The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-13

Naples. April 11.-Reports of the
destruction OF two towns, Sarno and
San Genarro. the former having
population OF more than 5000 have
proved TO be without foundation. At
Sarno 5000 persons from nearby VIII
lages and farms have found refuge.
ota1ano where many lives were lost
on Monday. Is now practically buried.
There is great difficulty in ascertain
ing the actual condition of affairs in
that part of the stricken district near
est the volcano.
The tram and railway tracks are
deep under sand and ashes, the roads
are obliterated. and even the fisher
men who ply their calling on the bay
OF Naples are afraid to venture out
on the water anywhere in the vicinity
of Vesuvius. All these conditions make
1t difficult to give an intelligent esti-
mate of the loss of property. One esti-
mate is that s2O.o0O.0oo damages has
been done and that $4,000 persons
have been rendered homeless. Every
where in Naples and Castellammare
and in the lesser towns nearby out OF
the danger zone. are beggared refugees
who only few DAYS ago were prosper
uos and happy, though living almost
underneath the shadow of that per-
petual menace. the volcano of Mount
Vesuvius. For these people whose
homes and crops have been DESTROYED
there is little consolation in the state
ment OF scientists that ultimately the
valleys and hillsides will become as
fertile as ever they were. Until COM
munication can be restored and search
made of the houses in the afflicted dis
trict. it will be impossible to deter
mine how MANY people have perished
by this eruption
Robert Underwood Johnson. associ-
ate editor OF the Century Magazine,
who has been an eve witness of the
events here the last few days. said
today to the Associated Press:
Each day it becomes more impos-
sible to visit even at a distance the
afflicted districts. The ashes have
reached preposterous proportions, fl
ter into everything block the trains,
trans. automobiles. carriages and
horses. Only the soldiers seem to
overcome the obstruction.
Before the interruption I took a
train for Tore Annunziata. On ar
irving at Tore del Greco the heavens
seemed to open and we were soon half
buried in ashes and hot cinders. The
train drew up I'm total darkness. reliev-
ed only by lightning flashes Thus We
waited events. Soon the darkness
| took purple and yellow tinges. the de-
| donations became louder than the loud
| our eyes. 1t was a perfect picture of
| Dante's Inferno. The train could not
| proceed. so thick were the ashes on
| the track and just at this point the
| train broke I'm half and the poor wom-
en- fugitives. thinking they were about
TO lose their lives began to chant
| litanies for the dead. giving a last
| weird touch to the Internal scene.
| "Carbineers came TO our rescue and
proposed to take us to the sea. We
| then found We were on a bridge with
the sea on one side and Tore del
| Greco on the other side In the dark
ness we descended hand In hand. FORM
ing human rope. and a false step
would have meant death. The port
was so choked with ashes that small
boats could not navigate
| 'Wearily we trudged back to the
station to find there was no prospect Of
another train. We had then been five
hours in that plight. so. seeing that
heroic measures were necessary. with
a companion trudged miles In two or
] three feet of ashes to Portici. where
| finally we found cab which brought
| Us to Naples"
Naples, April 1.-THE Mattino In
its issue today asserted that Sarno. a
town in the province OF Salerno has
been destroyed.