Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-13
e HUNDRED DEAD At oTTNANO
ing Witnesses the Recovery of a Number
Of Bodies from Ashes,
EXTENT OF DAMAGE IS ENORMOUS
Five Thousand Buildings Wholly or Partly
Destroyed,
QUEEN VISITS INJURED IN HOSPITALS
OniciaIs Doing All They Can Co RE-
lieve Distress in Italy, but
work Proceeds with
DimcuIty.

NAPLES. Aprn 12-whne the news from
Mount Ncsuvius today is reassurlng the
conditions here in Naples are such as make
It dihicult TO realize that conditions are
actually better. The wind ia blowing from
the volcano in the direction Of Naples.
carrying the ashes in this direction. To-
wards evening the fail of ashes and cin-
dcrs here was worse than at any time since
I the eruption began.
The scenic effects vary from hour to
hour. Now in the north the sky is choco-
late colored, lowering and heavy, under
which men and women with their hair and
clothing covered with ashes, move about
like gray ghosts. Fort san MARITIME, as it
towers above the town. can only Just be
seen. while Castle del owe is boldly
marked in light, seeming like silver against
the brown sky.
To the south beyond the smoke zone lies
smiling sunny Poslipo and its peninsula,
while far away glistens the sea deep blue
on which the sands seem to hoat in the
glow of the setting sun. Adding to the
! strange picture, one of the French men-of-
war; which arrived in the Bay Of Naples,
| is placed to be half in the glow and
half obscured by the belt OF falling ashes
From the observatory Of Mount Vesuvus.
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 COW
! cred with sand until he comes to a point
whence nothing can be seen but vast, gray
! reaches, sometimes fiat and sometimes
| gathered into huge mounds which take
semblance OF human faces. Above the
heavens are gray like the earth beneath
and seem Just hard and immovable. In
| all this lonely waste there is no sign of
life or vegetation. and sound is heard
except the low mutterngs of the volcano.
One seems almost impelled to scream aloud
to break the horrible stiffness of land
seemingly forgotten both by God and man.
Five Hundred Dead at Ottnjano.
Every day that passes gives new evidence
Of the magnitude of the catastrophe. To-
days visit of King Victor Emmanuel to
/ Ottajano revealed new tragedies At cer-
| tain point his majesty was obliged TO
| abandon his motor car and went forward
| on horseback amid constant danger. his
| horse foundering through four feet of
! ashes stumbling into holes blinded by the
| fall of largo cinders and the target for
falling basaltic masses. In the presence OF
the king 129 more bodies were extricated
from the ruins, the white ashes and red
| mined not to relinquish their victims The
dead at Ottaiano are said to number $50
The king was deadly pale To priest
who came to him he said: How did you
escape?"
'I escaped myself in safety" replied the
priest.
What do you mean?" asked the king
''Realizing the danger" was the priests
reply, 81 had left for Nola."
The king flushed with anger. What" he
cried you a minister OF God, were not
here to share the danger OF your people
and administer the last sacrament? You
did very wrong"
Queen Helene was with the king when
he started for ottajano. but she was OBJ
liged TO turn back. as the task was one
not suitable for a woman She spent the
most OF the day I'm visiting the injured
in Naples hospitals and inspecting the
housing provided for refugees.
Princess walks Twelve Miles.
Princess Schleswg- -Holstein set out IN
her automobile this morning to visit the
hospitals in the desolated towns, but after
time the motor car became disabled and
she was forced to return on foot, distance
OF twelve miles, walking the distance
through three feet of ashes The princess
endurance surprised the Neapolitans, some
aided by the saints. for never before has
a woman accomplished such task.
There have been large number Of rob
berries of deserted houses In spite OF tho
efforts of the authorities to protect prop
erty In the excited condition OF the pop
ulace there is some dficulty in preserving
order The closing OF a church at Tore
Annunziata which was considered to be
unsafe precipitated a small riot
Provision is being made for the feeding
and sheltering OF people who have re-
mained in their own towns.
II is estimated that 5000 houses have been
destroyed or rendered uninhabitable.
Some extraordinary escapes from death
have been recorded. and his wife
were rescued after having been lost in the
ash-covered wilderness for hfty-six hours
They were terribly exhausted and seemed
more like live skeletons than human be-
ings Firemen have been sent from Pal
ermo Sicily, and other places 70 the viii
lagos in this vicinity which have suffered
the most from the fall Of ashes TO assist IN
removing the ashes from the roofs and ~
lieve the exhausted soldiers. Camp kitch-
ems have been established at a number OF
places and free meals are being distributed
wherever possible 70 those in need Of them.
The American steam yacht Nahma, with
Mrs Robert Goelet and a party OF friends
on board. has arrived at Palermo, Sicily.
They witnessed the eruption OF Mount
Vesuvus from Amalh on the bay OF Sal
ermo. not far from Naples, and give
vivid description OF the scene.
Extent Of Damage.
The latest reports show that 2l3 houses
have been damaged at Portici. 1876 at San
Giovanni and Teduccio. i33 at Resina ana
1000 al Turra Del Greco. II Is impossible
Y 10 determine the actual number OF buildings
demolished at Tore Annuzata. II is esti-
mated that about 5000 house in all have
been partly or entirely destroyed. In the
villages on tho Ottajauo side OF the noun
tain all the houses are damaged. Al Nola
o desolation rcigns tho place having been
almost entirely abandoned
A committee has been formed to collect
\ funds and organize assistance for the re-
lief Of the sufferers. Il Is presided over