Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-12-30
AtLlEAly STUNNED
AS0 m MOURNING
Confined from First Pase3

thrown out Of my bed 10 the hoor'
/ was half stunned. but knew that
1.-THE only thing to do was to make
my way out doors.
strAets Were Filled.
The streets were filled. Every.
body had rushed out In their night
clothing, needless Of the rain falling
M torrents Terrified shrieks arose
ljrom all sides. and we heard heart
Banding appeals for help from the
ltfortnnates pinned beneath the
rig /.
fall were tottering all around Us.
and pt one OF my party escaped I'M
hurt. Ny brothers and sisters were
with Ae';and In a frenzy OF terror
we .gratped our way through the
streets holding our own against, the
panic sEicken people clamberihg
over pilestpfs ruins. until we finally
reached a Msee OF comparative safe
ty. but ,lHss was not done before
was struck down and badly injnr-
ed by a pkcessof furniture that Tell
out of the upper story Of house.
"All along ths road we were jostl.
ed by fleeing people half clad Ne
ourselves. Then houses seemed 70
be crashing to the ground Sin every
direction. a a
Sea Came in With Roar.
Suddenly the sea hogan to pour
into the town! II seenleu to me
that this must mean the end OF every
thing. The oncoming Aafers rolled
in in a huge wave ACCOMPANIED by
a terrifying roar. n y,
The sky was aglow with the re-
Election of burning palaces aud other
buildings, and as IL this WIS not
enough, there suddetly shot ID into
the sky huge burst TOT fame fsilow.
ed by a crash that Seemed to shake
the whole town. TIL is probably Vas
the gas works blowi g up. "a
Eventually We ra&ched the princitN
pal square of Messina. Here wA
found two or three thousand utterly
terrified people assembled. None
of us knew what to do. We waited
in an agony Of fear. Men and wo-
men prayed, groaned and shrieked.
saw one Of the big buildings front
iry on the square collapse. 1t seem
el to ne that scores of persons were
lost consciousness and remembered
no more"
Refugees Pouring *.
Refugees are pouring into Catania
by trains, steamers and automobiles
They are half naked and stupefied
with terror and suffering
Some o. them appear almost in
10 horrors through which
t .ey Nave gone.\
tln the beginning they could only
tabble "Hessina Las been devastat-
ed; the city has bean annihilated."
Little by little sor,e idea Of the
Understandable horror a, Messina was
obtained from these u,fortunates.
They declared that THOUSANDS of ,
demented survivors are all wander !
ing about among the ruins of 80.
city.
A wounded soldier said: The spec
tacle was terrifying beyond words.
Dante's Inferno gives you but
faint idea as to what happened yes
terdav morning at Messina. The
first shock came before the sun mad
risen. 1t shook the city to its very
foundations Immediately the houses
began to crumble These of us who
were not killed at once made our way
ever unduIating floors to the streets.
Beams were crashing down through
the rooms and the stairs were equal
ly unsafe.
Panic and Fright Everywhere.
q found the streets blocked by fal-
len houses. Balconies. chimneys.
bell towers, entire walls had been
thrown down. From every side OF
me arose the screams and meanings
Ct the wounded. The people were
half mad with excitement and fear.
Most o. them had rushed out in their
night clothes. In a little while. We
were all shivering under torrentiai
down pour Of rain. Everywhere
there were dead bodies. nude, DIS.
figured and mutila;ed. In the ruinS
I could see arms and legs movfn
heipless!y. From every quarry
came piteors appeals FIR aid ~
"The pcrticn OF the town down 1eei
the water was inundated by the Sida'
wave The water reached "a tht
shoulders of the fngitiyes and sves'
them awar. ss
THE city hail, the cathed "a ans
the barracks crumbIed and Sehe'
public buildings ana dwee.nss VT
out number we're literales =
the ground. =
There were two knh et6t01n
agents at the barrzEl9)b cua1v to-
Y Z -