The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-30
ROOSEVEL T SENDS CABLEGRAMTOKLNG
President Expresses Horror at Catas- trophe and Assures Victor
 Emanuelof Sympathy.

like ourselves. The houses seemed to be crashing into the crowd In what ever direction we turned.
 suddenly the sea began to pour into the town It seemed to me that this must mean the end or everything. The on-coming waters rolled in in a huge wave. accompanied by a terrifying aroar.
 "The sky was agIow with the refiec- tion of burning palaces and other buildings and as though this were not enough. there suddenly shot up Into the sky huge burst of flame follow ed by. a crash that seemed to shake the whole town. This probably was the gas works blowing up
 "Eventually, we reached the prIncl- pal square of Messina. Here we found two or three thousand utterly terri fled people assembled. None of us knew what to do. We waited in an agony of fear. Men and women pray ed groaned and shrieked. I saw one of the big buildings fronting on the square collapse. It seemed to me that scores of persons were buried beneath the ruins. Then I lost consciousness, and I remember no more"
 Refugees are pouring into Catania bS trains, steamers and automoblles They are half naked and stupefied with terror and suffering. Some of them appear almost insane from the horrors through which they have gone. Little by little some idea of the indescribabls horror at Messina was obtained Iron these unfortunates.
 They declare that thousands of de mented survivors are still wand srtnG about among the ruins of the city. A wounded soldier said:
 'sThe spectacle was terrifying be- yond words. Dante's Inferno gives you but faint Idea of what happened yes. terday morning at Messina. The first shock came before the sun had risen It shook the city to it's very founda' tions Immediately the houses began ta crumbIe Those of us who were not killed at once made our ~ay over un' aulakine floors to the street. Beam' were cfhshfnR down through flie rc0inl and the stairs were ednaIiys ansase
 T found the streets blocked by tstief houses, balconies. chimneys, hsi towers, entire walls had been throwi down. From every side of me arose the screams anu meanings Of th' wounded. The people were half mad with excitement and fear. Most ol them had rushed out in their night clothes. h a little while. we were al shiverlng under a torrential downpoui of rain. Everywhere there were dead bodies. nude, disfigured and mutiiated In the ruins l could see arms and legs moving helplessly. From every guar ter came piteons appeals Tor aid
 The portion of the town uown ,Sn i,aai hssi the water was inundated by the uusf wave. The water reached to the shoulders of the fugittves near the shore and swept them away
 .sThe city hall, the Cathedral and tbe barracks crumbied and churches other buildings and dwellings without number were literally razed to Inc ground. the barracks; only forty-one or tle,n were saved At the railroad station onIv eight out of 2S0 employees have been accounted for Many Of those who succeeded in escaping with theiI Iivcs are incapable Of relating theii exDertences coherently.f l questioned ali xvho were in a condition to talk Most of them told the same story Thrown from their beds. amid crash ing ceilings. falling furniture tney managed to make tnelr way to en, streets. Into the bsackness Of nish' and a pouring rain they rushed bind " ahout among the tumbIing buildings ana fine shrieks and groans or those hnried in the ruins. Many lost thel' reason and are today wandering aim iessIv in inc open fields outside tne citv or uD and down the ruined stTeeea they knew so well. ,..,
 'I,ooters and the robbers were shO' dead by the soldiers ,.
 Tt has 'been proposed here 10 remove ali inc survivors of Messina to Catanla
 Tales of Terror.
 Tales of terror and suffering are told hv tbe Messina refugees, who have vaached here The majority Of these are heinz treated in the hospitals while others have secured shelter in private homes. her experience.
 we were all sleeping in my house when we were awakened by an awful trembling, which threw us. out of our beds. cried out that it was an earth ouake. and called to the others to save Themselves while quickly pushed a few clothes into a valise. The shocks continued. seeming to grow stronger. [. The walls cracked and my bureau split in two and then crashed to the floor. nearly crushing me. My hands trembled so that could scarcely open the doors,
 "To increase the terror. g, rainstorm, accompanied by hail. swept through the broken windows. Finally, with my brother and sister, l succeeded in gain ing the street, but soon lost them An the mad race of terror-strieken people who surged onward uttering cries of main and distress During this terrible alEht balconiess chimneys and tiles showered down upon us continuously. Death ambushed us at every step. In- stinctively I rushed toward the water front. but there found the grand prom enade transformed into a muddy, miry lake. into which I slipped and often fell.
 "I only learned afterward that I was rescued senseless by soldier and car ried to train
 Town of PaImI Destroyed.
 MonteleOne, CRlabria, Dec. 29.-The l-..... Irrni ], hanrn nnrn llNr ha-