The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-29
CITIES DESTROYED
BY EARTHQUAKE
SEVERAL SUCCESSIVE coNvuL.
sIoNs WRECK DAMAGE IN
VEsuvlus BELT.
HUNDREDS REPORTED KILLED
Eight Districts In Southwestern
Italy Were Laid In Waste--lm-
possible to Accurately
Estimate Loss. 10


Rome, Dec. 29.--The three pro.
vinces of Gosehza, Catanzaro and
Reggo Di Calabria, comprising the
Department of Italy, OF The toe OF
the boot" were devastated Monday
by an earthquake, the fan reaching
effects of which were fell almost
throughout the entire country. The
town of Messina, in Scilly, was pratial-
ly destroyed and Catania was inun-
dated. In Messina hundreds OF
houses have fallen and many persons
have been killed. Owing, however, to
the fact that telegraphic and telephone
communications were almost com
pletely destroyed, It is impossible to
obtain even an appropriate idea of the
vast damage done.
The fate OF the entire regions with
in the zone of the earthquake is un-
known, but reports received here up to
late hour Monday night indicate that
the havoc has been greatest and de-
struction to life and property more
terrible than Italy has experienced in
many years. The uncertainty of the
situation for many thousands has filed
all Italians with the deepest distress
for they still have fear that the day
may come when that part of the coun-
try, which seems to have been most
blessed by nature, will be destroyed
by blind forces of that same nature
which nearly 10 centuries ago over
whelmed Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The city of Messina has suffered
probably more than any other place,
the latest information coming Indirect
ly from that quarter stating that two
thirds of the town was destroyed and
several thousands persons killed The
steamers Washington and Montebello,
which were in that harbor, later pro-
ceeded to Catania, loaded with injured
who were SO stupefied by terror that
they seemed unable TO realize what
had happened, simply saying that it
looked as though the end of the world
had come. Five steamers left Catania
for Messina to assist in removing the
injured from that place, who are re-
ported to number thousands.
Extraordinary scenes are reported at
Catania. Following violent earth
shock at $50 a. m, the sea rose in a
tremendous wave, which wrecked
many smacks. It then suddenly re-
tired from the shore and returned as
quickly. causing further great dam
age and wreckage. Awakened by the
shock, the inhabitants fed panic
stricken from their homes into the
streets and squares. Professions
were organized and soon all the
churches were filled with weeping
crowds imploring divine mercy.
The pope was greatly distressed at
hearing of the scourge that had afflict-
ed the loyal population in the south
He could hardly credit the truth of
the dispatches describing the devasta-
tion and fatalities as ten times great
er than In 1905. After kneeling fer
vently in prayer, his holiness arose
and said, as he said three years ago,
that he felt his place was amidst his
suffering children. 1t was his firm
intention to order that instructions be
given for beginning the journey, but
his physicians and those in atten-
dance upon him, insisted that II would
be impossible for him to undertake
such a fatiguing expedition in the
present condition of his health.
The Italian government proceeded
energetically to relieve the far-spread
distress, concentrating at the points
OF greatest need troops and engineers.
Members of the Red Cross were dis
patched to various places and camps
with provisions were Immediately
all available railway lines
and warships being used for their
transport.