The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-17
Rr H. R. CHAsIBERLAIN,
Chief European correspondent q the L2fan New
Bureau

Chief European correspondent q the Lafan News
Bureau
Messina, Jan. IA tiny fraction OF the
,earth's surface readjusted itself to the
changing forces Of nature a Few weeks
ago. and few score thousands Of the in
significant creatures who had built habi-
tations thereon were buried in the ruins Of
their fraH dwellings.
That is one point Of view Of the incident
which has drawn the attention Of the race
to a spot blessed and cursed with the
most lavish beauty Of scene and climate
that IS vouchsafed 20 man The more hu-
man aspect Of the event which obJrudes
itself upon all the senses-even in the
reeking atmosphere Of death as I write
IS that We are in the presence Of the most
dramatic. the most stupendous tragedy in
the history Of mankind.
It Is easy to register the loss Of 1s2ooO
10 E0.O0o lives. blotted out in the space Of
half a minute. and TO record the fact
that nine-teaths. Of the buildings over an
- area OF about 800 square miles have been
destroyed, but neither pen nor camera
can give a family adequate impression Of
even the residue Of utter desolauon which
nature has left.
I have had some experience OF grave
disasters and Of the depicting Of so-called
important events. and 1 arrived here
In the expectation that with the aid
Of well-equipped photographer
might be able 10 give fairly cOmDTehen-
sive idea Of the effects of q great earth
quake. I had not been half a day in Mes
sina before I abandoned that ambition.
At this writing It seems 10 be true in
general terms that half the population
within a radius OF about eighteen miles
from San Giovanni. which IS roughly the
center Of the devastated region. have
perished-
Death Roll May Reach 100000
The mayor Of Messina to-day estI-
mated the city's victims al 10S060 The
figures for Reggie are approximately 2S,
O90. There remain the heavy death rolls
Of Palmi, san Giovanni. Scyiia, Galiina.
Bagnara- Galati. and Pellaro, not 70
mention scores Of smaller villages. The
exact total will never be known, but there
IS little hope that it viii fall below 200.000
and 10000 viii probably be nearer the
truth
Il is The ineradicable custom FOR the
italian race to build It's habitations, even
in the smallest villages. crowded and
huddled together. This was nd true Of
Messina- Yet even there the streets av-
eraged less than forty feet in width To
this, more than to the violence Of the
earth's convulsion, is due the phenomenal
proposition Of the casualties.
san Francisco thought she suffered
from an earthquake Of the first magni-
tude Il was child's play compared with
this catacIysn- Messina was shaken as a
terrier shakes rat, until she dropped.
bleeding and lifeless. into her own dust.
I have asked many TO describe what
actually happened in that fsteful half
minute No two impressions agree. One
man said II vas ike being rolled inside
a hogsheaG down a steep and bumpy
hin. Some say that II was an incredibly
violent and swift yanking from side to
side. followed by equally rapid upheavals
and depressions-
Thunder Accompanies COnvuIsion.
It is hardly worth while to give more
versions Of that bitter hour. I viii refer
20 but one, the most intelligent that I
have heard given.
Dr. Francesca Dentce, chief Of the
cabinet Of the precept, or governor. Of
the province. was one Of the fortunate
ones He lives in the aristocratic quar-
ter Of the town. some distance back from
The sea His house did not fan, and ne
and his family survived.
He happened TO be awake when the
first tTemor came. but there was really
scarcely a moments warning before the
full violence Of the conyulsion was upon
them A great and terrifying roar or
series Of subteTranean thunderelaps made
more hideOus the jumping. dancing. bat
tering. fingins about which everything
movable received
He was flung from his bed, before he
could get TO his feet voluntarily. He
called to the others. and all managed 10
get downstairs while the shaking con
tinued with ever increasing violence The
last and worse parOXysm was finishing
as they reached the street, and to this
delay they probably owed their lives, for
they escaped the danger from falling
masonry
7 asked Dr. Dentice and many others
what was the effect on them Of the black
terrors Of those UF0 hours Of suspense
before the dawn Did they lament did
they cheer each other with sympathy. did
they abandon themselves to despair? AL
who were able 10 give an intelligent ac-
count Of that dreadful time Of waiting
said the same thing:
We did nothing, we stood silent in the
rain. duh. dazed, half-stupehed
Naples, 90 miles away, was already one
OF the hospitals Of the disasters. when
I arrived there on Friday The city was
in mourning Half the population seemed
10 be in the street watching with evident
grief and sympathy the stretcher-lsden
automobiles, which dashed back and
forth bearing the injured from the wharf
TO various hospitals. permanent and
temporary
We went ashore at Messina. landing on
q half suRken stene quay, depressed sew
Continued on Page 10, Column 4.