Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-01
FEARFUL TALES OF HORROR
Told by Refugees from Reggie, Stray
Cling Into Palermo.

Palermo. Dec 31.-Survvors of the
obstruction of Reggie are beginning to
filter in here. They all tell the same
story Of horror. The experiences al
Reggie were practically the same as
at other towns.
The station master at Reggie says
that Immediately after the first shock
q chaSln 50 feet wide was opened in
the earth. From this there Sushel
forth Il food of boiling water, some
jcts OF the squirting liquor reaching to
the he light of an ordinary house. Many
injured persons were horribly Scaldcd
by the iowing stream.
The sea inundated the suburbs OF
Reggie aid destroyed countless acres
OF orange groves. The receding waters
left the houses of peasants buried in
a mass of mire and mud. Corpses "er"
encountered everywhere in the out
skirts of the city.
Looking toward Messina one can see
five huge columns of smoke The vii
lagc of Misitano is no more. Hundreds
Of dead bodies are deconlpOSing III the
streets OF this hamlet. Everything pos
sihle in the way of relief is being done
at Reggie General Mazitclli has ar
rived at Reggie from Bari.
The rescuers were forced to gi;aru
themselves against hundreds of uoss
that are raging with hunger. The dead
at Reggie are mutilated and distorted
while many of the survivors appear
demented.
The roads between Palermo and
MeSsina are filled with long and sad
professions of wounded fugitives and
f,,!l
make their way to the westward are
simply heart-rcnding. They all say
they think they are the only survi-
vCrS
The walls of several Of the principal
buildings of MrSsina are still standing,
but they are so weakened that they
will have to be demolished as soon as
possible To prevent fatalities among
the rescuers. Every day this under
mined masonry comes crashing down.
Only yesterday. when His Majesty the
King. vas here, the facade OF five
story building collapsed only a few
hundred feet from where the King
stood
Two priests hav" arrived at Mcsaina
from Scyila. on the Calabrian coast.
They confirm the previous reports that
this town of 5000 people has been COM
pletelv anihilatcd. They say they are
practically the only survivors. They
escaped with their lives because at tn,
time of the quake they happened TO be
in the vault of the church. a portion
of the building that resisted the gen
cral collapse The priests say also that
the disaster on the talabrian coast
was greater than on the Sicilian side.
The coast has been ravaged for q dis
tancc of 50 miles and Scylla is not the
only Village to be wiped out of exist
ence.
Lidovico Fulc Il member OF the
Chamber of Deputies. who was at Mes
Sina at the time of the earthquake.
has arrived here. The account he gave
of the death of his brother. Nicolo,
who was also a deputy and the efforts
to save him was absolutely narrowing,
From 6 o'clock Monday morning until
midnight he could hear the desperate
lamentations of his brother and his
anguished appeals for help. without
being able to reach him. notwithstand-
ing his frantic efforts. At midnight the
froanS gradually died away and moth
ing afterwards was heard.
MANY of the wounded died before
reaching here and many have died
since they arrived here and have been
hastily buried on board the steamer
Piemonte a poor father who after al
most losing his life in rescuing his
daughter. went mad. When she died
on the ship he tried to jump into the
sea with the body which he held in his
arms.
The streets here are one continual
scene OF reunion of friends and rela-
tives who rush into each others arms.
often breaking into sobs of joy. Most
Of the refugees arrive practically max
ed; scme in tattered garments picked
I'D in the street. All the shops are
closed. while flags waving at half-mast
show the nations mourning. the
stream of refugees from Reggie con-
tinue to pour in. The steamer TIMBER
to has arrived with AGO o. of which are
wounded. The captain saws that he saw
famished survivors seize upon dogs.
tearing them to pieces and eating
the flesh.