Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-31

some Facts About the Region De.
vantated by Earth0uake.

destruction was wrought by the earth
quake, lies in a region spoken of by trav-
elers as the 'fairest land IN all Italy"
picturesque villages crown every hilltop.
while across the blue straits Of Messlna
rises a vision of Sicily and the snowy
heights Of Etna. The country round Reg
gio is one great orange plantation, and
everywhere the perfume of the blossoms
and the fragrance of the fruit FIJI the air.
Carts constantly pass through the streets
bearing the golden crop TO the warehouses,
whence It Is passed on to the sailing yes
sells that carry It to the nearest large
port, where regular lines of steamers dis
tribute it all over Europe. Formerly this
region was as celebrated for its palms as
now for its oranges but that was during
the Saracenic occupation, and after the
Saracens were driven out the populace so
hated anything that reminded them of the
detested Moors that all the palms were cut
down, and now they are almost as much Of
a curiosity in Regsio as in Paris.
The neighborhood Of Reggie is classic
ground, for 1t was there that Demosthenes
last touched with the Attention fleet when
on the way to Sicily and defeat. and 1t
was there that Cicero turned back to his
death when about to leave Italy after the
murder of Caesar. Not far away Is the
world famous Scylla, the rock that plays
such a part in the story of Ulysses. A
town now rises on the precipice, and the
whirlpool Chrybdis is no longer dangerous
to navigators, but some idea of the terror
formerly inspired by both may be gained
from the words Of Homer. A little more
than 100 years ago Scylla was the scene
of disaster more deadly than any that
---aa - --.a L., gt1 aoR1far onpd
A terrible earthquake came on February
8, 1888, and the entire population deserving
their homes at the first shock, gathered
on the seashore. The evening came on
with the terrified people still in groups on
the sand; a renewal Of the shocks, more
severe than at first, took place. A great
headland not far off was literally upset
into the sea, a tidal wave swept along the
coast and 1000 people of the town were
carried away.
Messina. Sicily. population 10000, three
fourths of which is reported destroyed, is,
next to Palermo. the most important city
in Sicily. 1t is situated in the northwest
corner of the island on the strait Of Mes
sina.
Among the leading buildings are the
Municipal palace, the convent of San Greg
orio, which contains a museum OF valuable
relics, buildings of the university, which
is attended by coo students, and a municipal
hospital.
The outskirts and environs are delight
full. affording magnificent views Of the sea
as well as of Mount Etna. On the west
rises the former fort OF Castellaccio, and
not far away to the south is Fort Gonzaga,
on the historic spot. The new Campo santo
is haaDfifn1 with fo urocaf,,I nrool. a.
nades and wonderful views. The TELEGRAPH
the summit of a pass near Messina-is
much visited for it's scenery.
Messina is a town of great antiquity. its
foundation being ascribed to pirates from
Cumae in the eight century B. c., when
1t was known as zancle "a sickle), in allu-
sion to the shape of it's harbor.
Catania is the capital of the province of
Catania, and the third largest city in Sicily.
being outranked in population by Palermo
and Messtna. In front of the cathedral Ia a
fountain with an ancient statue of an ele-
plant, made of lava, bearing an Egyptian
granite obetisk.
In the cathedral, begun by Roger in 1921
with materials taken mostly from the an
cient theater, and of the original Of which
little besides the choir has been spared by
earthquakes, is the chapel of Agatha, tute-
larry saint Of Catania, who was put to death
in Isl, and whose festival is magniflcentIy
celebrated in February.
In the cathedral also is the monument of
the composer, Bellini, a native of Catania.
The villa Bellini has an attractive garden.
containing busts of Bellini and others and a
statute of Mazzini.
In summer Catania is hotter than Paler-
| mn huf I'm vUintar q &c noaIo- $500
OF the snow on Mount Etna. The city
formerly had epidemic of cholera, but the
sanitary conditions lately has been excel
lent and the water supply is good. The
lack of promenades and gardens has made
Catania less attractive to tourists. than
most Italian cities. although the streets
are broad and well kept, and the private
and public buildings large and we'll built.
History and science have recorded more
than eighty eruptions of Etna in a period
of only a little longer than 1000 years,
eleven of them, as has been said, before
the Christian era. OF this number all have
been worthy of attention and many have
been among the greatest disasters Of their
times.
Something of the mountain and its rel
alive Importance may be germane to the
story Of its eruptions. The mistake is fire.
quently made of alluding to Vesuvius as
the greatest of European volcanoes, an
error natural from the location OF the lat
ter mountain, shadowing Naples and be-
Jogging the richest reliquary of the world.
as It does. Thousands of tourists see We
suvius to few who see Etna, yet there is
barely a comparison between the two.
Vesuvius has two peaks, the tallest OF
them 400 feet above the neighborlng sea.
It's secondary peak is $3.50 feet high.
Etna's active crater towers 1876 feet above
the Mediterranean From its summit may
be seen all of Sicily, the neIghboring Lipari
islands, with the dread volcano Stromboli,
to the north Of Sicily, where Etna stands.
Malta, the Italian province OF Calabria
and many small islands OF the Italian
coast. Etna has more than 100 smaller
cones, OF which at least ninety are large
enough to be worthy Of note. The moun<
tain is 100 miles in circumference about the
base.
Near this base stands the ruins of the