The Irish standard., 1906-04-14
ERUPTION CAUSES
Loss OF millions
FIFTY THOUSAND PERSONS AL.
so RENDERED HOMELESS AS
RESULT OF DISASTER.
TOWN OF SARNC is
REPORTED DESTROYED

3d!1lC Ill Naples 1llCfeaStnS-fIlSJN
ers in Jail Break Doors. But Are
subdued-Building Collalses I'm
der Weight of Ashes.
Naples. April 12.--The loss to prop
erty by the volcanic outbreak is esti-
mated at $2O,000,O00 and ii is an
nounced that $4,000 persons have ':eeu
rendered homeless.
Town Reported Destroyed
The Mattino, in its issue Wednesday.
province of Salerno, has been de-
stroyed. This report has not yet been
verified. Sarno is a town of some TO-
coo people and is situated about ten
miles east of Mount Vesuvius. Ii con-
tains an old castle some sulphur
baths and manufactures paper, cop
per wares. cotton goods and silk fab
rics.
The panic here is increasing. The
prisoners in the city Jail mutined ow-
ing to fright. and succeeded in break
ing open some of the doors inside the
building, but were subdued by the
guards. The prisoners. however. are
in state Of great excitement. requir-
ing double guards.
Terror-Stricken People Flee.
From all quarters come reports OF
the accumulation of ashes, the flight
of the terror stricken inhabitants of
towns and villages. the collapse OF
buildings. the insutiiciency of the re-
lief measures, hunger and discourage
ment. Ii is no longer possible to
reach the points which have suffered
most severely. Even the soldiers de.
tailed to guard the ruins at Ottajano
have been recalled and the town has
been left to its fate. Tie military
forces have earned the gratitude and
admiration OF the people by their BRAY
cry and devotion to duty. Not only
are they credited with many acts of
heroism, but they have displayed un-
firing perseverance in searching for
the living and the dead among totter.
ing walls, assisting fugitives to reacl,
places of safety. giving aid to the
wounded and in burying the dead. and
all this while partly suffocated by the
ash ANA cinder laden wind blowing
from the volcano.
Example by Duke Of Aosta.
No danger has been too great for
the troops to encounter and no fatigue
too severe for them. In this work the
soldiers and others have been shown
a worthy example by the duke and
duchess Of Aosta. who are praised on
all sides The duke is pronounced to
be worthy descendant OF the late
King Humbert. who, in 1884. went ia
the assistance of the sufferers from
the cholera epidemic, visiting the pa.
tients in the hospitals and in some
dying until the end.
The eruptions from Vesuvius in.
creased during the night and a coat.
ing OF ashes and cinders to depth of
four inches covered the ground and
the roofs Of buildings Wednesday, All
| railroad service out OF the city is in
terrupted. The engineers have refused
to take out their trains because of the
darkness caused by the heavy fall of
ashes.
a great eruption of sand is observed
on the east side of the main crater
This is worse than ashes, as it is
heavier. Fresh shocks Of earthquake
are being felt, especially in the direc.
ton of Ottaiano, SOmma and Nola,
Another part of the main cone of the
volcano has fallen in. causing a great
discharge of red-hot stones, flame and
smoke
Conditions in Stricken Towns.
Tore Del Greco. Sarno and San
Gennaro have been evacuated and
Portici, Ciricello. Poggio and Morino
are practically uninhabtable. The
situation at Tore Annunziata has
somewhat improved. as the current of
lava has ceased to threaten it. AT
Tore Del Greco the downfall of ashes
and sand continues The inhabitants
are awaiting steamers to escape from
the danger zone. San Gennaro is
plunged in obscurity. The majority of
the houses have fallen.
Fugitives arriving in Naples con.
firm the previous reports to the effect
that houses at Ottajano continue to
fall and the town and the villages in
it's neighborhood are nothing but
ruins. At San Giuseppe the ashes
and sand are over four feet deep.
Troops are encamped in the public
squares here in readiness to move
quickly to the assistance of endan-
gered places and patrols with military
doctors are sending assistance to the
fugitives.
100000 to Raze Houses.
So widespread is the catastrophe
caused by the eruption of Vesuvius
that it is estimated it will require an
organized body of 100000 men and the
expenditure of many million of dollars
to rae houses made unsafe for habi.
tation by the accumulation of ashes
and cinders on the roofs, erect tenn
porary huts of refuge for the thou.
sands who have been obliged to fee
from their homes clear the roofs of
buildings that may yet be saved and
extricate from the ruins of fallen
structures and bury the dead
The papers unite in urging the gov
eminent to send here Gen. Baldssera
who saved the situation after the
crushing defeat of the Italians at the
hands of the Abyssinians at Adowa
Abyssinia, in the spring Of 1896, and