The Washington times., 1908-12-28
Dozen Towns Stricken, and
Death Roll Will Be
Appalling.
BIG AREAS FLOODED,
ADDING NEW MENACE
Details of Property Loss and Num-
Der Killed Impossible
TO Obtain.

ROME, Dee. 2S-Eight districts in
the province Of CatanzarO. Southwest
ern Italy. were laid waste at an early
hour this morning by three rapidly
successive earthquake shocks, which
claimed a death toll which it is now
impossible 10 estimate, and wrought
tremendous property damage.
y dozen or more towns are badly
damaged, those suffering the heaviest
loss being Stefanaconi, Mezzocale,
MajeratO and Santonofrio.
The quake came while the people
We're asleep and they were given no
time to escape from the topping walls
Of their homes. A number Of bodies,
variously estimated from ten TO fifty,
already have been taken from the
ruins. As the work Of rescue has
barely started, IL is feared that the
death list will reach an appalling
figure.
Those who were awakened by the
first shock fed from their homes al
most naked and suffered intensely
from the cold
Vast Area Flooded
Along the seashoro the land subsidized
in many places and vast area is flood
ed, adding enormously 10 the property
loss The government is doing its ut
most to learn the extent Of the havoc,
but communication with the afflicted
section is almost completely cut off and
It Will be hours before the details are
known.
Towns that escaped the quakes are al
ready sending rescue parties TO the
scene The need Of medical aid and
food and clothing is imperative
The flooding Of large part Of the ter
ritOry adds the menace OF disease and
doctors are being hurried TO the prov
ince.
The island Of Malta also experienced
a slight shock
Telegraph Wires Down
The news thus far received is frag-
meRtary and contradictory and it is i'm
possible for the authorities 10 obtain
anything exact on which 10 make an
estimate Of the disaster The telegraph
lines over portion of the district
where The damage was most serious. are
down. The government has dispatched
troops to the scene The CaIabrian prov
inces affected are those of Catanzaro,
Reggie de Calabria, and COrenza The
most serious damage is IN CatanzarO-
The villages, which are the most heavy
sufferers, are in general the same ones
which received the brunt of the severe
quakes of September. 1898.
II is feared that the villages OF Ste
fanaconi and Santonofrio are totally de
stroyed. Heavy damage is reported
from MiIetO, in Reggie de Calabria, a
town of about 1000 population; from
Borgia, which was totally destroyed by
earthquakes in 1898. from San Vito and
from NICOteTa- ar important market vii
lage near the Gulf Of GtOja.
Communication Cut Off.
Telegraphic communication IS com
pIetely shut Off with Pizzo on the Gulf
Of Santa Eufamia, a town Of nearly 90
900, which was wrecked by the earth
quake Of 1906, and It is feared that the
damage here is very large. Reports
from villages not far from Pizzo are to
The effect that there was considerable
loss of life there and that the old PiZzO
.aStle. spot Of great historic interest
as the scene of the execution Of the
Marat. was destroyed. The castle has for
2 long time been little more than a ruin
II Is reported that the town Of Tropea
in the province OF Catanrano is badly
damaged.
throughout Calabria the quake seems
20 have caused large damage to prop
crty- The inhabitants, panic stricken,
crowded into the streets of the villages.
despite the heavy rain which flooded the
streets.
The shock was most intense, il ap-
pears, in the smaller villages Although
II is certain that several persons were
killed and a number injured. the au-
thOrities do not believe that the loss OF
life will be as great as some of the
rumors which reach them from the
south would indicate. According TO the
reports, those killed and injured were
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