The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-12-30
Refugees Arrive At
Palermo From the
Scenes of Disaster

PALERMO, Sicily. Dec. 30.-Bands
OF refugees driven from the devas-
| tated district by hunger and fear ar
rived today. Ii Is feared that no ves-
| tige will remain OF the once proud
southern city of Messina. save the
debris and ash heaps.
The dead will reach 5000 per
haps more. These figures and even
more radical estimates have been fur
nished 10 the office OF the minister or
foreign affairs at Rome.
The port OF Palermo Is today the
mecca OF the relief workers. While
the harDor was damaged and naviga-
ton made perilous this port offers
the nearest approach TO the stricken
district TO which ships may come.
J Hundreds of soldiers and sailors and
physicians and nurses were landed to-
day from ships. BY nightfall the
flags OF every nation OF the globe will
be floating in the harbor. Today the
leviathians of the worlds navy were
sighted AT intervals. The great bat
tleships are coming on errands or
mercy. Where missiles of death
would come otherwise, messages OF
hope and cheer and sympathy are
pouring.
King and Queen Overcome.
King Victor Emmanuel and the
queen hurried south Immediately af
ter hearing of the breadth of the dis
aster, and are in Messina today. The
king asked to look personally after
certain rescue work and today will re-
view some of the ruins. When he
saw some of the earthquakes work,
h., 70 Int and nnUaro1 his
face with his hands. unable to bear
the sight of such desolation and woe.
The soldiery were today compelled
10 fire upon bands of looters in the
Messina district. Public bank build
ings were shattered and the streets
were Uttered with gold and currency.
Vandals with neither fear nor rever-
ence in their hearts, banded together
with leaders and sought TO enrich
themselves at the expense of the aw.
full conditions. Commands were Civ
en- TO open fire on all such brigands.
The marines from foreign ships
have also been granted the privilege
OF shooting the looters and sailors
were landed from the ship Sappho to
assist in the work
Mount Etna Active.
Loud detonations were heard from
Mount Etna today. The renewed ac-
tivity of the volcano added fresh
fears to the hearts of the Sicilians.
The reverberations doomed over Ca
tania like outbursts from artillery
and great clouds Of smoke drifted
away from the crater.
A pail OF black hangs over Messina.
The heavy rain which is slightly abat-
ed today is assisting to check the fire.
but it is making the work of the fire
fighters more difficult on account of
the smoke it is causing from the
dampened combustibles.
A message has been received from
American Ambassador Griscom i'll
curing after the fate Of Consul Che
ney and other prominent Americans
i'm the stricken district, but 1t remains
unanswered. 1t is impossible at this
time to tell definitely whether they
have persisted or not.
Fate of American Consul.
Joseph II. Pierce. the American
vice consul. was stationed at Messina
and every effort was made today to
ascertain whether he had persisted
with the destruction of the consulate,
but this, too, is unknown at this time.
The prison of Messina was destroy
ed, giving liberty TO many desperate
criminals and brigands from the ST.
Gillian mountains. Even in the face
of the awful calamity and in the pres
ence of death and despair some OF
these renewed their vendettas. 9th
ers OF the lawless element were de-
tected about the ruins OF the Hotels
Triancria. Victoria and Bellevue. The
local project of police, for many years
a terror To the evildoers. was killed
in the destruction of his Office.
The barracks at Messina were de.
stroyed and the commandant was
killed outright with many of his un-
der officers and soldiers. Gen. Faira
hi Cossatto arrived today TO take
command and Immediately issued
mandate declaring death upon all
caught pillaging. Last night was a
night OF. panic in the ruined sections.
The panic spread with the fall of
darkness. The ancient city OF Mes
sina was truly sepulcher.