The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-01-07

Rome.-As reports come from
southern Italy and Sicily of the dam
ege done by earthquake and tidal
wave, the world stands aghast at the
horror of the situation
Messina and Reggie have practi
oally ceased to exist In the ruins OF
the former city two-thirds of the In.
habitants lie buried, while at Reggie
one-half the people lost their lives
Messina counted 10000 and Reggie
$4,000 souls.
Mess'na is to be evacuated entirely
as soon as possible. The disposition
of the dead is one of the greatest
problems confronting the authorities
Two days spent amid the ruins of
Messina and Reggie bring convincing
evidence that the horror Of the situa-
ton in the Straits of Messina has in
no sense been exaggerated.
Messina and Reggie were not the
only towns visited by the terrible
earthquake. Palmi, Cosenza, Cas-
sano, and Bagnara, suffered terribly,
and in the Monteleon region. Biposa,
Seminara, San Giovanni. Scilla, Laz-
FARO and Cannitello and other vii
lagos are in ruins
The radius of ruin and death ex
tends back with decreasing intensity
fer forty miles on the main land and
for thirty miles in Sicily.
The accounts of all survivors agree
that the devastation was accomplish.
cd in less than one minute. The
strata below the strait slipped along
the line of fork, then a tidal wave
rushed In and out, and all was over
All say that when the shock came
they felt an upward thrust of the
earth, followed by an oscillatory mo-
ton and the crust of the earth vi
trated.
Curious freaks of the earthquake
were everywhere to be observed
Standing walls had fallen out expos
ing one tier of the rooms above anu
in which nothing seemed to have
been disturbed. Pictures hung
on the walls, lamps were on
tables and vases and flowers on man
tel pieces.
There Is reason to believe that the
devastation by earthquake in Calabria
and Sicily Is not yet at an end
Several minor shocks were expert
enced Saturday and many tottering
walls We're thrown down, but it is not
known that any persons were killed
The new quakes are starting the fires
afresh and the people are in condi-
lion bordering on panic.
During the first few days such
bodies as were recovered were laid
cut in long rows for possible identifi.
,ation, but as there were very few
,ases where any of the dead were
they are now being GOV
sred with quicklime when this ma.
erial is available. Otherwise they
ire being left to decompose where |
hey are found Now all the efforts
re being directed to getting the sur.
ivors away.
Experts who are in Messina study
ns the cause of the earthquake gen
rally agree that 1t was the result of
fault in the geological formation
nder Messina which constituted a
me of concerted volcanic action be-
wen Mount Vesuvius and Mt. Etna.
nd that slip occurred similar to
he one which detached Sicily from
he main land. Surroundings OF the
hannel in the harhor show that in
ONE places the surface has risen and
I others subsidized. The British bat
eship EXmouth, near Reggie, found
My fifty-eight fathoms of water
here before the earthquake there
ere 2S3.
Officers of foreign vessels believe
lat 10000 persons were killed at
essina and 10000 at Reggie. The y
'eas of destruction extend thirty
lies on the north and south coast I
Sicily and for an equal distance on |
e mainland below Radicena toward I
e south. II
: lessor Ricco. director of the OBJ s
60 at Mount Etna. states that 7
s = Ius'i UNITS recorded forty.two Il
.at sino sno ms, ter the first, but /
le instruments have FEssday morning i
Dnless eIhiost mo
Etna and Stromboli are now-,.. p