The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-31
CHENEYS BENEATH CONSULATE RUINS All Reports Confirm the Death of New Haven Physician
 and EEis Wife at
 Messina, STEPS TO RECOVER BODIES British and Russian Wnrship Com manders Both Report Loss of
 Ambassador
 Busy.
STEPS TO RECOVER BoDlE'

Naples, Dec SO.-The commander of the Russian battleship Makharoff, which has arrived here with refugees from Messina, brings word that Arthur s. Cheney the American consul at Mcssina, and his wife, died under the debris of the consulate.
 Malta, Dec BOA wireless dispatch received here this evening from the British cruiser sutlej. at Messina, says that Arthur s. Cheney, the American consul at Messina and his wife lost their lives in the destruction of the city.
 Rome Dec. S0-The destruction of ti5 aiirvI itau consulate d :dessua ana the death of Consul Cheney and per haps the death also of the former vice consul J. II. Pierce, together with the absence of w H. Bishop, the American consul at Palermo, leaves the United States without a representative in Sici- ly at the present time. Officials In Rome are considering the possibility of the administration at Washington or- dering one or more of the ships of the battleship fleet now cruising around tho world, to proceed to Sicily in order to protect American interests.
 So far. all reports agree that there were few, if any, Americans In Mcssina at the time of the disaster with the ex- ception of Consul Cheney and his wife. Mir Peirce was an Engllshman and for many years the Peirce family had lived in that city. Several of the members were killed but Miss Peirce made her escape as well as one of the male mom- bers of the family. who may prove to be the vice consul
 Washington Dec S0. Ninety Ameri- cans in A Messlna hotel that was de- stroyed and Italians and Americans co- operating In the quest for Information regarding the missing, are reported upon in a caSlegram fo the state de- partment today received from Ambas- sador Griscom at Rome The ambas- Hh'bl NhUlFu llldl HE IlHN IffblNFu 0O word from the American consuls at Messina and Palermo. lie has asked the foreign office for information and that office, he adds, will use every ef- fort through army and navy officers to obtain immediate news. The Britt lsh consul at Messina Is reported in iured and his wife and children dead The ambassador says lt Is reported that 20 Americans were in the Trinacria hoe tel at Messlna, which is said to he to- tally destroyed II Is known however that some of the guests escaped The foreign office reported that several for eign nations arc hurrying warships to the scene 10 offer assistance The am hassador has despatched consular off, cers in the quest for information
 Rome, Dec 20 Ambassador Griscom returned late this afternoon from the foreign office, where he went to make Inquiries regarding the Americans who may have been in Calahria and Sicily at the time of the disaster II is not believed that there were any Americans at either Messina or Reggie when these cities were demoishd with the ex- oeption of course, of American Consul Cheney and his wife. There may have been some American tourists at Taor- nina but no casualties have been re- ported from that place
 Washington, Dec 3o. A dispatch re- celved at the state department today from 4hn moriann ronaul Mr TaIn at Malta, confirms tho reported death of A & Cheney, American consul, and his wife. at Messina The bodies, the dis patch says. have not been recovered