end of the world. The
Syndic there considers that one reason for
years ago the tunnel for the
new road along the coast was made,
landslip occurred, leaving a large assure
in the hill. which was, foolish as it may
appear, filled with faggots of sticks Ever
since then there has been this weakness,
but, fortunately, as so often happens in
what might have been fearful loss of hu-
man lives, some warning was given, and
most of the people had time to escape.
Thus the number of victims is not what
was at first feared.
Early that morning large party of for
eigners had left for Paestum, and had
not yet returned. The remainder of the
foreigners, with few exceptions, succeed
ed in flying, among them being two Eng
fish sisters named Speckman. The deaths
are, however, l regret to say, reported of
Miss Weir of London, and a companion.
Notwithstanding cries of mo time! No
time! Save yourselves these ladies re-
turned to their rooms for money, and were
engulfed. The sister of Miss Weir, who
should have been at Amalfi, had not yet
left Rome
The authorities at Amalf are inunda ted
with kilograms from all parts of Europe,
and even America, from anxious people
who fear that their friends travelling in
Italy may have been there.
So far twelve deaths are known to have
occurred-mostly Italians-and eleven per-
sons have been injured. But there are
about twenty missing. The material dam
age is very great, but it is Impossible to
estimate its amount at present
A correspondent sends us the following
extract from a letter received from a
friend. and dated Amalf, Dec, %:
I'VE arrived here on Thursday after
noon, and went to the Hotel Cappucini,
which is an old monastery. built 400 feet
up the mountain. We met some acquant-
ances. who had also come from Naples
for the night, and spent a pleasant even
ing Before going TO rest e was rather
nervous for no particular reason. In the
night she woke absolutely possessed with
the idea that the roof was falling in and
suffoca ting her. The impression was so
strong that she woke me. l rather made
light of it, but she said: Well, 1 can't
help it; something in the place terrifies
me- Next morning she still felt the same,
and we decided not to stay, but to go on
to Capri, only staying one day at Amai.
We proposed going into the town to see
the Cathedral, but before starting E.
stayed talking for some time with two
American ladies' who were breakfastng
in the far end of the dining room. After
ward we went into the town and visited
the Cathedral. and then, while in the mar
row streets of the town, we found our
selves in the midst of panic-struck
crowd of weeping men and women rush
ing toward the sea beach.
II could not understand what had hap
pened. but. thinking it was some bad ac-
cident, with perhaps some unpleasant
sight, got E. away in an opposite direc-
ton out of the crowd. AT last we made
out from some more collected person that
an awful calamity had happened at our
hotel; that the grotto had fallen in, and a
large piece of the mountain fallen away.
I'VE went to another hotel in the lower
part of the town, and from its windows
l saw what had happened. The whole
mountain side above and below the grotto,
had fallen in, carrying away the cloisters
of the chapel, some bedrooms, and that
part of the dining room where E that
morning had been talking to the American
ladies. A small hotel below had been over
whelmed and effaced some boats in the
harbor and part of the mole covered with
debris. -Four people were buried in the
smaller hotel, two Of whom were English
ladies named Weir. Our American friends
were starting ten minutes before the event
The concierge seems to have known some
thing was wrong, and hurried them Off
and left the place himself, and then in an
instant almost the whole road in which
they were standing was carried away and
overwhelmed.
'The landslip continued for about 400 feet
above the grotto There is a villa up there
and there was a veranda overlooking the
bay. In this was a lady and two children
and it fell with them all. The villa now
remains perched on the edge of a sheer
precipice, and l fancy will fall before long
while We were looking a second land
slip took place, and l shall not soon for
get the scene. One large mass of rock
bulged suddenly out, and fell with an ava
lanche of other rocks and debris. The end
of the Hotel Cappucini, in which was our
bedroom, was intact, and we have all our
luggage"
POPE's LOVELY COMPLEXION.