The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-09
VOLCANOES TOP BLOWN OFF
Mount Vesuyius in Violent Eruption
Causes Great Destruction.
NAPLES HAS 10000 REFUGEES
Town of Bosco Trecase Obliterated by
Lava and Cindsrs - Other Towns
Damaged-Troops Erect Barriers to
Save Pompeii-san Giuseppe In Ruins

Save Pompeii-San Giuseppe In Ruins
Houses Collapsed With Ashes.
Naples, Italy.-Reports of fatalities
consequent upon the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius are coming in. According to
information received probably 500 lives
were lost. 1t is said that more than
200 persisted in the district of San Giu-
scope, while from the ruins of q church.
which collapsed, owing to the weight
of ashes on the roof, forty-nine bodies
were extricated. It is asserted that at
San Giuseppe thirty-seven persons
were killed by falling houses.
A railway train bound for Naples
was thrown from the track by showers
Of stones from the crater.
Cavalry going to the succor OF the In.
habitants of the devastated section
have been unable to make progress,
the rain falling on ashes a foot deep
having made it impossible for the
horses to travel.
The streams of lava are almost sta
%tionary. Troops are erecting barriers
in the direction of Pompeii to prevent
further danger in that quarter.
Houses everywhere are cOllapsing
from the weight Of ashes on their roofs.
The destruction of houses, furniture
and crops must entail immense losses,
while thousands of acres Of TILED land
have beensrepdered sterile by ashes,
sand and stones.
With the view to helping the suffer-
ers the Government will suspend the
payments of taxes. The troops are
distributing food. RS
Several lads in Bosco Trecase who
were unframed when the danger
seemed most imminent subsequently
ventured to walk on the cooling Laval
They went too far and the crust broke
under their weight. They were swak
lowed up before the helpless o~rlookerSS
A partial clearing of the smoke cloud
revealed the fact that the outline OF
Vesuvius is quite altered. The whole
cone has been blown away. 1t Is este
mated that the summit is 250 metres
lower than it was before the erunton
Ihe eruption has considerably lesff
sened, and the worst seems now to be
over. Nevertheless, it is recalled that
similar %cessations in the past frequent.
~ preceded increased violence.
It Is believed that 10000 refugees
from the afflicted districts are in Mas
pies. The 10000 inhabitants Of Bosco
Trecase have all fed from their homes.
King Victor Emanuel and Queen
Helena made a trip to the villages at
the foot of the volcano. They arrived;
there from Rome at z o'clock q. m, and.
departed at once in motor cars, accom-.
panied by the Duke Of Aosta, for the
threatened district. After visiting
Tore DELI Annunziata, they started
for Ottajano. They were greeted en-.
Enthusiastically wherever they were seen.
Before reaching O~ttajano the King
was forced to turn back, owing to the
lava, which in some places was thirty
feet high, completely hiding buildings.
Almost equally with the devastation
wrought by the lava is. the damage
done by cinders and ashes, which in
incredible quantities have been carried
great distances. This has caused the
practical destruction of San Giuseppe,
a village Of 5000 inhabitants. All but
200 of the people had fed from the
village, and these assembled in g.
church to hear mass. While the priest
was performing this Office the roof
fell in, and about sixty persons were
badly injured. They lay for hours
without surgical or medical assistance.
At Ottajano five churches and ten
houses fell under the weight Of ashes
and c:nders. which lie four feet deep on
. the ground. In the fall Of the build
ings about twelve persons were Killed
and many were more or less severely,
injured. The village is completely de-
serted by it's people. After the ,evacu-
alton of the place the barracks and
prisons fell in. Reports from coast and
inland towns depict terrible devasta-
ton. -
A population Of at least half a mill
lion has been compelled to abandon
their homes by the danger from the
volcano. OF these more than 10000
persons have taken refuge in Naples.
Provisions here have trebled in price.
The refugees have poured into town
by all manner Of conveyances. The
interruption Of railway service by the
shower Of ashes and the falling stones
has crowded all other means OF trans
portation. Military carts and country
wagons Of all sorts continue to bring
in the panic-stricken folk from the
devastated or the threatened districts,
Four thousand Of the refugees are
chartered in the Granile barracks, and
temporary shelters are being erected
for the rest.
Some thousands remain camping In
the open fearing to trust the shelter Of
their houses. They are destitute and
without food. &
The condition of these people is pitia-
BILE in the extreme. The rain keeps
them drenched to the skin; overhead
looms the cloud of ashes and vapor
from Vesuvius, and piercing this In
fernal darkness from time to time
flashes the curved red fame of We
snvius, like the sword of some terrific
destroying angel. +
The roads are crowded with process
sions of men and women, carrying
crosses and crying piteously. Special
railway trains, warships and steamers
are employed in conveying the home
less people from their localities to
Naples, Rome and Castellammare.