The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-31
NO LONGER FIT
ABIDING PLACE
FOR MANKIND
Beautiful Stretch of Country
Visited by Earthquake Trans
formed Into a Desert.
NAPLES FILLED WITH
S0RR0WIMG REFUGEES
STORIES OF HORRORS ENDURED
WRENCH HEARTSTRiNGs OF
PLYING LISTENERS.

Naples. Dec. 30.-Time only confirms the
unspeakable horrors of the overpowering
catastrophe of the earthquake. History
perhGNs never will divulge its supremest
individual tragedies. for earth and sea
ruthlessly claimed thousands of human
beings, and the. flames mercilessly COM
pleted the unfinished devastation
Naples. vibrant with the memory of
Vesuvius, is PROSTATE anew at the mis-
cry and woe from Messina, confided to her
care. The hotels and homes are crowded
with refugees and the people are Yielng
with one another in aiding the stricken.
Those who have explicit knowledge on
the subject agree that the center of the
cataclysm was the Strait of Messina,
which also is the center of volcanic zone,
whose highest peak. Etnd. is now silent.
From this base the telluric disturbance
extended, abating little by little northerly
far Cape Vaticano and southerly as
far as the Bay of Catania, ravag1ng the
western region of Calabria and the east
ern coast of Sicily for nearly 100 miles.
Ruined Forever.
1t is impossible accurately to ascertain
the movement east and west In the island
regions, but it is certain that the beauty
of one of the most charming sections of
southern Italy has been irrevocably de-
spoiled Vineyards are no more; waving
rows of lemon, orange and olive trees
have been torn up and the enchanting
cOastline with its soft and fragrant foliage
has been converted into hideous desert.
Reggie, whose green aspect set off the
severity of the mountains, and Palmi,
perched jauntily amid orange and olive
trees. have become mere blots on the
horizon.
The appalling magnitude of the tragedy
south of Italy Is being brought home to
the people of the north by the arrival
here of refugees, injured and unscathed
from Messina.
Refugees in Naples.
The German steamer Seraphin came into
Naples early this morning with 500 refu-
gees The condition of the injured is pit
liable A few of them have had their heads
and limbs bandaged, but many have not
yet received medical attention. The Ser
the hospitals in the principal towns of
Sicily, are overflowing. White there are
not enough doctors and nurses Tor the
work in hand, and medical supplies band
ages and surgical instruments are lacking
1t is expected that by tomorrow night
fully $1,000 injured persons will have made
their way to this city, coming by mer-
chant men and warships. The municipal
ity. realizing the difficulty OF coping with
such tremendous responsibilities, has ad-
dressed an appeal to the local population,
asking the people of Naples to succor and
give hospitality to the unfortunate Sici-
lians. Every means of transportation to
move the wounded from the harbor to
the hospitals and infirmaries is being
made use of. but still the conveyances are
insufficient in number. Several buildings
are being prepared to serve as provisional
hospitals.
Heartrending Scenes.
Shortly after the Seraphin docked a
gang plank was lowered and a few per-
sons were allowed on board. The refugees
were found sitting in isolated groups. They
and were utterly exhausted. They seemed
hardly conscious of their SURROUNDINGS
Most of them were held in thran of their
terrible experiences.
One old man was carrying a little girl
in his arms. The child was covered with
blood rs that your child2'' he was asked |
No" he replied. yesterday / found
her on the pavement in Messina- / picked
her up and cared for her. No one claimed
her and | could not abandon her. / have
had her in my arms ever since"
With this touching explanation the old
man became oblivious to his questioner
and everything around him.
Tragedies Without Number.
The Seraphin brought into this port rec
ordS of numberless tragedies Families
mothers moaning and CRYING
for their dead children; husbands and |
wives lost to each other. or a sole sur |
vivor wishing that he hat not been spared ]
There was one girl on board the steamer.
her clothing tattered and torn, who had \
saved a canary bird. She was a music |
1dh SAASti anu Iidu Clung 10 her net |
the terrible scenes of devas-
tation until the bird was the only happy /
thing ON the vessel.
The stories told by these unfortunate /
refugees are almost unbelievable. A SOL !
der named Emilio De Sastro relates that
on Sunday the day before the disaster.
he was taken sick and was sent to the /
military hospital Early Monday morn (
ing he was awakened by a great roaring /
sound. He felt himself falling and thought |
he was in the grip of a nightmare. 1t |
seemed to him that he had awakened in
hell, for the air was filled with terrifying !
shrieks. He soon realized, however, what I
was happening. His bed struck the floor
below and he was still on it, II paused
a moment and was again precipitated He
struck the next floor, but this gave way
At once, and thus man and bed came down
from the fifth floor of the hospital to the
ground. The soldier was not injured
A druggist named Pulio relates that at
rs Monday morning ne was on a ferry
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