The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-31


 All the nospftals in Catania are crowded and the schools have been eonveTted into infirmaries The less seriously injured of the survivors If Massina are being despatched by the dexens to Palermo.
 Minister of cubIic Works BertolIno has arrived at Messina snd organized work.
 Refugees telling of their escape. re- lattng that after escaping from their ruined houses. they waited in terror Tor the coming of the light They theB made their way over the obstruc- tions in the streets to the open places They had to leave behind them under the ruins countless victims who called for help in heaFtrending tones.
 It is asserted that probably half the fatalities occurred because 1t was quite impossible for the survivors to render prompt assistance. Not the least of suffering wss caused by the downrour of cold rain.
 Some of the refugees from Messine passed through San Giovanni. Palmi. Scylla, Canltelle Fsyizapa and Bagna- the villages destroyed.
 4 woman gave tine following account of her experiences:
 '.As soon as I could get out of my house I ran in the direction of the wa ter front l noticed that the greater portion of the main thoroughfare of the city. the Via Garibaldi. was de- storyed.
 Prom every side heard the cries of the wounded and the shrieks of ter rined women. I struggled through water and mud up to my knees and succeeded in gaining one of the docks. From there I was taken on board a cruiser in the harbor.
 Acted Like AFaniaes.
 While on. my way down to the wa ter, sroping through the dust and darkness. a band of about 100 persons rushed upon me like maniacs. They were fleeing up town. They separated me from a companion with whom I had been and whom never saw again"
 Two doctors who succeeded in es- caping from Messina report that fully two- thirds of the city has been ruined
 Entire streets have caved in. One of the doctors was sleeping in a room on the third floor when the first shock came and saved hinseif by graspinE the roof of neighboring room. A ferry boat moored at one of the docks seemed suddenly to be thrown high into the air. It landed on top of the dock and was left hang ing there by the receding waters. This was the first intimation that anything had happehed.
 The captain of the boat says huge cloud of dust obscured the city. With dawn came an overwhelming picture of devastation. The captain and his men landed and tried to make their way into the city. but the fallen build ings and the. twisted streets made pro- gress impossible.
 suecor for Injured.
 The latest news from Messtna setS forth that some progress is being made in the work of succoring the, wounded survivors but no attempt Is being made to remove the wreckage.
 The, troops and sailors have been eb- liKed to shoot down robbers who peF- sisted in footing.
 The entire local treasury of the Mes sina branch of tho Bank of Italy some s2 .eoO. 900, has been saved and Is on board an Italian warship. The rescu- CTS at Messina are rapidly becoming ex- hausted. The fires have not been put out and there is no water with which to combat the flames.
 Many of the people stili refuse to leave the ruins of their houses. They cling to the sites of their homes. cry ing out that their only safety Is in fi- deity to the wrecks Of their hoifges. Force often is necessary to get them to the ships in the harbor. There are large numbers In the suburbs of Mss- sina who will not come back into the city for fear of a recurrence of the shocks
 A dispatch received here from Dep uty FeiicG, at Messina, says:
 "Organize a squadran of volunteers for rescue work. Send us food for we are dying of hunger. 4 number of the avsa 1aar Val mia. Receive them with love and fra ternity. It is the duty of every fam fly in Catania to shelter family from Messina."
 Only two members of the Municipal Council of Messina survived the disas- ter.
 5. The bluejackets from the Russian warships at Messina have performed vaiorous. servIoes They risked their lives recklessly in the work of extri- eating the wounded.
 Hospitals have been improvised in the railroad station, which Is partially standing, in another building on the First of September Street, and on board the steamer Reina Margherita. but they are already full. g
 roll call of the ssth Regiment of infantry reveals the fact that that or ganisation. has only ten survivors. A man named Roberto. the sole survivor of his family. became mad from gfief in Catania today and committed suI- eide.
 KING AND QUEEN
 BEGIN RESCUE WORK.
 Catania. Dec. 30.--King Victor Eman- uel and Queen. Helena arrived at Mes sina today on board the battIeship VfetnPia Ern a n4aaf They af oxa@a @v,a {