The Detroit times., 1908-12-31
EARTHQUAKE
continued from rage Oneo

Contributions are pouring into Italy
from every nation on the globe and
fleets Of ships and caravans OF rail
way trains bearing provisions and
clothing are being sent south as rap
idly as they can be loaded and man
ned.
/ Terrible stories are coming ont OF
the south today The dread specter
of pestilence Is now feared. In the
] larger cities where thousands and
/ thousands were carried TO slow death
| the actually of decomposition mas
set in on the bodies half consumed by
| fire and drenched with water. Relief
workers are succumbing TO the nau-
seous vapors which arise from the de-
/ bris-crushed bodies.
Telegraphic and cable communion
ton were established from Messina
today.
II is now the belief that $4,000
persons persisted in Reggie and Mes
! sina alone, not estimating the dead
in the numberless villages and small
or towns which were destroyed and
/ those who persisted from ships.
The most careful statistics based
upon reports made TO the government
declare that 10000 were killed In
Messina and 10000 in Reggie. the
two principal cities which suffered
devastatiou.N -. o.
Hundreds are dying of hunger and
thirst and exposure. The fields about
the cities present the appearance Of
army bivouacs. Thousands are camp
ed with tents constructed OF cloth,
mating and carpets.
NJ. Bertolini, minister OF public
works. arrived at Messina today TO as
sist In the work OF rescue.
The experience related by Prof.
| Palermo, of the University of Mes
sina, is typical of that experienced
| by the greater number OF sufferers.
| Prof Palermo lost his wife and two
sons In the destruction of the city and
he himself narrowly escaped death.
Il was sleeping in my bed" said he
today. when | was awakened by the
tossing OF the room. The bed seemed
to rise on its edge and | fell upon
the floor with the bed atop Of me.
The building seemed TO part and a
great yawning gap opened In the cell
ing and floor simultaneously. l drop
ped through the crevice into the
apartment below occupied by a Nine.
Pernici. could hear rumbling
sound as of thunder and about us
we could hear the crash OF falling
walls. For two days We remained In
the ruins OF what had once been our
home. I constructed shelter OF
bricks and planks TO ward off the
rain which continued to fall In tor
rents.
I'VE had no food and | feared to
venture forth in the maze of twisted
streets and over the heaps of stone
and mortar and splintered wood. AT
ter the noise Of the falling buildings
had subsidized We began TO hear the
cries of the injured. The voices OF
men rose in anguished shrieks. Some
prayed; others cursed: other howled
in delirium. Men and women, insane
from fright. cried aloud at the top OF
their voices. In the open space be-
fore the building in which we were
housed half a dozen dead bodies had
rolled. Some were punctured with
boards; others were crushed beyond
Identification. At intervals women
roamed through the open spaces call
! ing aloud for their children, their hus-
bands or their fathers.
mo one ventured TO rescue us.
When we finally mustered sufficient
courage to venture forth we met
band of sailors who took us aboard
the Christofero Colombo, which car
ried US to Naples.
From the reports I hear today
concerning further destruction by
earthquakes | fear Messina Is wholly
destroyed. One hundred thousand are
dead in the city and vicinity. A. the
fipln u-a Hnnor tn1 tho Orn1t nnhli1
buildings, so secure in their granite
and stone, were masses OF crumbliIg
;uins: the prison had burst asunder:
the army barracks were demolished.
IL was impossible to follow the courses
of the streets in portions OF the city
which were thickly built. The struc.
lures seemed to part, falling away on
either side into heaps OF debris.
Il can never forget the sights which
saw. Half naked men panic-stricken
end actually Insane from fear scram-
nled over the heaps of buildings ours
ing in their delirium and alternately
throwing themselves prone and calling
upon God and the saints TO save them.
Mothers with clothing stripped from
their bodies carried the forms of dead
and mangled children. Ferocious men,
q few short hours before convicts in
the prison, roamed at will looting the
public buildings which had partly
crumbled away and searching through
the ruins Of banks for money and
,ewelry. They were actually mad
with greed and fought among Thorn
selves with the most awful bias
phemy Thus we roamed through
what seemed valleys with the masses
cf ruins rising on either side OF us to
get to tho heights. wept as looked
upon what had been the finest city OF
the SOUTH
Even as we departed rescuers were
al work but they we're greatly handi-
capped by the magnitude OF the task
before them. When we departed the
Palazzata by the sea was standing:
whether IL yet remains | cannot toll.
The town hall upon the public plaza in
the center of the city was burning AZ
We passed and hungry flames were
spurting in every direction, licking up
everything inflammable -
Premier Gioletti, following the or
ders Of the king, dispatched a dozen
small vessels loaded with lime for
Messina today. The quick-lime will
Re sprinkled Unfortunately over the
debris to eat away the purifying mat
ter. which may breed plague.
Reggie. Catania and Messlna are at
tracing especial attention today re-
tause they were the largest cities. con-