Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-31
SLOW DEATH FOR VICTIMS
PiniOned in Ruins, They Cali in Vain
for Assistance.
FLAMES BURN ON UNMPEDED
Lack of Relief Workers Cause OF In
describable Horrors Added to
Calamity of Earthquake
Itself.

.CATANIA. Dec. @-one Of the Messina
survivors says that only a small proportion
Of the total population escaped. Thousands
Of persons are still buried alive in the ruins
where they are suffering slow death by tor
ture.
Tho flames are still making their way
slowly over the devastated area in an in
eXorable advance. Imprisoned and pinioned
human beings, unable to extricate them
selves, are being burned alive; others are
dying OF their injuries. while many are
starving. The streets are filled with con-
fused masses Of brick and mortar, beams,
furniture, chimneys and roofs. In many
cases the streets appear as enormous Gre
vases, twisted into fantastic shapes. The
celebrated Avenue Palazzati, which runs
along the sea front from the university to
the postoffice, is quite impossible. All the
public monuments that were there have
entirely disappeared.
All the water pipes, sewers and gas pipes
OF the city have been destroyed and water
and filth are flooding the torn streets. Gas
explosions occur frequently and result in
the breaking out Of scores OF small fires.
For several hours after the first des.ruc-
tive shock Messina was absolutely without
organized relief for the reason that the
municipal officials, the soldiers. the police,
doctors and nurses by the hundreds were
either buried or drowned.
The first work OF restue was performed
by volunteers from ships in the harbor and
groups Of heroic sur yivors, who, at great
labor and personal danger, extricated many
persons plnioned beneath the wreckage.
Messina's crying need today is for doc
tors; clothing and food and firemen to com
bat the flames that still ravage the oity.
Doctors, nurses and firemen are being
hurried into the wrecked city, but the lack
of food and water makes the work OF rescue
difficult. The Russian and British war
ships at Messiha have sent crews ashore
and the vessels have been transformed into
hospitals.
All the hospitals in Catania are
and even the schools nave been converted
into infirmaries. The less seriously injured
of the survivors of Messina are being dis
patched by the dozens to Palermo. M mister
of Public Work Bertolini has arrived at
Messina and organized several corps Of vol
unteers for rescue work.
Refugees, telling of their escape, relate
that after escaping from their ruined
houses they waited in terror for the COM
ing of light. Then they made their way
over the distractions in the streets to the
open places. They had to leave behind
them under the ruins countless victims who
called for help in heartrending tones. It is
asserted that probably half of the fatal
tiles occurred because 1t was quite inn
possible for the survivors to render prompt
assistance. Not the least OF the suffering
was caused by the ~downpour OF cold rain.
Some of the refugees from Messina passed
through San Giovanni, Palmi. scilla, Cam
nitello, Favizzana and Bagnara and found
practically every one of the villages de-
stroyed. f5. y
A woman gave the following account of
her experiences: so .4a 70.
\ "As soon as / could get put of mN
house / ran in the direction of the water
front. / noticed that the greater portion
Of the main thoroughfare of the city the
via Garabaldi, was destroyed. A thick
dust prevented me from seeing more than
three feet in any direction. From every
side I heard the cries of the wounded and
the shrieks of terrified women. 1 shrugged
through water and mud up to my knees
and succeeded in gaining one of the docks.
From there 1 was taken on board a cruiser
in the harbor.
'While on my way down to the water,
cropping through the dust and darkness, a
band OF about 100 persons rushed upon me
like maniacs. They were fleeing up town
They separated me from my companion
whom l never saw again." ..
Two doctors who succeeded in escaping
from Messina report that fully two-thirds
Of the city has been ruined. Entire streets
have caved in. One of the doctors was
sleeping in a room on the third floor
When the first shock ceme and saved HIM
self by gripping the roof Of a neighboring
house.
A ferryboat moored at one OF the docks
seemed suddenly to be thrown high into the
air. II landed on top of the dock and was
left hanging there by the receding waters.
This was the first intimation of the crew
that anything had happened. The captain
Of the boat says a huge cloud of dust OBJ
scured their view. With dawn came an
overwhelming picture of devastation. The
captain and his men landed and tried to
make their way into the. city, but the
fallen buildings and the twisted streets made
progress impossible.