Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-01-28

over q calamity. Hardened as was to catastro-
Plies. the piteous sights which met my gaze at
Messna Reggie and other cities more than once
drew tears to my eyes.
1t my good fortune to be one of the mem
hers of the party of King Victor Emmanuel and
Queen Helena, when the ruler visited the stricken
district and many times both the monarch and
his consort broke down completely upon viewing
the awful sights which followed the earthquakes.
fires and tidal wave.
Survivors we're raving maniacs and they roved
the brick-strewn streets. in many instances nude
The stories told by unfortunate refugees who
retained their senses were almost unbelievable
soldier named Emilio de Castro was in the
military hospital. He was awakened by tire
mendous roaring sound. He felt himself falling
and thought he was in the grip Of a nightmare
1t seemed to him that he had awakened in hell
for the air was filled with terrifying shrieks He
soon realized. however, what was happening. His
bed struck the floor below, and he was still on IT.
IL paused a moment and was again precipltated
He struck the next floor but this gave way at
once and thus the man and bed came down from
the fifth floor OF the hospital to the ground The
soldier was not injured.
A druggist named Pulco relates that at %
minutes past five Monday morning he was on
ferryboat In the port of Messina going to Reggie
Suddenly gale of wind arose bringing "A heavv
with II. Then great chasm seemed to- open
III The water and the boat went down and struck
the bottom. But the waters closed in again and
The ferryhoat fOated safely on top OF the sue
ceeding wave Most of the people on board
however, were swept of and drowned The boat
was badly wrecked but 1t fOated ashore. Pulco
was still on board After the first panic he landed
and found Reggie like city Of the dead. No
body was moving in the streets, and the silence
was broken only by the means and groans and
shreks of the wounded. Pulco and several com
panions tried to extricate some wounded from the
wreckage but this was almost impossible be-
cause OF the erumbling ruins. In one OF the
squares Plllco found group of people all com
pletely naked. One old man carrying a little
girl in his arms. The child was covered with
blood is that your child?" he was asked No.
he replied. Yesterday found her on the pave
ment in Messna. picked her up and cared for
her No one claimed her and could not abandon
her have had her in my arms ever since
With this touching explanation the old man be-
came oblviOus to his questiOner and everything
around him.
The serapin brought into the port of Naples rec
ords of numberless tragedies. Families separated
mothers moaning and crying for their dead chill
dren husbands and wives lost to each other, OF
sole survivor Wishing that he had not been
spared. There was one girl ON board the steamer,
her clothing tattered and torn. who had saved
canary bird She was music hall singer ana
had chung to her pet throughout the terrible
scenes Of devastation. The bird was the only
happy thing on hoard the vessel
One Of the Messina doctors was sleeping IN 9
room on the third floor when the first shock came,
and saved himself by gripping the roof OF
neighborng house.
ferrybOat moOred at one of the docks seemed
suddenly to be thrown high into the air. 1t landed
on top of the dock safely
The nerves of the unfortunates were in such q
condition that ut the least noise they We're prone
to rush screaming from their rooms seeking the
open streets. Signor Birot. the mayor OF Brescia'