Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-01-04
GRAPHIC PICTURE
lcontinned from page II

MIN eXcdYae MS family from Ine
ruins of his house. For two hours
we sought the place in the heart of
the burning, crumbling city. We
found the smoldering ruin out of
which came low and trembling cries
for help.
In voice that nothing can de-
scribe my friend called to his father
and mother, and from beneath the
crumbling walls came back the call:
'Giacomino, my son, save usl'
MY poor friend threw himself
like madman upon wrecked mas
onry, trying to tear it away with his
hands
4 cried out for help, hut We vu,e
completely alone. thea seized n
half charred bit of timber and thrust
it into the hole whnn the sound
came az tried TO moys the STONES,
but to my horror screams OF pain
Il into the hole whence the sound
woundod some unhappy person.
But | had no time TO think, for
suddenly herd OF half mad fusi-
q les filed the Iol ? street tnd
CO led me on to tho railway station
- c. enly | was face 10 fan with
an officer who was shouting for q
telegraph Office. broke away from
the crowd and followed him till we
came to half wrecked railway car
riage, in which a telegraph instru-
ment had been set up. No private or
press message is accepted on any
condition whatever, and fabulous
prices have been offered for the
transmission OF a message.
But money has no value In Mes
sina. have seen sailors throw Il
away in disgust. mad with hunger
and thirst, where neither bread nor
water can be had.
Near the custom house | found
myself close to group OF stan Of
ficers at the wireless station which
communicates with the observatory
OF Sicily. They were discussing the
news.
"The earthquake, learned was OF
rotary character with northwest
direction. and the first shock lasted
! 32 seconds, with seismic tidal
wave 80 feet high, which inundated
Messina' and swept away In It's ebb
every human being on the quays, to
gether with all unloaded from
steamers. The Messina observatory
registered ~ shocks.
Besides Reggie, which is compile
tely destroyed, the towns OF Bagnara,
Stella, villa San Giovanni, Cannitel-
10, Compogallio, Palmi and many
other smaller places have ceased TO
exist.
"I wandered through the ruins of
the city OF Messina and suburbs for
two whole days amid scenes OF such
horror as shall never forget. A
general officer whom l knew gave II
as his opinion that no more than
one per cent OF the population es-
capped unhurt and that the number
OF dead exceeded 100000.
THE efforts OF the Italian troops
TO extricate the living are herocially
seconded by seamen from the for
eign men-of-war, especially the Eng
lish and Russians, More than once
/ saw the English blue jackets Civ
ing away half their rations TO the
starved Italian soldiers.
"As night came on the bowling of
the maddened crowd sank 10 a low
er key. but the cries and means of
those buried among the ruins rang
out more terribly and distinctly. The
work OF saving life continues day
and night and with increasing ener-
gy, though. unhappily with very lin
tied success. One of the most seri-
GUS obstacles 10 order has been caus-
ed by the escape OF an the conyicis
from the large pen, and the troops
and bluejackets have orders 20 shoot
down the thieves without mercy.
| Then. too. thousands of dogs have
come I'm from all the country round
/ and prey on the bodies la every
street. one was rushing toward me
when "a coast guardsmen drew a re-
volver and fired five shots directly at
me. Though meaning them for the
beast. the bullets whizzed close by
my ears.
To conclude. / can only say that
the condition of the destroyed city Is
frightful. The surviving crowd Is
mad with fright and hunger The
soldiers are exhausted with their la
bors and for lack of food. ! divided
piece of bread with a lieutenant
vrbo bad NOT aaten for three DAYS.