Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-31
STARVATION ANDPESTILENCE
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the footpaths through the surrounding
country have been utterly destroyed.
while The survivors lack food. water and
medical supplies.
The visit of the King and Queen of
Italy to Messina and Reggie has aroused
widespread enthusiasm.
In spite of the universal mourning
and distress, the sovereigns were sa-
luted when they disembarked by the
guns of the foreign warships at Mes
sina. AS the king and his party set foot
on shore they were greeted with scenes
of indescribable woe. His majesty spoke
highly in praise of the italian soldiers
and the sailors from the foreign war
ships for their heroic work of rescue.
He shook hands with several officers,
saying 1t was his desire to be informed
Of every detail of their splendid work.
King Visits Reggie.
Accompanied by Ministers Orlando and
Bertolini he visited both Messna and
Reggie. spending several hours at each
place. He visited personally every quar-
ter of these cities. giving words of en-
couragement praise and consolation. Her
majesty. the queen. talked with the
wounded on board the ships in the har-
Dor, comforted the women, spoke kindly
10 the children and promised assistance
Everywhere the visit of the sovereigns
has impaired fresh impetus to the work
OF rescue. Signor Marazzi has divided
the military forces working In Calabria
province into two bodies. One is work
ing on the Tyrrhenan coast and the
other on the Ionian shore. and they are
converging on Reggie. The troops are
distributing rations to the starving pee-
pie to the utmost limit Of their resources.
The waters of the strait Of Messina are
covered with floating bodies of men and
animals and all kinds of wreckage. The
shores of the strait have been completely
transformed in appearance. The light
houses on the headlands have disap-
peared.
Young Doctors Graphic Story.
A young doctor, named Rossi. at Mes
sina, gives vivid account of his expert
ences. His escape was miraculous, and
by his camness and energy he was able
to rescue others from imminent death.
The doctor was preparing to leave Mes
sina by an early train Monday morning,
the day Of the disaster. Suddenly the pro-
found silence was broken by an extra
ordinar,' noise. like the bursting of a
thousand bombs" he says. This was
followed by rushing and torrential
rain Then I heard a sinister whistling
sound that 1 can hken to a thousand
red-hot iron rods kissing In water. Sud-
denly there came violent Rhythmic move
ments of the EARTH and the crashing
down Of nearby walls made me realize the
awful fact of the earthquake. Falling
glass. bursting roofs and thick cloud
OF dust added to the horror of the sit
uation. while the extraordinary double
movement. rising and falling at the same
time. crumbled walls and imperiled my
life.
Il rushed into the room. where were my
mother and sister. and with a rope which
fortunately had with me succeeded in
rescuing them. l was also successful in
getting out of the house number of
other persons who had given themselves
up for lost. Then some, soldiers came and
helped me. and. together. we dragged
forth several women and children from
the tottering walls of half-destroyed
palace nearby. A few seconds later this
building was entirely demolished.
There were scenes of ndescribable hon
~
which my party made it's way. We final
~ gained the open country"
Hours Without Food or Drink.
Another survivor of Messina says:
The first thing / knew i was thrown
out of bed. Then the floor of my room
collapsed and 1 fell into the apartment
under me. Here 1 found distracted
woman searching for her sister and son.
whom she found dead. We remained In
the ruins for twenty-four hours. entirely
alone. without food drink We made
rough shelter OF boards to keep off the
rain Our ears were assailed with the
cries and means of the wounded These
sounds abated somewhat during Monday
night. Still no one came to our as
eStance. We were as in a tomb with
the dead bodies of our children beside
US We could see no one but every
time sounds were heard from the street
there would come an outburst OF pierre
ing cries for help from the injured hid
den and pinned down in the wreckage
Tuesday morning We finally ventured
forth and were taken aboard a vessel In
the harbor. on which we came to Napics
nesstua Is entirely destroyed. W.. passed
over streets that were vast creyasses
and climbed over great mounds OF ruins
aud wreckage that were all that re-
manned of the finest palaces of Messlna. -
This refugee lost his two children. He
arrived in Rome half clad and covered
with dust and burns. His wife was
clothed In little else than an old counter
pane.
Other refugees estimated that not more
than 5000 persons of the entire popula-
ton of Messina. 10000 people, escaped
with their lives The suffering was in
tensified by the lack of drinking water,
the water system having been entirely de-
molished. The wounds Of the injured had
to be washed with sea water Grocers'
shops were ransacked for mineral water
or anything else to drink.
Starving Attack Custom House.
Just as the British steamer Ebro was