Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-29

around Messina has been devasted.
and that several villages have disap-
peared.
People Are Praying.
Telegraphic reports have been re-
ceived here from all parts of the is
land of Sicily. They say the inhabi-
tants everywhere are terror stricken
and praying in the streets and
churches. Reggie is described as moth
ing but vast sepulchre.
Two Towns Wiped Out.
Monteleone, Calabria, Dec. 229.-The
towns of Palmi, 10000 inhabitants, and
Bagnara, 1900, have been practically
destroyed. The deaths at Palmi num-
Der 1000 Large numbers were killed
at Bagnara, and the list of wounded
is heavy.
Worst In Sicily.
Rome, Dec. 29.-Many thousands of
persons met death yesterday as the
result of an earthquake that devasta-
ted three provinces in the southeast
ern extremity of Italy and part of the
island of Sicily. Several thousand per-
ished in the city of Messina in Sicily
alone and towns cut off from commu.
nication may have suffered as severely
or been destroyed Several villages
are reported to have disappeared, swal-
lowed up by the upheaSal.
mcalculable loss TO property result
ed from the quake and a tidal wave
that followed buildings being piled in
ruins and rich country laid waste. Ii
will be impossible for days to estimate
with any accuracy the total loss of
life or cost in property, as isolated
sections cannot be reached until rail
roads and wires are restored.
Boats Bring News.
Practically all the information so far
received has been brought by boat
from the ruined sections to telegraph
points.
Already relief work is under way
and the government is doing all pos.
sible to relieve the survivors of the
disaster.
The three provinces of Cosonza, Ca
tanzaro and Reggie di Calabria, com,
prising the department of Calabria
which forms the southwestern part OF
Italy, or the toe of the boot" suffered
most severely, but the effects of the
earthquake were felt almost through.
out the entire country. In Sicily the
destruction was enormous, Messina be
ing practically ruined, and Catania
was inundated.
The uncertainty of the situation for
many thousands has filed all italians
with the deepest distress, for they still
have fear that the day may come when
that part of the country which seems
to have been most blessed by nature
will be destroyed by the blind forces
, of that same nature which nearly Is
| centuries ago overwhelmed Pompei
and Herculaneum. All reports shows
| that the present catastrophe embraces
, a larger area than the earthquake in
1895.
Swept by Tidal Wave.
The tidal wave which followed the
earth shocks on the western coast OF
Sicily sunk vessels and inundated The
lower part of Catania. 1t is known
that many persons were killed at tha
place, but the rushing water carried
everything before them and caused
such an indescribable confusion tina
it will be impossible for some time t
estimate the damage and the live:
lost.
For a period the town of Messin;
and the whole province of Reggie wer,
completely isolated. through Interrupt
tions to the telegraph and telephone
and landslides that INSTRUCTED the rail
ways.
ship Tells Of Disaster.
Absolutely nothing was heard from
Reggie throughout the day, while tn
first news from Messina came in tn
form of dispatch which TORPEDO
boat, flying at full speed along TIL
coast of the peninsula, carried from
Ipoint TO point, always finding the wire
down, until it reached Nicotera, wher
the telegraph lines were found intact
From this point the dispatch was sent
Ii briefly stated that the situation wa
desperate, and after summarizing tn
immensely of the catastrophe ende
with the announcement that Captain
PASSING, commander of the local sta
ton of torpedo boats, was buried III
der the debris after having, with othe
officials, performed heroic work in TT!
, ing to save others.
The Italian government proceede
energetically to relieve the widespread
distress, concentrating at the point
of greatest need troops and engineer!
Members of the Red Cross were dis
: patched to various places, and camp!
with provisions, were Immediately pre-
Z Ipared, all available railway lines an