Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-13
vESUV|US' FURY
SLOWLY SUBSIDIES
MAGNITUDE OF CATASTROPHE
BECOMING KNOWN
King Victor and Queen Helena Con-
tnue Comforting AfflIcted-12e
Bodies Extrlcated at otta-
jano-BIg Relief Fund
BY Associated Press.

JdHO-PI9 rtSHCI TuHu
BY Associated Press.
NAPLES, April 12.-Every day that
passes gives new evidences of the mag
nitude of the catastrophe. Today's
visit of King Victor Emmanuel to Otta-
jano revealed new tragedies. At a GER
tain point his majesty was Obliged to
abandon his motor car and went for
ward on horseback amid constant dan
ger, his horse floundering through four
feet of ashes, stumbling into holes,
blinded by the fall of large cinders ard
target for falling basaltic masses. In
the presence OF the king, 129 more
bodies were extricated from the ruins,
and while ashes and red sand were
falling as though determined not to
relinquish their victims. The dead at
Ottajano are said to number $50.
The king was deathly pale. To a
priest who came to him he said:
How did you escape desaruction?"
Il placed myself in safety" replied
the priest.
What do you mean?" asked the king.
Realizing the danger" was the
priests reply, II had left for Nola."
The king flushed with anger.
"What?" he cried. You, minister cf
God, were not here to share the danger
of your people and administer the last
sacraments. You did very wrong"
Queen Turns Back
Queen Henela was with the king
when he started for Ottajano but she
was obliged to turn back as the task
was unsuitable for woman. She spent
the most of the day in visiting the in
jured in Naples hospitals and inspect
ing the houses provided for refugees.
The princess of Schleswig- -Holstein
set out in her automobile this morning
to visit the hospitals in the isolated
towns, but after a time the motor car
became disabled and she was forced to
return on foot a distance of twelve
miles, walking the distance through
three feet of ashes. The princess en-
durance surprised the Neapo!itans,
some of whom declared that she must
have been aided by the saints, for
never before has a woman accom-
plished such a task.
There have been a large number of
robberies of deserted houses in spite
of the efforts of the authorities to pro-
tect property. lii the excited condition
of the populace there is some difficulty
in maintaining order. The closing of
church at Tore Annunziata, which
is considered to be unsafe, precipi-
tated a small riot.
Provision is being made for the feed
ing and shelterfng of people who have
remained in their own towns.
1t is estimated that 5000 houses have
been destroyed or rendered uninhabit-
able.
More Ashes Falling
While the news from Mount Vesuvius
today Is reassuring, the conditions here
are such in Naples as to make it diff
tually better. The wind is blowing
from the volcano in the direction of
Naples carrying the ashes in this di-
rection The ashes and fall of cinders
here today We're worse than at any
time since the eruption began.
The scenic effects vary from hour
to hour. Now in the north the sky
is chocolate colored. lowering and
heavy, under which men and women
with ashes move about like gray
ghosts. Fort San MARITIME, as it towers
above the town, can just be seen, while
Casteldovo is boldly marked In light,
seemingly like silver against the brown
sky.
To the south, beyond the smoke zone
lies smiling, sunny Posilipo and its
peninsula, while far away glistens the
sea in deep blue, on which the islands
seem to float in the glow of the set
ting sun. Adding to the strange pic
ture one of the French men-of-war
which arrived in the bay of Naples
today is so placed as to be half in the
glow and half obscured by the belt
of falling ashes.
Vegetation obiterated
From the observatory of Mount
Vesuvius where Director Matteucci is
continuing his work in behalf of
science and humanity, the scene is one
of great impressiveness. To reach the
observatory one must walk for miles
over hardened but hot lava covered
with sand until he comes to a point
whence nothing can be seen but vast
gray reaches, sometimes fiat and some
times gathered into huge mounds
which take on semblances of human
faces.
Above the heavens are gray like the
earth beneath, and seem just as hard
and immovable. In all this lonely waste
there is not a sign of life or vegetation,
and no sound is heard except the low
mutterings of the volcano. One seems
almost impelled to scream aloud to
break the horrible stiffness or lana
seemingly forgotten by both God and
man.
The latest reports show that 243
houses have been damaged at Portici,
1876 at San Giovanni and Teduccio; 432
at Resina and 1000 at Tore del Greco.
1t is impossible to determine the ex-
act number of buildings demolished at
Tore Annunziata. 1t is estimated that
about 5000 houses in all have been par
TALLY or entirely destroyed. In viii
lagos on the Ottajano side of the noun
tain all the houses are damaged. At
Nola desolation reigns, the place having
been almost entirely abandoned.
A committee has been formed to col
lect funds and organize assistance for
sufferers. 1t is presided over by the
Duke of Aosta. The government heads
the subscription list with 100000.
The amount collected up to the pres
ent time is 100000.
MAYOR CALLS ON