Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-03-05
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THE CASE OF /
GIUSEPPE VITTORI {


dren-Antonia and varinn. aged re-
spectively six and four years-and, GO
Ing to the dock. boarded a steamer
bound for Naples. Having transacted
some business there. he started on his
return. The vessel just before day.
Light was nearing the spot where Mes
sina was then located when VittOri.
lying in his berth, felt the ship rise,
sink. rise again, then steam on tran
GULLY as before.
Vittori. not conscious Of the impor-
lance Of this rising and falling Of the
ship, arose, dressed himself and went
on deck. oh, the horror of that sight!
Where the city in which he had been
born and passed his life had stood he
saw mass Of ruins.
The ship came to anchor in the bay,
and Vittori went with others in boat
TO the shore. What he had left a pop.
ulous city was now a gigantic sepul-
cher. He could not for a long time
find the street on which he had lived.
and when he did It was still longer be-
fore he could find the place where his
home had stood, and then he was not
certain OF It. How could he tell the
difference between ruins2 He cried out
in despair "NatalinaT' "Antonio!'' eva
rinaw in succession, but the only reply
was the groans Of the wounded and
dying emanating from beneath the
piles of wood and stone. He set to
work frantically 10 remove the ruins
that covered his dear ones. But he
soon realized that his efforts were use
less. They had lived in the lower
story Of a high building. and the de-
bris covering them was an immense
pile. The scenes about him, too. were
dispiriting. People half clothed, some
naked. some covered with their own
blood. were going about wailing or
pulling ut the debris to get at their
loved ones.
The crowning horror was the break
Ing out Of the fire which covered all
with pail of lurid smoke.
Vittori remained near the burial
place of his wife and children till sat
lsned that they had persisted. then In
starving condition sought to get
away. He was too late to Join the
iirst survivors taken by the steamer
Regina Margherita to Palermo. but
later no succeeded by another ship In
reaching Naples. There he was pro-
vided with what he most needed in
the way Of food and clothing and be-
thought himself what next to do. His
dominant desire was TO get as far as
possible from the scene OF carnage.
Relief committees were forming money
was pouring In from all points, and |
above all came the immense stores
from America. Vittori's wife's brother |
lived In New York, and there the
stricken man determined to 60. Learn
ing that one Of the principal objects
Of the relief committees was to re- |
move the survivors Of the earthquake |
to other ports, Vittori applied to be
sent to America, and after considera. |
bic delay passage ticket in the steer.
age was given him.
The journey through the Medlter-
ranean and across the Atlantic was a
melancholy one. Vittori was BY no
means one Of the lower class of Ital.
ians. and his surroundings were not
calculated to alleviate his grief What
was the world to him while his dear
wife and children were lying under the
ruins Of their homel He was tortured
by the thought that possibly they
might have been, like others. days, II
not weeks, dying.
At last the long voyage was ended,
and the vessel which held Vittori and
other Of his counrymen sailed up the
hay Of New York. As she nearad her
pier many upturned Italian faces
looked anxiously for friends or loved
ones they hoped might have escaped
the terrible earthquake and were COM
lnG to them. vlttori could not endure
to look at them and went below TIL
most OF the steerago passengers had
gone ashore. then Joined the line NOV.
Ing over the gangway toward the
crowd still waiting on the pier.
Suddenly he heard cry. and a pair
of arms were thrown around his neck.
For a moment he was held 10 close
Tint he could not see who embraced
him. but knew that It was woman
her arms and holding her
of, he stood staring at her as II she
had been a ghost, He saw his wife,
Tut his wife was dead. buried with
ais little ones under the ruins OF Mes
INA. What was this vision that had
'oine up TO mock hlmH Laughing.
'rytng. she still chung to him. A tiny
land clasped his. He looked down
md saw the upturned face Of Anto-
Mo. And standing by the boy was lit.
IL varlna.
Still he stared and wondered. But
gradually II came over him that these
Eere aesh and blood. They were In.
lced his lost wife and children. His
lenses were leaving him. but by an
'nort he controlled them.
How did they get here2 How did
hey escape the earthQuakeH
One after the other be embraced
hem. taking the children up in his
rms and 1OoklnN NJ than - ~ - |