The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-12-31
Survivors Of Dreadful CatacIVsm
Are Nunbsd BY Fear
PITIFUL TALES ARE TOLD
Some of the Narratives Of Persons
Who Escaped Death Are Unbelieve-
able-TidaI Wave Destroyed
as Many as the Quake.

Naples December S0.-The appalling
magnitude of the tragedy of the south
of Italy is being brought home to the
people of the north by the arrival here
of refugees, wounded and dying from
Messina. The fact that dying people
have to be brought such a distance for
medical attention shows the immensity
of the disaster and the inadequacy Of
the relief measures at present possi-
BILE.
The German steamer serapin came
into Naples early this morning with
500 refugees. The wounded are all in
the cabins and their condition is pits
BILE. 1t is expected by tomorrow morn
ing fully so 900 wounded persons VIII
have made their way to this city. The
municipality realizing the difficulty OF
coping with such tremendous respon-
siblities, has addressed an appeal to
the population asking the people of
Naples to succor and give hospitality
to the unfortunate Sicilians. Every
means of transportation to move the
wounded from the harbor to the hos
pitals and infirmaries is being made use
of but still the conveyances are in
sufficient in number. Several build
fngs are being prepared TO serve as
provisional hospitals
Just as the Serapin was leaving Mes
sina a man made his way TO the dock
ed called again and again for his wife
and children. The people on board
lis ned attentively. Then from the
7Sssftl csnus an answer In wonlan's
voice, II am here. J. am here"
Are the children there?" came from
the dock.
Yes, we are all here" the woman
replied, but there was no note of joy
from the unfortunate mother. Her
heart would hold no happiness after
the experiences of the night.
Stunned BY Experiences.
Shortly after the Serapin docked.
gang plank was lowered and a few
persons were allowed on board. The
refugees we're found sitting in Isolated
groups. They gave evidence of great
mental depression and were utterly ex-
hausted They seemed scarcely con-
sclous of their surroundings. Most of
them were held in the thrall of their
terrible experience.
One old man was carrying a little
girl in his arms. The child was COW
cred with blood. "Is that your child?"
he was asked.
No he replied.
yesterday l found her on the pave
ment in Messina. l picked her up and
cared for her. No one claimed her and
l could not abandon her l have had
her in my arms ever since"
With this touching explanation the
man became oblivious to his questioner
and everything around him.
Numberless Tragedies.
The Serapin brought into this port
records of numberless ira gedies. Fam
lilies separated mothers moaning and
crying for their dead children, hus-
bands and wives lost to each other or
a sole survivor wishing that he had
not been spared. There was one girl
on board the steamer, her clothing tat
tered and torn, who had saved a ca
nary bird. She was music hall
singer.
The stories told by these refugees
are almost unbelievable. A soldier
named Emelio De Castro related that
on Sunday, the day before the dis
aster he was taken sick and was sent
to the military hospital. Early Mon
day morning he was awakened by a
tremendous roaring sound. He felt
himself falling and thought he was in
the drop of a nightmare He thought
he had awakened in hell for the air was
full of terrifying shrieks. He soon
realized, however what was happening.
His bed struck the floor below and he
was still on it. 1t paused a moment
and was again precipitaed. He struck
the next floor but this gave way at
once and thus the man and bed came
down from the fifth floor of the hos
pital to the ground. The soldier was
not injured.
Ferryboat Saved.
A druggist named Pulco relates that
at 5:25 o clock Monday morning he was
on a ferryboat in the port of Messina
going to Reggie. Suddenly gale of wind
arose bringing a heavy sea with it. Then
a great chasm seemed to open In the
water and the boat went down and struck
the bottom. But the waters closed in
again and the ferryboat hoated safely
upen the succeeding wave. Most of the
people aboard, however, were swept off
and drowned The boat was badly
wrecked but it fioated ashore and Pulco
was still aboard
After the first panic he landed and
found Reggie like a city of the dead. No
body was moving in the streets and the
silence was broken only by the means
and groans and shriells of the wounded
Pulco and several companions tried to
extricate some of the wounded from the
wreckage but this was almost impossible
because of the crumbling ruins In one
of the squares Pulco found -oup of
people all completely make -uggist
estimates the death ron -.eggio at
10000
Only 10000 Left.
Another refugee declares that there are
alive in Messina today not more than 10. 900
people. Many of these are dying of hun
ger The people still in the city have
broken open the restaurants and food