Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-12-31
Death, Destruction
and Ruin in w axe
of Upheaval
Danger that Pesti-
Ience Will Fol-
low Horror

Rome. Dec. 100000 dead; Mes
sina in Sicily and Reggie and score
other towns in southern Italy are over
wheImed; the entire CaIabrian region
is laid waite; this is the earthquakes
record as far as it is at present known
from reports coming slowly into Rome
on account Of the almost complete de-
struction of lines Of communication TO
the tricken places.
The death list in Messina ranged
from 10000 to $4,000, that of Reggie,
which with its adjacent villages num-
bered $4,000 people, includes almost
the entire population. At Palmi, 1000
are reported dead; Cassano, 1000; Co
senza 500: and half the population OF
Ragnara, about 1000. The Monteleone
region has been devastated and HI
nosto. Seminara, SangiOvanni Scilla,
I,azzaro, CanniteUo and all the other
.cOmmunes and villages bordering on
the straits are in ruins.
The king and queen of Italy are now
on their way to Messina, having sailed
last night from Naples aboard the bat
tleship Vittorio Emmanuel. The
none has shown the greatest distress
at the calamity and he himself was
the first to contribute a sum amount
ing to 100000 to the relief of the af-
Hictcd. The British, French and Rus
sian warships are steaming toward
The south and already several ships OF
Great Britain have reached Sicily.
Tt is feared that many foreigners
have been killed, as a number of no
tells at Messina and doubtless at other
places were crowded with tourists.
Little is known Of the fate of the di-
pIomatic repre- entatives of the for
,eign powers stationed at these posts,
although the Italian government is u.s.
ing every effort to relieve the anxiety
felt on their account.
There is the gravest danger that
pestilence will follow the de struction
of the towns where, on account of the
vast havoc wrought, bodies will lie I'M
buried for days and weeks. Those
who escaped death, many of whom are
badly injured are making their way by
thousands to the nearest place of re-
fuge. Their sufferings even now must
be intense. as they are without food or
clothing
Latest reports received here state
that four thou and soldiers in the vari
Gus barracks at Messfna are buried
under fhe ruins The Rock of Charyb-
dis now blocks the entrance TO the
strait Of Messina. The tidal wave
wrecked the lighthouse in the strait
including Faro Beacon. and they
crashed into the sea.
Rome. Dee. 30.-Stunued at the mag
nitude of the calamity which has over
taken their FELLOW cOuntrymen, all
italy mourns tor the stricken province
of CaIabria and the island of Sicily.
Accustomed for centuries to earth
uakes. ITALY stands ever in dread, but
none was prepared for the disaster
which in the fraction of a minute de
vastated cities and towns and caused
the death of thousands.
,ros.ina vrboss tragic history has
-,o,,,, ,,,o,,I,o,g ~. t55o1 vvavas 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 pin
toned beneath fallen walls and broken
IlmoerS. The straits o. Messina was
shaken and twisted by the earth's
y, s''lD'lIls :, loI i'I,'' lLleIS report the
I,i'','iIs' ',I'e!S" oes Gnu Eecoshiuon'
VI - anu masses on ooih tue CohJF
"eHl%I ana me oIell'an SlaeS were