New-York tribune., 1909-01-16
BURIED NINETEEN DAYS
REMARKABLE ESCAPE At
MESSINA.
Three Children Rescued from Runs
Sailors Searching for the
Cheneys' Bodies.

MessIna, Jan. ia thrilling rescue was ef-
fected this morning when, after having been
buried nineteen days under the ruins of their
home, three children of Nlcolo Mnissoli who
eInigrated to America some time ago were
saved. Francesca Minissol. boy nine years
old. managed to crawl out alone by burro"lns
from the ruins and through hole which seemed
too narrow for even cat to pass through ne
was wounded IN several places and covered Win
blood. Once in the open air he tainted. but was
taken TO a hospital, where he soon revived anu
told his story. His two sisters, who mad oeen
buried with him, then were rescued by SOLDIERS
The bows story seemed almost incredible On
the morning of the earthquake, he SAID he sa"
his mother crushed to death under the oeannS
OF the ceiling OF their home Francesca and his
two sisters fed to the next room but in d le"
moments they were thrown to the cellar. Ihey
made desperate efforts to get out but faleu'
In absolute darkness holding each others hanos
and tnploring the protection of the Madonna
the children groped about the cellar and found
q few onions some wine. water and OIL
For sixteen days they lived in darkness, often
hearing above their heads roaring noises that
were evidently caused by falling walls Then'
when hope almost had fed and when his sisters
had resigned themselves TO die. Francesca sa"
in one corner OF the prison faint and upcer-
tain gleam of light Rushing to the spot ne
worked at the debris with his hands and nails
even employing stones as tools. and for three
DAYS kept at his task. until et last he forced
passage through the opening he had made His
sisters were too large TO follow him TO safety.
When he had told his story Francesca led
number of officers and soldiers 10 the spot and
himself directed the work of rescuins his sis
ters who were carried on stretchers to a hos
pitaI
This wonderful rescue is taken as an indlca-
ton Of the necessity TO continue the work OF
excavation. and as a further argument 10 thls
end the fact is recalled that. after the earth-
quake of 1888 persons were unearthed allFe
after having been buried for fifty days
One hundred sailors from the United states
battleship Illinois, under command OF MAJOR
Landis military attache to the American EN-
bassv at Rome have been substituted for the
men OF the Yankton in searching the ruins OF
the American consulate. The work is extremely
difficult as nobody knows in what part or the
house Consul Cheney and his wife were when
the On rthouake occurred All the efforts TO ma
their bodies thus far have been inenectuaI. al
though some OF the visiting cards OF Mrs.
Cheney and books and pictures belonging to the
consul have been found. II is believed that the
norton OF the house where the pictures and
books were unearthed was the parlor, and the
American sailors, with the aid OF persons who
knew the house now are trying to locate the
bedroom OF the consul and his wife. The
trouhIe is that the debris from neighboring
houses is mixed up with that OF the Cheney
home. and the searchers have g hard task before
them.
The Yankton sailed for villefrsnche to-day.