The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-12-31
Great Disasters to Italian Cities.

Great Disasters to Italian Cities.
Twenty four hours after the first
news of mn earthquake shock in
Sicily and southern Italy, which
stated that the damage was serious, ="
and there were "some casualties, -
the reports from the stunned and
panic stricken sections develop that
one of the great eataclysms of the
world has just occurred.
The reports are still too meagre in
detail TO permit of estimating the ex-
tent of the horror, but it is apparent
that many thousands of people have
lost their lives and that millions of
dollars worth of property has been
utterly destroyed.
The city of Messina has been wiped
almost off the earth by shock, food
and fire. The city of Reggie, it is fear
ed has been destroyed, with most of
itspopulation of 10000 people.
a great tidal wave thirty five feet
/ high followed the earthquake and
flooded the shores of Sicily and the
mainland, changing the very outline
of the coast, so tremendous was its
force. Where the inundation failed
to reach, fire broke out, and cities
and towns were reduced to ashes be-
fore the eyes of the helpless, horror
stricken survivors. Nandals pillaged
the houses left standing and ghouls
robbed the very dead before the
troops arrived.
Reports adding horror upon horror,
and calamity on calamity are coming
in as fast as broken wires can be
mended and communication estab
lished The disaster, when its full
extent is known, will go into history
as ore of the greatest calamities the
world has known in recorded times.
The Tribuna of Rome Tuesday pub
J lished an estimate of the total casual
ty list in Galabria and Sicily, which
places the number between 80 000 and
| TO- 600 Later estimates indicate that
the loss of life may reach $50, 000 and
that the catastrophy will approach in
magnitude any such disaster of an
cient or modern times.
AS usual, the Reaper, Death, has the
past year made sad havoc among
those conspicuous in the worlds his
tory Among those whose names
were associated with the politics and
diplomacy of the United States have
been president Cleveland, Sena-
tors Proctor of Vermont, Allison Of
Iowa, Whyte of Maryland and Car
mack of Tennessee, the latter by foul
murder. The navy has suffered to the
extent of twelve rear admirals, and
the Army to less degree. From the
church militant to the church trium-
phant there have gone four bishops of
the Protestant Episcopal Church, in
GLIDING Bishops Potter and Satterlee;
four Roman Catholic bishops, and
Rev. Morgan Dix and Rev. Charles
Cuthbert Hall Education has lost
Or. Daniel Colt Gilman, eX-President
Henry Hopkins and number of well
known professors, perhaps foremost
in prominence being Charles Eliot
Norton. Journalism has not been eX
empt. 1t counts among its losses
Charles Emory Smith, Murat Hal
stead, Crosby S. Moves, William l..
Alden and Samuel Z. Moffett. Liter
ature contributes a conspicuous NOR
tuary list, including the names of Joel
Chandler Harris, Edmund c. Stedman
Ainsworth r. Spofford, John Church
Collins, Louise Chandler Moulton,
James Jeffrey Roche, J. r. Randall,
author of Maryland, My Mary land, !"
and now Ike Marvel, whose real
name was Donald G. Mitchell, In
this list we must contine ourselves to
our own country, though Death has
been busy, the world over, among the
good and great.
Bryan reiterates that he is still in
the game; that he is the leader of the
Democratic party, and don't propose
to give up the leadership whether he
is the newt nominee for President or
not. All (which greatly pleases the
Republicans.