Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-30
LIKE A NIGHTMARE
Seems Tale Of Horrors at Messina,
Told by Eye Witnesses.

Catania, Dec. 29.-The following
graphic story is told by woman who
arrived here from Messina this morn
irg. She was herself badly injured. She
describts the horrors that accompanied
the disaster at Messina in these words:
"'Infernar is the only word that will
adequately describe the fearful and
terrifying scene" she said.
when the first shock came most of
the city was fast asleep l was awak-
ened by the rocking Of the house. The
next moment I was violently thrown
out of my bed to the floor l was half
stunned but ran to the streets, which
were filled. Everybody had rushed out
in their night clothes, needless OF the
rain falling in torrents,
I'VE heard heart-rending appeals for
help from the unfortunates pinned bt-
meath the ruins. Walls were tottering
all around us and not one of my party
expected to escape alive, as we CROPPED
through the streets, holding our own
against the panic-stricken people
clambering over piles of ruins. until
We finally reached place Of compare
tive safety
"All along the road we were jostled
by scores of fleeing people, half clad
like ourselves. The houses seemed to
be crashing to the ground in every di-
rection. Suddenly the sea began to pour
into the town. 1t seemed to me that
this must mean the end OF everything
THE sky was aglow with the retlec-
tion of burning palaces and other
buildings and AS if this was not enough
there suddenly shot up into the sky a
huge bursts of flame, followed by a
crash that seemed to shake the whole
town. This probably was the gas works
blowing up
Eventually we reached the prin
cipal square of Messina. Here we found
1000 or 5000 utterly. terrified people as
sembled. Men and women prayed and
groaned. ! saw one Of the big build
ings fronting on the square collapse
1t seems to me that scores of persons
were buried beneath the ruins. Then
! lost consciousness and I remember
nc more
Refugees are pouring into Catania
by trains. steamers and automobiles.
They are half naked and stupified with
terror and suffering Some of them ap-
pear almost insane from the horrors
through which they have gone. In the
beginning they could only babble Mes
sina has been devastated. the city mas
been annihilated" Little by little idea
of the indescribable horror of Messin.l
was obtained from those unfortunates.
They declare that thousands of de-
mentcd survivors are still wandering
about among the ruins of the city. A
wounded soldier said.
1.-The spectacle was terrifying beyond
words. Dante's Inferno gives you but q
faint idea as to what happened yes
tcrday morning at Messina. The first
shock came before the sun had risen.
1t shook the city to its very founda-
tions. Immediately the houses began to
crumble. Those of us who were not
killed at once made our way over un-
dulating floors to the street. Beams
were crashing down through the
rooms. The stairs were equally unsafe
Il found the streets blocked by fall
Ell houses Balconies, chimneys, bel
towers entire walls had been thrown
down. From every side of me arose the
screams and meanings of the wound
ed. The people were half mad with cX-
citement and fear. Most of them hac
{
little while we were all shivering under
a torrential downpour of rain. Every
Where there We're dead bodies. nude
dlstigured and mutlated. In the ruin:
/ could see arms and legs moving help
lessly. From every quarter came pit
eous appeals for aid.
The portion of the town down nea
the water was inundated by the tda
wave. The water reached to the shoul
ders OF the fugitives and swept then
away.
''The City hall, the cathedral and til
barracks crumbled and churches, othe
public buildings and dwellings withou
number were literally razed to th
ground. There were 200 customs agent
At the harracks. only II OF them bein
saved. At the railroad only eight out o