Semi-weekly herald., 1908-12-31

/ the invalid mother was carried fror
the apartments.
Annoy. DDec- 2S.-The riots, whicl
started Saturday with the refusal O
a the natives to obey the order Pre-
+ hibiting the planting of opium poppies
now affects twelve villages. Twent,
miles west Of Tungan. 1000 men ar,
> reported to be under arms.
New York. Dec 28.-Sunday saw an
, othe pathetic child suicide in this city
, when Arthur Kirby. the fifteen year
Id son of Mrs. Margaret Kirby. Broo,
lyn widow. ended his life last nigh
by fnhaltng gas through a tube. Des
pondency. because he was unable to
pursue his studies in order to prepare
himself for college education is sup
Il posed to have prompted the child's
act.
i ROME, Dec. 29.-Additional news
this morning is that all OF southern
Italy and eastern Sicily Is devastated
by terrific earthquake. probably the
most disastrous catastrophe that has
visited the earth in two centuries.
Six provinces in the toe of the
boot" have been shaken into ruins
Messima, with 10000 Inhabitants,
is reported to be almost entirely de-
stroyed. and town after town razed
Twenty thousand persons are dead
rivalling the awful death list of the
earthquake of 1873, when that mum.
ber perished. Estimates of the dead
vary from hundreds to larger nuiuber
than given above. 1t is feared the
larger number is correct.
The tidal wave that followed the
shocks on the eastern coas; of Sicily
| sunk vessels and inundated the lower
| part OF Catania. AT Catanii Il is
known that many were killed there
but the rushing waters carried every.
thing before them and caused much
indescribable confusion.
The Italian government proceeded
energetically to relieve the widespread
distress by concentrating troops and
engineers. Members of the Red Cross
were dispatched to various places and
camps with provisions were prepared.
In some places people entered the
churches almost while the latter were.
filling with water and carried out the
saints. They bore them in procession
through the open country, invoking
the mercy f-God. In the mountain
GUS regions inland, the population has
taken refuge In grottoes and caves
where peasants, priests, soldiers and
persons of gentle birth are living in
common.
ROME, Dec. 29.-Premier Giolitti
has received a telegram from Deputy
Felice, at Messina, confirming pre-
vious reports of the complete destruc
tion of Messina by fire following the
earthquake. The deputy says the dead
at Messina will be counted by tens
OF thousands.
The disaster In the province of Ca
labria and the island of Sicily is today
assuming staggering proportions. Each
successive report received from the
stricken region makes 1t more appar-
ent that the first story of the wide
spread destruction is little, If any, ex-
aggerated. Messina alone reports 12.-
900 victims. but it is feared that is
only partial list of the dead and
wounded. Reports coming in from
other towns giving estimates of the
dead therein range from 500 up to sew
eral thousand.
Reggie stu remains in Its solitary
isolation 1t is impossible to get word
from the stricken city and the silence
gives rise to the most fearful appre-
tensions.
Vandalism of the worst kind has
broken out and the government has
adopted the most severe measures for
it's repression. Robbers and looters
we're shot on sight.
The prison at Messina collapsed and
some of the prisoners were killed, but
the survivors made their escape and
joined the rioters who were sacking
the city Such confusion reigned that
the robbers met with no resistance.
The local chief of police lies dead in
the ruins of his office. The barracks
at Messina were demolished. The
commander of the troops killed out
right and there are many victims
among the enlisted men. The finest
palaces, churches and theaters of Mes
sina are heaps OF ruins Countless
| dead bodies are scattered through the
wreckage. and their decomposition will
doubtless bring pestilence to add to
the horrors of the situation. The
devasatation over the entire district
is more or less complete. No part OF
the province of Reggiosde Calabria es-
capped. The disturbance was most Sc
we're along the shores OF the Straits OF
Messina, where the cities Of Messina
and Reggie are situated.
In more than one town the shock
caused gas meters to explode and dis
astrous fires resulted. The flames
greatly helped to swell the death list
The configuration OF the Straits o.
Messina are materially altered. The