New-York tribune., 1909-01-05
HEATER SHOCKS FEARED.
Scientists Predict Them-Americdns
Seek the Cheneys' Bodies.

Messina, Jan. 4-There is reason TO believe
that the devastation by earthquake Of Calabria
and Sicily is not yet at an end Further heavy
shocks have been predicted Scientists. among
them Frank Perret. of Brooklyn. Professor Mat,
teuceis' assistant in the Royal Observatory
Mount vesuvius declare that others still moro
/ severe should be expected January 9 and Janu-
ary s. when the relative position Of the sun and
the moon will produce the greatest strain
the crust of the earth. A number OF minor
shocks were experienced Saturday and resulted
in panic. Many tOttering walls were thrown
down, but it is not known that any persons were
killed The new shocks are starting the fires
afresh.
Messina is to be evacuated entirely
possible. The disposition of the dead IS one OF
the greatest problems confronting the author
tiles.
There has been collision between two trains
on the line connecting Messina and Catania-
One Of them was loaded with refugees. five OF
whom 1ost their lives
Two days spent amid the ruins of Messina and
Reggie bring convincing evidence that the hor-
ror OF the situation on the Strait OF Messina
has been in no sense exaggerated The con-
vulsiOn can be compared to the earth shock that
broke off Sicily from the mainland OF Italy, al
though not so severe
Messina and Reggie have ceased to exist IN
the ruins Of the former city two-thirds OF the
inhabitants lie buried, while at ReggtO One-haIf
the people lost their lives. Msssina counted
10000 and Reggie 10000 souls. Both places
are to-day vast morgues. and one cannot make
his way through the stricken area without be-
ing overwhelmed by the scenes OF death. de-
struction and desoIation- Sickening effIuvis
arise from the countless bodies. and the air
for many miles out to is polluted Vultures
are congregating to prey upon the dead It
would be blessing if fire should reduce what
is left of these two cities to ashes The radius
of ruin and death extends with decreasing in
tensty for forty miles on the mainland and for
thirty miles in Sicily.
The work of rescuing and transporting vound-
ed and homeless survivors is proceeding amid
the greatest confusion The task Of digging
out and burying the dead at both Messina and
Reggie has been abandoned. During the first
few davs such bodies as were recovered were
laid out in long rows for possible Identification.
hut as very few of the dead recognized
they are now being covered with quicidime.
when this material is available otherwise they
are being left where they are found Now all
the efforts are being directed toward getting the
survivors away
Approaching the sunIit Strait of Messina on
Friday morning on board the steamer LOun-
bardia. dispatched from the north with troops
and supplies the first signs Of desolstion were
the ruins OF several picturesqueIy situated vii
lagos on either side of the headIands OF ScyIia
and Charybdis which flank the entrance 20 the
harbOr of Messna- The first sights minimized
the magnitude OF the catastrophe The light
house and the ancient citadel upon the point
encircIing the southern half of the bay. in which
the warshfps and the other vessels engaged IN
relief work were anchored were stil standing.
and although one glance toward the shore re-
veaIed a scattered mass Of ruins where ORce
stood shining city. with churches and can1-
paniIes. nesting under the rocky height Of Mount
PeIori entire blocks OF buildings seemed TO be
stiu intact Especially striking the fact
that along the waterfront there still stood an
imposing line Of columned facades-
SEEK BODIES IN HILLS OF RUINS
But the nearer the steamer approached ths
greater appearer the devastation. and once ashore
II was seen that these cracked and shattered
facades were only a screen coneealing utter ruin
behind The shattered walls stilI standing wers
mere empty shells through which roofs and
floors had crashed to the foundations. hurying
the inmates under masses of debris twenty Or
thirty feet deep As most Of the walls fen out
ward the streets are mountains of ruins. Eight
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