The Washington times., 1908-12-31

tervals women roamed through the
openings calling aloud for their chill
dreu. their husbands or their fathers
NO one Ventured TO rescue us When
we finally mustered sufficient courage
To venture forth, we met a band OF
sailors who took us aboard the CrlstO-
fero Colombo which carried us 10
Naples.
From the reports / hear today, con-
CeTnlng further destruction by earth
QUakes, 1 fear AIessiDa Is wholly de
stroyed One hundred thousand are
dead IN the city and vicinity. Al tile
time We departed the great public build
iugS. 50 secure In their granite and
stone We're masses Of Crumblng ruins
the prison had burst asuuder, the army
barracks were demolished. II was i'm
possible 10 follow the courses OF the
streets In portions OF the city WhIcn
were thickIv built The structures
seemed 10 part falling away on either
side into heaps Of debris
Amid the Ruins.
'I can never forget the sights which
I saw: Hair naked men, panic-stricleu
and actually insane from fear. scram-
bIed over the heaps Of buildings alter
nately cursing in their deIiTiUm and
throwing themselves prone and calling
upon God and the saints TO save them.
Mothers with clothing stripped from
their bodies, carried the forms OF dead
and maugled children. FerOCious men.
a few short hours before cOnytcts in
the prison, TOamed at viii. lOOuuE the
public buildings which had partly CTum-
bIed away, and searching through the
ruins Of banks for money and jewelry.
They We're actually mad with greed.
and fought among themselves with the
most awful blasphemy. Thus We rOaIned
through what seemed valley, with the
masses of ruins rising on either side or
US to great heights. / wept as / looked
upon what had been the finest city OF
EVEN as we departed rescuers We're
at work, but they were greatly hadi-
capped by the magnitude Of the task
before them When we departed the
palaEZa by the sea was standing
whether il vet remains cannot tell
The town hall upon which the pubic
plaza in the center OF the city was
burning as We passed, and hungry
S0ng7Ies of fame were squirting in
every direction, licking up everything
indammable-"
To Avert Plague.
Premier GIoIetti, following the Kings
orders, dispatched a Uozen small vessels
loaded with lime for Messina today.
The quIckIime will be sprinBled indis-
criminateIy over the debris TO eat away
the putrefying matter which may breed
a plague
Reggie, Caiania, and AIesslna are at
tracing especial attention today, be
cause fhey were the largest cities, con
sequentIy the heaviest sufferers. IN
Catania. the local authorities are able
with more OF less facility to look after
the needs OF the moment But IN Reg
gio and Nessjna, the destruction was 80
vast and the slaughter so appalling that
a great battle would not have lett
conditions so dire
While Italy rallies to practical aid for
the quick and dying. the spiritual neces-
sites are not being overlooked In
every cathedral in italy ''Te Deums" are
being Chanted hat the disaster was not
worse, and prayers are being said for
the recovery of the wounded and the
regeneration of the destroyed cities
The premier, it IS reported, Will con-
vene the legislature at the earliest pos
sibIe moment for remedial legislation
Whether a new taxation under the cap
ton oG "the 1.-THE OF pity" viii be put
into force to secure funds necessary for
governmental distribut ,ou is not known
It was suggested by IN economist, but
came merely with uUI lerOus other suS-
Cestions made at the same time
NJ LuzZatti, the economist who sUE-
Cest5 the tax, appends a statement
that ir his opinion the actual damage
will mount TO a milliard Ira