The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-01

VaSiatlOn beyond the unaided efforts or
the Italian people themselves TO repa,-f
has been wrought by earthquake and.
tidal wave. The matter of dispatchiny
the fleet on it's mission of mercy is no~y
under consideration. and a speedy de-
cision in favor of such employment =
expected.
Fleet Now in Red Sea.
The sixteen warships are now making
their way through the Red sea and
should arrive at Port Said, on the easT-
ern entrance Of the Suez canal, by sun
day Supplies must be taken on at Porf
Said. for the ships are completing one
Of the longest legs of their remarkable
voyage, and as the distance from Suez.
the western end of the canal. to Mes
sina is about 900 miles, the battleships
must spend at least two days some
where in the canal taking on coal. il
fun supply will be required, because it
is quite certain that even the great
commercial port of Messina is no
longer in position to supply fuel for
marine use.
Two Weeks Must Elapse.
Then at leas; two days probably win
be spent in passing the sixteen great
ships through the Suez canal from the
Red sea to the Mediterranean and al
A-t-tAiiFa Nttt tStfiilutt lfldFle al the ma IL
CATION bureau of the navy department
today was that the American fleet will
not reach Messina until about Jan. Is
With their $4,000 thoroughly disef-
plined American sailors. a splendid
corps of medical officers and surgeons.
with abundant supplies Of medicines
and food, II is believed that the Amer
can feet will be very welcome VS.
itor to the shores of Sicily, even fort
night hence.
OF the combined crews of the feet
probably 10000 could be sent ashore 10
assist in rendering relief. It is general
~ believed at the navy department
that Naples probably will be the scenes
of the greater suffering, as thousands Of
persons are now 1ocking there and viii
become destitute
Scorpion Sent to Italy.
The gunboat Scorpion, now at Con-
stantinopie, and within probably forty
eight hours of Messina has been direct
ed TO proceed at once to Italy
memorandum showing the location
and proposed disposition of the Atlantic
fleet is now before the state department
for use when the decision IS announced
to offer the Italian government the as
sistance of these vessels and Their
crews in caring for the sick and wound
ed The matter has not yet been taken
up with the Italian government.
President Roosevelt has, for himself
and for the American people, expressed
his sympathy for the people OF Italy in
the calamity that has befallen them
and this government is anxious II do
anything it can to relieve distress. The
navy department has asked the co.'s
handing officer of the Culgoa as to the
condition of his stores, but after care
full examination the officials are in
ciined to think there are no more
aboard than are necessary to supply the
leaders of the sixteen battleships.
Congress to Give Authority.
Congress will be in session on Mon
day. and if there should exist any doubt
as to the authority 10 use nava. stores
for relief purposes, this can lie re-
moved by a joint resolution directing
such use.
Baron Des P1anches. the Italian am
bassador, called on Secretary Root and
Assistant Secretary Bacon today ana
expressed the gratitude Of his govern
iaent and peorle over t.la sympathy q,
the United states with Italy in her mis-
fortune. The baron is prof ,undly graft
fed for the aid being rendered through
the American Rcd - -.
The Scorpion. which is ordered to
render all service possible. viii be par
tieularly valuable, perhaps. to the
American diplomatic and consular Of
ficeFs who may feel the necessity of
using her in going from place to place
in the stricken district, and in assisting
any American tourists who were vic
Tins Of the disaster.
Activity of Red Cross.
Active work on the part of the Amer
lean Red Cross characterized the day.
Approximately 100000 already has
been made available by it from previ-
Gus funds or has been promised. much
of which already has been cabied to
the American embassy at Rome. to be
turned over to the Italian Red Cross
society. That society, the Italian en-
bassy at Washington reports, is the or
ganization through which all relief will
be administered. Among the contribu-
lions is enc OF $4,000 from the An
heuseT-Buseh Brewing association of
St Louis. The governors of Illinois,
Mississippi. New York, Virginia, New
Hampshire and California have issued
appeals for contributions. President
Roosevelt personally will subscribe $500
toward the relief fund