The San Francisco call., 1909-01-01
AID FOR THE
SURVIVORS IS
BEING RUSHED
Italy Is Now More Interested
in the Living Than in
the Dead
Thousands of UnfOrtunates in
Ruins of the Razed Cities
May Perish
Fresh Shocks Increase the
Terror of UnfOrtunates in
the Stricken Zone

has reached but few Of the villages
and they are practically without sup
plies of any kind. At Bagnara surgi-
cal operations are being performed with
pruning knives, but at Reggio even
that is impossible. Thieves infest the
country and the despair OF the unaided
villages is complete. Hunger supplies
the motives for scenes of, shocking
violence and robbers defy the few sur
viving policemen and soldiers.
Finds MeSsina in Ruins
The commander Of the Russian crui-
ser Admiral Makaroff, which arrived
at Naples yesterday with refugees from
Messina. says OF the earthquakes:
Hearing Of the disaster. hurried to
Messina- The city was literally moth
ing but heap OF ruins. Every build
ing there has collapsed, but in many
cases the outward shells remain stand
ing, and as a result the general contour
Of the city is.less changed than might
be expected. This is particularly true
Of the sea front In spite Of what has
Messina shows little If any change.
The har5Or is filed with refuse Of
every kind and at one end lies the
wreck OF sunken steamer.
1T is impossible TO give even g faint
idea of the desolation of the scene.
Every now and then we heard the
crash Of falling floors and walls. This
constitutes the greatest danger to the
rescuers. II is not safe TO approach
any standing masonry. Men from my
vessel had many narrow escapes. and
saw several terrible accidents to brave
italian soldiers who were doing more
than their duty
we lost no time IN setting about
the work Of rescue. We established
an open air hospital on the shore,
where we received and treated q, thou
sand people-men. women and children.
We also saved the safe Of the Bank of
Sicily. with its treasure.
Scores Still in Ruins
Il estimated the deaths at Messina
conservatively at 10000. The mind
shrinks from contemplation of the
present conditions in the stricken city;
that there are thousands of persons
still alive in the ruins and that count
less numbers must die.
The tidal wave lasted much longer
than the earthquake During all the
time we were in the haTbor Of Messina
our vessel shivered intermittently, as
though shaken by some marine mon
ster.
I could relate pathetic stories with
out number. Under some wreckage in
closed in a kind Of little cubbyhole and
propDed by some heavy beams 1 discov-
cred TWO little babies, safe and unin-
5ured. They were comfortable as posi-
bic and laughing and playing with the
buttons on their clothes. We found no
trace Of their parents, who undoubtedly
lost their lives. It made a terrible i'm
preston TO see the bereaved children
Many Of the little ones live. while their
parents are dead. while we saw many
mothers with dead babies in their arms
1T was also indescribably painful To
see the many who had gone crazy from
grief. They searched and searched aim
lessly for their loved ones keeping uu
the quest even after they had been
brought on board the ship.
Will Swell Fatalities
There are still numerous small vii
lagos in Calabria from which no news
has been received. Many of them are