The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-12-30

Whole Cities Have Been Made Into One Vast Crave Il
Ruins to be Covered With Quickime- Victims Reason
Dethroned by the Horrible Experience

Rome. Dec. so.-Half the population
OF Calabrfa and the eastern part Of
Sicily are dead, and the other half is
weeping. Az the great extent of the
terrific seismic disturbances becomes
apparent 1t seems impossible to ex-
aggerate the horrors which have fol-
lowed them. The calamity which has
overwhelmed Italy Is almost beyond
the grasp Of the imagination, not only
because Of the dead, now known to
number tens of thousands, but because
OF the innumerable wounded buried
In the ruins, many of whom will per-
ish because 1t is impossible to rescue
them from the wrecks of their former
homes. The whole of Italy is abso-
lutely stunned and at the scene Of the
disaster the bulk Of the people are
literally 4demented with the sudden
ness and extent of the blow. The
total number of victims is variously
estimated from $4,000 to 10000. King
Victor Emmanuel and the queen ar
rived at Messina today. AS they made
their way into the ruined town the
scene Of disaster and horror was too
much for the queen who almost
swooned.. Crowds Of terror stricken
people swarmed about the royal party,
throwing themselves in the mud and
screaming for pity and aid.
Many terrible stories are related in
connection with the rescue work. The
rescuers had to contend with the
superstition. 30 deep rooted in the
Sictltan mind that IN many instances
the injured men and women clung to
the crumbling walls. refusing to let
go their hold and seek safer positions
AS the further facts concerning strick-
en- Messina become available they
corroborate In every detail the worst
fears heretofore expressed. The
cathedral, municipality buildings. bar
racks and prisons are all destroyed
and presumably all the smaller build
ings shared the same fate. OF the
two hundred and eighty railroad em-
ployes In the station at Messina only
eight are known to have survived,
while at Reggie the silence Of death
which still reigns, leaves to the Inn
agination the terrible havoc wrought
by the catastrophe with the horrible
thrush OF the ssBas. !. I the sNu1lnNi Nipg mp
lot the boat, the crushing Of the ships
and the destruction of the bridges and
walls. The sea became almost instant
ly covered with debris after the up
heaval, containing refuse of every de-
scription, and dotted with human
bodies. When day dawned the entire
shore line Of the surrounding country
was utterly changed in appearance.
The coast line was greatly altered,
while of all the magnificent houses
al M NJ a oSHy f<Nft I'M a
ruins remain. From these ruins, from
time to time, sprang Jets Of flames and
smoke. King Victor Emmanuel and
the queen, who left yesterday for the
scene Of the disaster, have won the
hearts Of their subjects by continuing
In noble manner, the traditions of
the HOUSE of Savoy which makes the
sovereign actually share In all the
suffering Of his people. The volcano
Of Stromboli is active and the seas
around the island are very much agi-
tated and dangerous to navigation.
The pope has telegraphed the arch
bishop at Palermo large sum of
money and instructed him to proceed
to Messina Immediately to help the
survivors. From the latest estimates
today It is feared that the total num-
ber Of victims in Cicily and Calabria
will reach more than 100000 while
the damage to property Will be several
hundreds Of millions.
In some quarters 1t is declared that
the hnal numbers who perished will
be as high as 100000 persons. One
half Of the population Of Calabria and
eastern Sicily apparently has perish
ed.