The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-31
And Strait Of Messlna Is
Blocked With Them
REGGI0 HALF SUBMERGED
To-day's Estimate Of the Dead Runs
to i7s.ooo, Of Which $4,000 Are
Said to Be in Messina
Alone.

Iomcs Dccs 3ls--NdfAl oinCtIs Nv nles'
sina estimate the dead in that city to bs
$4,000, and they place the total deaths
from Mondays earthquake at 10000
The figures are growing so steadily that
the government Is prepared for any esti'
mate.
The naval commanders have wired
from Messina that unless word IL heard
from the American, French, English and
German residents within a few hours
they may be taken to be among the
dead. There are sixteen battleships on
The scene. There are fires in many parts
Of the city.
Thousands OF bodies have been washed
into the sea, and it will never be possible
to estimate within 10000 the number Of
dead There are cases Of insanity among
the victims. Messina strait is blocked
with floating bodies.
Not more than 5000 Of the population
OF Reggie survive, and not building
IS stsAding. The lower part OF the city
is 35 feet under water, and the streets
are lined with heaps Of corpses
Rome, Dec. 3l.-Southern Italy is ono
huge hospital for the relief Of the suf-
ferers in Mondays earthquake, Six
thousand refugees have landed in the
city OF Naples alone, and the whole num-
ber 81 earthquake victims who are in
need of medical treatment is estimated
to be one hundred thousand, OF, which
number 1t is believed that ten thousand
win die.
United States Ambassador Lloyd Girls
com declares that the casualties are
easily 100000. He still hopes that tho
American victims were few. The Italian
government places the dead at l25,000,
and the newspapers to-day say that
100000 people lost their lives.
Telegpphic communication has been
established with Messilia, the apparatus
having been installed in railway van.
Messages which have come over the line,
though they have been meagre in detail,
show that their hope is gone. Nothing
remains of the city but a mass Of ruins
that have been swept by fire. A mere
handful of survivors are being cared for
by the rescuing forces, but their distress
is great and it has been increased BY
the violent icy wind that followed the
dauge of rain. Destitution is every
where and appalling. There is little food
and less water.
Catania, the largest city nearest to the
ecene Of the disaster, Is crowded with
refugees and the continuous stream of
fugitives coming in, the sight of the
wounded and repetition of real or imagi.
nary earth shocks, has SO alarmed the
population that they are becoming mn
controilable. There il no longer d place
there where the refugees may find shel-
ter. Cardinal Francict-Fava Di Bontife.
archbishop of Catania, has employed all
the money in his possession to provide
bread for the fugitives, but the people
of Catania Also are IN great need, as the
ordinary business pursuits have been en-
tirely interrupted.
$4,000 Beds on Way.
The minister of marine has received
word that the steamships Taormina and
Calpania, with $4,000 beds and a large
supply OF provisions aboard had left,
bound for Messina, Other steamers, also
bountifullv stocked, are on their way
to the stricken cities from various ports
The dispatches from the stricken scene
say that d large army would be re-
qtiired to cope with even the pressing
needs Of the unfortunate people who
are roaming about half clad and starving,
some Of them dragging articles OF cloth
ing from the smouldering ruins to pro-
tect themselves from the piercing winds,
Terrible suffering 10 inevitable before
the much needed relief stores can arriv.
Late dispatches state that the city Of
Palni contains | 500 dead and twice as
many injured. Twothirds Of the town
las laid waste All the villages adja-
cent suffered as severely.
IS Towns Destroyed.
General Marazzi. commandant at ca.
tanzaro. has telegraphed to the govern
ment that he has tried vainly for two
days TO reach Reggie by land and sea
The roads are impossible and the shore
has been so torn and twisted as far as
he travelled in Calabria that it was i'm
possible to approach the water. At the
ministry of marine, word has been re-
ceived that frightfnl looting and pillage
occurred at Reggie. This place, already
overwhelmed, will have few survivors, as
it has been impossible for the relief ex-
pedition to reach it.
News reaching Catanzaro from the out
lying districts in Calabria indicates that
IS towns and villages have been wiped
out, with the number Of dead in that
district alone exceeding 10000. The few
survivors are mad with terror and have
fled TO the forest clad mountain slopes
where they are subsisting on roots and
the bark of trees.