The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-07

Exciusive Service Charities and The Com
 mons Press Bureau.)
 (Mr. Mangano is a native of Italy and has but recently returned from that coun- try, where he spent some time in the earthquake district. As he concludes, It seems unthinkable that so much that was beautiful has been destroyed.")
 The awful disaster which has fallen upon two of the most important cities of southern Italy and numerous adjacent towns, in a region celebrated for it's natu- ral beauty, can only be imagined by most of us Those who have been fortunate enough to visit this locality will remem- Der the indescribable charm and fascina- ton of that entire district shrdluteo:ci ton of that entire section. The towering mountains of Calabria and Sicily face each other like giant sentinels across the strait and give abundant evidence of their union in ages gone by. At their feet, each close to the waters edge, lie Reggie on the Calabrian and Messina on the Sicilian shore.
 These are ancient sights of human abode with a history reaching back into the eighth century B. c. Both have passed through frightful ordeals; wars, pesti- lence and earthquakes, have laid these cities low time and again. The last terrl- ble calamity which visited these towns
  ed out by a violent earthquake. But in spite of all these disasters, Reggie and Messina have been industrially rebuilt by their inhabitants.
 Reggie. ancient Rhegium, is the capi- tal city of the province of the same name The better part of the town has been built within the last fifty years. Conse- ouently in this section the streets were broad and straight Few of the buildings were over two stories in height, the dan ger of high buildings having been learned from previous earthquakes. Nearly all the houses were constructed of light col ored stone or finished with cream col ored stucco, so that looking at the city from a distance 1t had the appearance Of A light haze rising from the sea and breaking the dense green of the surroun'l- ing orange and lemon groves. The wide main street ran parallel to the water front, and was the chief business quar- ter. From it other well paved streets extened by broad, easy steps up the slopes of the hillside upon which DOT ton of Reggie was built. Following one of these streets we came to a fine boule- yard la Strada Reggie campi, an excel lent drive on the heights overlooking the town. There you might see Reggie spread out below, with a chain of little towns extending along the coast on either side, and high above them villas of the wealthy and the white-washed peasant huts dotting the fertile fields.
 The district affected seriously by the earthouake extends north of Reggie for thirty miles up the west coast of Italy, as far as Palmi The newspaper reports tell us that nearly all the towns in this area were destroyed and most of their in- habitants killed. This is probable even in the small towns. The streets were narrow alleys or rough stone stairways leading irregularly up the mountain sides The stone huts were built so close iy to one apother-back to back-the lower story of the one being on the level with the second story of the house below lt. There were no open squares seve the one or two little pazzas so that in case of an earthcuake there was no way of escape, except flight to the open fields; and. when earthquakes come during the hours of the night the people are generally caught and escape is cut off Towns fur ther north, even as far north as Cosenza, felt the shock and some slight damage was done.
 From Villa San Giovanni and Reggie there were two lines of ferry boats which cross the strait to Messina; on one were transported all the thror-h express trains from Berhr and Rome to Palermo, so that the ordinary tourist saw little of Reggie or Messfna-
 As one approached the Sicilian shore Iow-lying Messina was seen. At some distance it seemed as though part of the