The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-31
SOVERE|GNS
HELPING IN
RESCUE WORK
King and Queen of Italy Aid in
Taking Injured From the
Ruins at MeSsina.
THOUSANDS OF HUMAN
BEINGS BURNED ALIVE
VAST NUMBER STARVING TO
DEATH-ONLY A SMALL PRO-
PORTION ESCAPED ALIVE.

Catania. Dec. SO-King Victor En-
manuel and Queen Helena, who arrived
at Messlna today. Immediately joined a
rescue party and labOred as unremittingly
as the others, The king personally extri-
Gated several injured persons pinned I'M
der the ruins.
The queen devoted her attention prin-
cipally to little children. She rescued with
her own hands a 3-year-old boy who was
bleeding from many cuts and wounds.
She herself carried him TO the dock,
where she handed him to members Of
the hospital corps. At the dock were
many small boats sent to take the wound
cd out TO ships in the harbOr Every
available steam i'm port has been fitted
as a temporary hospital.
Renewed Hope and Courage.
People wept from emotion when they
saw the king and queen of Italy come
ashore. The women threw kisses TO her
majesty Roth were practically carried
up the pier in the arms of their sub
1ects. The presence of the kind has acted
as general inspiration Even the wound
ed found fresh strength when they
learned his majesty had come among
them. An aged man who had been
abandoned under a beam that apparent
" had crushed out his life, revived for
g moment at the shouts of greeting to
the royal pair. He stretched out his
hands and raised his head long enough
10 cali out:
4
Long live the kingi he shouted, and
then fell back and expired.
Bodies Beginning to Decay.
On overpowering stencil is beginning to
arise from the ruins of Messina. Ten
thousand soldiers win be required TO bury
the dead there.
IL was learned today that General Col
il lost lis life at Messina
One of the Messna survivors SAYS that
only small proportion of the population
escaped. Thousands of imprisoned and
pinioned human beings, unable TO eXtri-
cate themselves are being burned alive;
others dying of their injuries. while many
are starving. The streets are filled with
confused masses OF brick and mortar
beams, furniture, chimneys and roofs.
The Wreck Complete.
In many cases the streets appear as
enormous crevasses. twisted into fantas-
tic shapes. The celebrated Avenue
front from the university to the post
office, is quite impossible All the pub
lie monuments that were there have en-
tirely disappeared. All the water pipes
been destroyed, and water and filth are
flooding the streets. Gas explosions Oc-
cur frequently and result in the break
ing out OF scores of small fires.
For several hours after the first de-
structive sh0ck Messina was absolutely
without organized relief for the reason
that the municipal officials. the soldiers,
the police doctors and nurses bv the
hundreds. were either buried or drowned
The first work of rescue was performed
by volunteers lrOm ships in the harbOr
and by groups of heroic survivors, who
at great labor and personal danger eXtri- |
Gated many persons pinioned beneath the !
wreckage.
Aid SoreIy Needed.
Messina's crying need today is for doc |
tors, clothing and food and firemen to /
combat the flames that still ravage the |
city.
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 Brit /
ish warships at AIessina have sent crews /
ashore and the vessels have been trans
formed into hospitals.
All the hospitals in Catania are crowd |
ed and even the schools have been con-
Nerted into infirmaries
The less seriously injured of the sur /
vivors of Messina are being dispatched /
by the dozens TO Palermo.
Minister of Public Works Bertolini has
arrived at Messlna and has organized I
several corps of volunteers for rescue
work.
No Time to Save Injured.
1t is asserted that half the fatalities
occurred because 1t was quite impossible 4
for the survivors to render prompt as
sistance- Not the least of the suffer-
ing was caused by the downpOur of cold
rain.
Some Of the refugees from Messna
PASSED through San Giovanni. Palmi Sell
ia, Cannitello. Favizzana and Ragnara.
and found practically every one OF the
villages destroyed.
a ferryhoat moOred at one of the docks
seemed suddenly 10 be thrown high in
the air. IL landed on top of the dock
and was left hanging there by the re-
cediuS waters. This was the first init
nation To the crew that anything had
happened. The captain says a huge cloud
OF dust ohscured the city. With dawn
came an overwhelming picture of devas-
'ation. The captain and his men landed |