The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-01-05
V|V|DLY
DEP |CTS
! HORROR
"
Noted Novelist Tells a
Thrilling Story of One
Mans Experience in
Stricken Italy.

LONDON, Jan. s.-F. Marion
Crawford, the novelist, cables
from Italy vivid story of the de-
stroyed city of Messina, which he
obtained fro mhis son-in-law, who
returned to Villa Crawford, after
spending two days and a half in
the ruined city.
Crawford says he tells the story
follows:
Ride of Stowaway.
1T being impossible to reach
Messina by ordinary means, l sue
ceeded in getting passage as al
stowaway aboard small steamer
on Tuesday evening and reached
Messina the following morning att
$3.50 o'clock.
Lands Under Protest.
"A steam launch from a man of
war approached us with peremp-
tory orders to land no one, on
pain of death, which was no mere
threat. Our captain, however,
asked permission for himself alone
to land. He lowered a boat laden
with provisions and bandages for
six seamen got into it.
Regardless of their protests, II
let myself down by a line hand
over hand and dropped into the
boat. The captain would have
forced me to return, but the sea-
men were already pulling Justify
to the shore.
Crew Jumps Overheard.
when forty yards from shore,
every man of the crew jumped
overheard and swan ashore, ALL
mad with anxiety for their fami-
lies. 1 then took one oar, and the
captain another, and we pulled
for the shore.
Trodden Under Foot.
Instantly the crowd sprang up
on the boat to seize the bread we
had brought. We were thrown
down and trodden under foot by
the famished men, but soon
struggling to our feet, we hasten
ed toward the ruins of the city.
Awful Moaning.
"At every step the ground wasl
strewn with bodies and fragments
of bodies. The air was filled with
one long moaning.
Wall Falls on Rescuers,
II reached the ruins of the Ho-
tel Trinacria, of which the front
was standing. A gang of Russian
seamen were working to bring out
those buried alive in the hotel.
Suddenly the ground rocked
under our feet, the front wall of
the hotel trembled and then fell
in one mass upon the devoted
sailors, throwing them to man.
BY some miracle not a stone
touched me, and the panic-strickenl
crowd swept me on the Via MAJ
zini, which was choked with dead,
wounded and dying.
Suddenly man I knew was
upon me, imploring me to helpl
him excavate his family from the
ruins of his house. We found the
smolderfng ruins, out of which
came low and trembling cries for
help.
In voice that nothing can de-
scribe, my friend called to his ia
ther and mother, and from be-
meath the crumbling walls camel
oeSh ShC Cdily oIduCOlulhO, LILY
son, save u.s. My poor friend
threw himself like mailman upon
the wrecked masonry, trying to
tear it away with his hands.
Borne on by Fugitives.
IT cried out for help, but we
were completely alone. / then
seized half charred bit of timberi
and thrust it into the hole whence
the sound came and tried to move |
the stones, but, to my horror, |
screams of pain came back as If
had unwittingly wounded some I'M
happy person.
But had no time to think, for
Suddenly a herd of half-mad fugi-t
tives filled the lonely street and |
carried me on to the railway sta
ton.
Suddenly I was face to face
with an officer, who was shouting
: for a telegraph officer. I broke |
away from the crowd and followed
him till we came to half
wrecked railway carriage. in which
q telegraph instrument had been
set up.
Money Of No Value.
mo private or press message is |
accepted on any condition what
ever, although fabulous prices
have been offered for transmits
sion of a message.
"But money has no value in
Messina. have seen sailors
throw 1t away in disgust, mad with
hxnger and thirst, where neither
bread nor water can be had.
Howling Is Terrifying.
Il wandered through the ruins
OF the city of Messina and sub
urbs for two whole days amid
scenes Of such horror as I shall
never forget.
AS night came on the bowling
Of the maddened crowd sank to a.