Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-12-31
iIHI IS STUNNED
FURTHER DETAILS or AWFUL
CALAMITY IN cALABRlA AND
ISLAND or SICILY.
STORIES OF EYE WITNESSES
Whole Population Practically PrecIpI.
tated From Houses Rent In
TwaIn--darrowIng Scenes
Described.

n Rome, Dec. S0.-Stunned at tn
+ magnitude Of the calamity which hal
9 oVertaken fellow countrymeD. all Ital,
mourns for the stricken province Of
t Calabria and the island Of oisily. Ac
I customed for centuries to earthquakes
4 Italy stands ever In dread. but none
|. was prepared for the disaster which
J In the fraction OF minute Monday
devastated cities and towns and
caused the death Of thousands.
Messina, whose tragic history has
been marked by tidal waves. and war
and which was the center Of Mondays
terrestrial maelstrom, was shaken to
ruins. Flames burst forth to COM
| plete the city's destruction and to
burn alive untold numbers helplessly
pinioned beneath fallen walls and
broken timbers The strait Of Mes
sina was shaken and twisted by the
earth's trembling, for mariners report
the channel altered beyond recogni-
ton. The ports and villages on both
the continental and Sicilian sides we're
wrecked or inundated and all light
houses along the coast were swal-
lowed up. Navigation now Is danger
GUS and In some places impossible.
The seaport Of Reggie is reported
as no longer existing and the city pro-
per Is In ruins. One Of the refugees
from Reggie who was the first to
bring the news Of the city's destruc.
ton tried to make his way to Sicily
In a sail boat but was compelled to
return and finally found safety at
peninsula port. In describing his ex-
perience he said:
THE sea was strangely, mysterious
ly agitated and the heavens, were
ablaze. Nearing Sicily, the clearing
smoke revealed the mystery; Messina
was in flames. In the frenzy of de-
spair, l turned my boat back to Gala
bria."
Starving, bleeding from injuries and
almost insane from their terrifying
experiences, Messina's survivors are
ieeing IN all directions. The spec A
acle presented by the ruined seaport
$ described as terrifying. Tumbling
'uildt' gs, both killed and mutilated,
Vhile hundreds of the injured I'M
risoned In the wreckage were aban- u
oned to their fate by the fleeing pop G.
lace. m
One of those who escaped said: u
The earth seemed suddenly to drop =!
nd then turned violently on its axis. u
he whole population, who practically p
rere precipitated from the houses IT
snt In twain, were spun around like ci
Fps as they ran through the streets. Cd
ANY fell crushed to death and others, &C
swildered, took refuge for breath be- W
de the lettering walls where they III
ION met the fate Of their compan- IN
MS" as
The hands Of all the nations have an
zen extended to Italy in her afilic- CO
IN. From rulers have come mes
ges Of coincidence and from the peo-
es spontaneous promise Of that aid
1ich brings the world closer togeth- tn'
in time Of great calamity. Great Cn
itain, France and Russia have sent DIG
cir warships quick as the fash Of yei
. telegraph could carry the orders
lend assistance to the stricken pul
les. Relief funds have already been In
.rted and q hundred ships and trains aw
} on their way carrying supplies the
d reinforcements to the south. Dy
me, Milan, Florence, Naples and Dee
Ter cities are sending physicians. nae
Ice and hremen. Tuesday all the dea
and ministers expressed sna
npathy with M. Tittoni, minister
foreign AFFAIRS, whose emotion was
found. 8
The work Of rescue at Messina &C. GIRL
ding to the meagre details received cre'
o Tuesday night, presented har. Tue
ring scenes. Hundreds Of people pita
re pinned under walls and rafters cam
'e, but terribly injured, for 80 NOR
Irs. One Of the rescuers found emf
Ter the ruins of house five chill the
n alive, but unable to speak, cling Gem
! around the corpse Of their moth tom
In some cases heroic rescuers dev'
death in the falling debris. In
house 20 persons suspended on NV %.
fifth floor and unable to reach o
street because the lower floors . ,nol
been torn away, were rescued i $50.
B q rope by sailor. Six criminals ln'el
. killed while attempting to loot way
bank Of Sicily, where cash lts
! ' " pam Jose
eral