Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-12-30
HORRORS OF EARTHQUAKE.


Messina, the second city Of Sicily,
with population of 80. 900 people, va
shaken on Monday to its foundation
and swept by tidal wave 30 feet bigh.
Fifty thousand people are reported
killed 10 that city. The Straits of Mes
sIpa we're twisted out OF their well-koown
shape, ligh houses were thrown down
aud their RS svigation has been rsndei ed
extremely baza dous. 10 many OF The
stricken cities the shocks caused the gss
meters to explode and disastrous Ere To-
creased the horror OF the siiu.tiou. Th
quake, which lasted at Messir d 20
seconds, was accompanied By terrific de-
luTe ofrsin into which the hslf.clsd people
rushed, trying to escape from the falling
buildings. The geography OF southern
I ally was changed by the earthquake
aud the government has official aovices
that the contour of Sicily ba' been
changed materially. Arthur S. Cheney,
United States consul, and his wife are
believed to be among the victims.
Refugees from Messius are pouring
into Catania by trains, steamers, and au-
tomobiles. They are half naked and
stupe6ed with terror and suffering.
Some Of them appear almost insane
from the horrors through which they
have gone. In the beginning they
could only babble. "Messina has heeo
devastated; the city has been snnihi-
lated"
Little By little some OF the indescrib-
able horror at Messina was obtained
from these unfor unales. They declare
that thousands of demented survivors are
wandering about among the ruins Of the
city. King Victor Emmanuel and Queen
Helena have sailed from Naples for
Sicily. Aid is being sent to the suffer
ers from sIl parts of the word.
A wounded soldier said "The
spectacle vas terrifying beyond words.
Dsn.e's Inferno gives gon but a faint
idea of what happened NJ ndGy mornns
At Messina. The first shock csme be'ort
the sun had risen. 1t shook the city H.
i,s very foundations. Immediately th'
bouses began to crumble. Those of us
who we're not killed at once made our
way over undulsung floors to the stfeeI.
Beams we're crashing down through the
rooms and the stairs, we're equally I'M
safe.
'I found the streets blocked by fallen
houses. Balconies, chimneys, bell towers
and entire walls had bsen thrown down.
From every side Of me srose the screams
and meanings Of the wounded. The
people we're half mad with excitement
and fear. Most OF them had rushed on
In their night clothes. 10 liItle while
we we're all shivering under torrentsl
doWnpour Of rain. Everywhere wer
dead bodies, nude, dis6gured, and NUT :
lated. 10 the fuIos could see arOs
aud legs moving helplessly. From every
quar- er came piuous appeals for aid"
"The portion of the town down u al
the water was inuuos ed by the tioa
wave. The water Tca he'd TO the
shoulders of the iugiuyes and sWep'
them away.
"The city hall, the cathedral and
the bar'a ks crumoled, aud other public
buildings and dwellings without numb
we're lireia ly rz-d to the GROUND
Thtrs we're 200 cusoms sgents a. thf
barracks: only Al of them we're Ga 'ed
| At the raIlna station only out ol 28|
mploVes have been sccouot-d for.
Many of tbose who succeeded in es
cap ng with their yes sre ioc4psble o
relating their ex periences cob reltly.
questioned all who we're in a coUdition Il
ak. Most of them tlld the same story
Tney said the first thing they knew tb'
were thrown out of bed, and amid crA'b
| ing ceilings and falling furniture msnay
ed to make their way to the street
Then in the blackDess of night and ami
a pouring rain, tba added to their hor
rof aud distress, they rushed
blindly away amid the cra'h af tumbliDl
buildings and the shrieks and groans o
those buried 10 the ruins. Macy Will
trying to escape we're ttruck down b
falling balconies and masonry, and stii
many others lost their reason and a.
today wandering aimlessly in the opel
fields outside the citg or up aud dow
the ruined streets they koew 80 we'll
"The looters ald fhe robbers wer
shot down dead BY the riA.s Of th
soldiers"