Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-01-06
STARVATION sTAREs Ar THEM.
Dead are at Rest, but the Living are
I'm Misery.

- Rome, Decembar 31.--Slowly the
measure of the disaster that has de-
populated Calabria and Eastern Sici-
ly is being taken, and as the reports
accumulate it Is seen that the first
estimates in no sense exaggerated
the extent and horror of the vista
tion. An official estimate places the
dead at 115, zoe, but there is reason
to believe this may be greatly ex-
ceeded.
To-day the pitiable plight of sur
yivors claims universal attention
The relief of their suffering calls for
the concentrated efforts of all ma
tions. The dead are dead, but count
less thousands of half-demented, ma
ked and starving survivors, some
wounded and some uninjured. arc
crying pitifully for food, water and
clothing, shelter and medical atten-
tion.
No News Of Americans.
No news has yet been received Of
any Americans thought to have been
in the devastated district, except the
Rev. David Sessums, of New, Or
leans, and his daughter, Alice, who
are safe at Rome.
1t is reported that several Ameri-
cans lost their lives in the wreck Of
hotel at Messina. Ambassador
Griscom is about to set out from
Rome for the south in an endeavor
to secure information concerning
missing American travellers.
1t is estimated that 100000 peo-
pie have fed from the desolated ter
ritory in fear of further convulsions.
Survivors say that for half an hour
before the quake the heavens were
filled with a gorgeous display of
light, resembling an aurora borealis.
1t Is declared that an army Of no
less than $4,000 men will be needed
to rescue the living, who are still
entrapped in the ruins and to bury
the dead.
Starvation and Pestilence.
To the terrifying spectacle of
death caused by Mondays earth
quake has now been added the hor-
ror of starvation and the feature of
spread of pestilence. In the ruins
of Messina, Reggie and various in
Sicily and Calabria lie the bodies of
the dead, which 1t has been impossi-
BILE to extricate, while everywhere
thousands Of homeless and hungry
persons throng the Uttered thorough
fares. Words are inadequate to ex-
press the horror Of the ruin and
desolation that has overwhelmed
Calabria and Sicily, where the earth's
tremblings and fire and water have
combined to change the smiling, YER
dant country into deserts. Messina
exists no longer and at least thirty
years will be necessary to repair
the ruin that natures violences have
wrought there.
AS yet it has been found impossi-
BILE to obtain any news Of the fate of
the little villages along the coast,
many of which, it is believed, have
been entirely wiped out.
IL, In many cases entire buildings
Rghaye been swept out to sea and no
~ trace Of them remains. Flourishing
villages have been wiped out of ex-
istence. In some Of the smaller
towns, such as Palmi, near Monte
leone, the suddenness and complete
ness Of the catastrophe was over
whelming. or the $4,000 people liv-
ing In Palmi, only a few score are
alive to-day. Yesterday 2,2OO corpses
were buried in the cemetery here
The survivors Of Palmi, reinforced
by rescuers from other points, and
under the lead Of soldiers and doc
tors, are performing prodigies of
valor. Many of them have become
overcome by the awful conditions
under which they are working. The
bishop of Morabito and other priests,
with touching devotion and courage,
have done much to preserve order
by the example of calmness and self
denial they have given the people.
They are busy carrying comfort and
consolation to the dying and be-
reaved.
What Commander Found.
naples, Jan. 1.-The commander
of the Russian cruiser, Admiral Ma
karoff, which has arrived with refu-
gees from Messina, says:
Hearing at Agosta, Sicily, of the
disaster, l hurried to Messina. The
city Is literally nothing but a heap Of
ruins. Every building there has col
lapsed, but in many cases the out
ward shells remain standing.
stIt ia innnocciI,lo oro,, 10 oil. o.