The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-03-11

- LTHoUGH the earthquake n Southern Italy probably is tie
~ worst catastrophe In recorded history. IT ws not essentially
IA different from other disasters Of the kind except In Its appalling
- mortality and in certain pecuiiartbes II bears a marked Re-
EFzaw%f sembanee TO them within the last SIX years. to deal only
kGEf0 with recent occurrences Of that dreadful nature there have
To- - uaw s ~rest srrurhh send : stnsdev ~ ho,rey tbrar~b humanity
at large These we're the eatastrophen a ST Pierre Martinique, ~ 1902; In
San Francisco, In 1906 and In Kingston. Jamaica, In 1907
Since the beginning Of time IA has been combating more n less bHnd5,
the mysterious forces Of the universe. and the frghnuI occurrence IN Sicily
Is a striking commentary o. his progress In the popular mind se name o
fonpei is the first that arises in the consideration Of vsiiations that can<Ds
sscnbed only TO Providence IS the gloomy record POW stands at least 8
b called to mind In consideration 4 upheaFas Of mature are PompehI Nf
Unique San Francisco Kingston, and with a more dirfti chronicle than any
Sicily.
Pompens destruction vas due. as everyone knows to volcanic causes,
but the connection with seismic disturbances is 80 close that it may b in
Guided in the same category There had been other outbursts from Mount
vesuVius but the people who lived on its slopes did not profit by the warn
ings 1t a o. Aug % A D. 70. that the great eruption occurred vesuvius
suddenly threw up from It's cratera N immense column Of black smoke which,
rising high in the air spread ut in the form Of a huge mushroom From
the dark cloud showers Of redhot stones pumiee and volcanic ashes e.
seconded o the earth Both PomDeh and Herculaneum were covered 80 deep
with ashes that the tops Of the taIest buildings yer no longer visible 50
uany forgotten
FIRST because the value O the property destroyed reached astounding proper
tons and second. because 1t appears to hy hrsta aroused b American "a
in the city OF San Francisco. a about 500. merely a 1.-THE Of what 1t would
have been had the shocks come It a later hour. when men we're at their
places Il business and the children crowded in the poorly reconstructed school
buildings OF the city As IT was the greatest oss IA due to the fire started
by thu earthquake. which was s"n beyond control because b water mains
had been snapped BY the earth movement The damage done within the city
limits vas enormous The buildings destroyed included the City Hall, On
which 100000 had been expended; the post ONCE. many business blocks
hotels department stores theaten. banks. churches and residences
Jan Il. 1907. The main shock Es preceded by slight temors a brief time
n adyance The testimon agrees that the heaviest sbosk was not more thar
ten seconds behind the first subterranean rumbiing and that all damage had
been done before thrtyhve seconds had elapsed
In the cse of Mont Peee. on the Island Of Martinique there also had
been ample warnings for those intelligent enough to note them. For W. or
three weeks prior to May s 1902 the volcanic activity Of Pelee had been rap
IDLY increasing the mountain throwing out clouds Of ashes and suIphurous
rapors from its crater By April 25 these vapors had 50 increased IN guam
uy as % make breathing difficult N the city Of St Pierre. Then came the
eruption IN which ms CITY was lruans oeslo,e nal mere were mani
points OF resemblance between the position OF st Pierre and PomDei has
dss,st ~ sn,, r.cscsnx farssne dnee either - sooreb,n, - s1rnar~
destruction va limited to an area the extent Of which did not greatly K
coed eight 0 nine square miles On Tire outskirts o. this One the destruc
un. though considerable was Jesse complete