Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-12-30
MOUNT AETNA BECOMES ACTIVE
Detonations from Volcano Add to
TerrOrs of the People.
KING AND aUEEN HASTEN SOUTH
Martial Law Declared and TroOpA
Hurried 10 Scene-POpe Plus
Gives Large sum for
Relief.
&alA
BULLETIN 3.


at o'clock this afternoon received wire-
less dispatch estimating the dead at Mes
semi at $4,000. No news has yet been re-
ceived from Reggie.
Reports have just been received from
two other towns in Calabria, Cassano and
Cosenza. Cassano is said to have suffered
1,OOO dead, while the wounded number 500
At Cosenza 500 dead people already have
been taken from the ruins
Cassano has $500 people, while Cosenza
is the center of a community with popu-
lation of 25,000.
ROME, Dec 29.-South Italy and the
island of Sicily have been visited by an
appalling calamity, the extent OF which
cannot yet be grasped. An earthquake
yesterday morning wrecked city after
city and obliterated smaller towns and
villages without number.
Then a tidal wave swept across the
strait of Messina and added to tie hor-
ror, drowning the people In their help
lessness and panic. Fire came TO cum-
plete the work of destruction. Flames
broke out in the devastated cities and
countless numbers of wounded men,
women and children were burned to
death.
Any adequate estimate of the total
|
but the Rome Tribuna places the num-
ber at between 10000 and 10000.
City of Messina Wrecked.
ROME, Dec. 29.-The disaster in the pro-
vince of Calabria and the island of Sicily
| has today assumed staggering proportions.
| Each successive report received from the
| stricken region makes It more apparent
than the first stories of the widespread
| destruction were little, II any exaggerated
| Messina alone reports $4,000 victims, but 1t
| is feared that this is only a partial list
| OF the dead and wounded. Reports are
coming in from other towns giving esti-
| mates of dead therein from 500 up TO sew
| erat thousand
Reggie still remains in It's tragic isolation.
| 10 is impossible to get word from the
stricken city, and the silence gives rise TO
the most fearful apprehensions News has
come from Messina, eight miles north OF
Reggie. but no reliable estimate Of the
| dead there has been made.
Vandalism of the worst kind has broken
put and the government had adopted the
most energetic and severe measures for
its repression. Robbers and looters are
| shot on sight
The prison at Messina collapsed. Some
OF the prisoners were killed. but the sur
vivors made their escape and b3ihed the
Hooligans who were sacking the city. Such
confusion reigned that the robbers met
with no resistance The local chief OF po-
lice lies dead in the rooms of his office.
Commander OF Troops killed.
The barracks at Messina were demol-
| ished. The commander of the troops was
killed outright and there are many victims
among the enlisted men. The government
last night sent General Fiera Di Cossatto.
an army corps commander, to take full
charge OF the troops in the devasted ter
ritory. One of the first measures win be
TO declare martial law.
The robbers pilaged the ruins OF shat
tered buildings, and even stole clothing and
valuables from the corpses of the Victims
They were not deferred by the flames that
broke out in several sections OF the city,
but took advantage Of the light for their
vandalism. The night in Messina was one
OF horror. indescribable fire, robbery, dead
and dying onsevery side, the city In the ut
most confusion, and the people panic
stricken and under spell Of terror.
Troops began to pour into Messina last
night and this morning a number OF
steamers arrived from peninsula with
soldiers on board Patrols were at once
! organized and efforts made to bring order
into the situation. Bands OF citizens were
formed and helped heroically IN the work
OF rescue. Many courageous acts were per-
formed by soldiers and citizens alike. and
in some cases the rescuers themselves lost
their lives in trying TO help others
order Partially EstabIished.
Toward morning several OF the worst
fires had been extinguished. the loot.ns
was under partial control, and compare
lively order has been established. Every
thing possible is being done 10 succor the
wounded. but the relief measures are still
utterly inadequate owing to the inimsnslty
| of the disaster.
The finest palaces. churches and theaters
OF Messina are heaps Of ruins Countless
! dead bodies are scattered through the
wreckage. and their disposition will doubt
less bring pestlence to add 10 the horrors
OF the situation.
The devastation over the entire district
were more or less complete. No part OF
the province Of Beggio De Caiabria es-
F. capped. The disturbance was most severe