The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-30
ONLY A FEW ESCAPE.
Thousands Are Suffering a Slow Death
at MeSSina.

Thousands Are SunerInS a SLOW Dcath
at Messina.
Catania. Dec 3O.-One of the
| Messina survivors says that only
| small proportion of the population es-
capped Thousands of persons are still
| buried alive in the ruins. where they
are suffering slow death by torture.
| The flames are still making their way
| slowly over the devastated area in an
| memorable advance. Imprisoned and
pinioned human beings, unable to
extricate themselves are being buried
alive others dying of their injuries,
while many are starving. The streets
are filed with confused masses of
brick and mortar. beams, furniture,
chimneys and roofs. In many cases
the streets appear enormous
crevasses. twisted into fantastic
sha pes. The celebrated Avenue
Palazzati, which runs along the sea
front from the university to the post
Office is quite impossible. All the
public monuments that were there
have entirely disappeared. All the
water pipes. sewers and gas pipes of
the city have been destroyed. and
water and filth are flooding the
streets. Gas explosions occur fire.
quently and result in the breaking
out of scores of small fires.
For several hours after the first
destructive shock Messina was abso-
lutely without organized relief for the
reason that the municipal officers,
the soldiers. the police, doctors and
nurses by the hundreds were either
buried or drowned.
The first work of rescue was per-
formed by volunteers from ships in
the harbor and groups of heroic
survivors. who. at great labor and
personal danger, extricated many per-
sons pinioned beneath the wreckage.
Messina's crying need today is for
doctors. clothing and food and fire
men to combat the flames that still
ravage the city.
Doctors. nurses and hremen are be-
ing hurried into the wrecked city, but
the lack of food and water makes
the work of rescue difficult. The Rus
sian and British warships at Messina
have sent crews ashore, and the yes
sci have been transformed into hos
pitfalls.
All the hospitals in Catania are
crowded, and even the schools have
been converted into infirmaries.
The less seriously injured of the
survivors of Messina are being dis
patched by the dozens to Palermo.
Minister of Public Works Bertolinf
has arrived at Messina and organized
several corps of volunteers for rescue
work
Refugees, telling of their escape. re-
late that after escaping from their
ruined houses, they waited in terror
for the coming of light. They then
made their way over the distractions
in the streets to the open places They
had to leave behind them under the
ruins countless victims, who called for
help in heartrending tones. 1t is as
serted that probably half the fatalities
occurred because it was quite impos
sible for the survivors to render
prompt assistance.
Not the least of the suffering was
caused by the downpour of cold rain.
Some of the refugees from Messina
passed San Giovanni. Palmi. Stella.
Cannitello, Favizziana and Banai and
found ctically every one of the VIII
lagos destroyed.
A woman gave the following account
of her experiences:
GAS soon as l could get out of my
house I ran in the direction of the
water front. I noticed that the great
er portion of the main thoroughfare of
the city, the Via Garibaldi. was de-
stroyed. A thick dust prevented me
from seeing more than three feet in
any direction. From every side /
heard the cries of the wounded and
the shrieks of terrified women. I
struggled through water and mud up
to my knees and succeeded in gaining
one of the docks. From there l was
taken on board a cruiser in the har-
Dor.
"whiIe on my way down to the
water, cropping through the dust and
darkness band of about 100 persons
rushed upon me like maniacs. They
were fleeing up town. They separated
me from my companion, whom new
err saw again"
Boat Thrown Out of the Water.
Two doctors who succeeded in escap-
ing from Messina report that fully two
thirds of the city has been ruined. En-
tire streets have caVed in One of the
doctors was sleeping in a room on the
third floor when the first shock came
and saved himself by gripping the roof
| of a neighborng house.
j A ferryboat moored at one of the
docks seemed suddenly to be thrown
/ high into the air. 1t landed on top
of the dock and was left hanging
there by the receding waters. This
was the first intimation to the crew
! that anything had happened. The
captain of the boat says a huge cloud
| of dust obscured the city. With dawn
came an overwhelming picture of de-
vastation The captain and his men
| landed and tried to make their way
| into the city, but the fallen buildings
and the twisted streets made progress
/ IL