davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05

$4,000. Next to Palermo, it is the
chief commercial town of Sicily and
It's harbor, which is formed by a
peninsula, is the busiest in Italy from
the standpoint of steamboat traffic.
The principal object of interest to
tourists, apart from the scenic attrac-
lions OF the place, is the cathedral,
which was begun in 1923, at the time
OF Norman occupation of the island,
and parts of which are still standing
as originally constructed with the ex-
ception of the evidences of damage
wrought by the frequent earthquakes
The town is one of great antiquity.
and derived it's first known name.
Zanole Ca sickle), from the shape Of
the harbor. 1t was founded by Gu
maen pirates and ChaIcidians in 1872
B. g., and was governed by the laws
of Charondas.
In 396 B. G. the town was de-
stroyed by the Carthaginians, but was
rebuilt few years later by Dionysius
OF Syracuse, only to fall again into
the hands of the Carthaginians under
Hannibal In 269. The first Punic
war, however, left the place in the
hands of the Romans, and the place
was OF Importance second only to that
OF Syracuse and Lilybaeum in Sicily
during period of Roman occupation
lasting for several centuries.
In 831 A. ID. the town was taken
by the Saracens, but in 1861 it was
taken from them by the Normans.
The city prospered greatly during the
Crusades, being favorite rendezvous
for soldiers from the continent en-
route to the Holy Land. In the Mid
die Ages also it became a fiourishing
commercial city
It's commercial Importance disap-
peared after a bitter struggle between
the aristocratic faction, or Merli, and
the democratic faction, or Mavizzi in
1874. The democratic faction an
pealed to the French and the other to
the Spaniards. The former faction
were at firstvictorious, but eventual
ly were deserted by the French, the
city was taken by the Spaniards, and
when the struggle was over the popu-
lation was reduced from 10000 to
about tenth of that number.
The town never fully recovered
from this disaster. Whatever recov-
cry was made was neutralized in the
eighteenth century by a series OF dis
asters. In 1740 about 40 900 persons
died of the plague, and in 1888 the
town was almost entirely overthrown
by the great earthquake of that year.
Great damage was caused by bonn
bardment in September, 184S. The
cholera carried off no fewer than g.
900 victims in 1854 and earthquakes
in 1894 and 1906 also caused loss of
life and property. In 1880 the town
was occupied by Garibaldi 1t be-
came a part of united Italy the fol-
lowing year.
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05

ty. But this was not done before
was struck down and badly injured
by a piece of furniture that fell out
of the upper story of house.
"All along the road we were jos
tied by scores of fleeing people, half
clad. like ourselves. The houses
seemed to be crashing to the ground
in whatever direction we turned.
Suddenly the sea began to pour
into the town. 1t seemed to me that
this must mean the end of everything.
The oncoming waters rolled in huge
wave. accompanied by terrifying
roar.
1.-THE sky was aglow with the re-
Election of burning palaces and other
buildings, and as if this was not
enough there suddenly shot up into
the sky huge burst Of flame, fol-
lowed by a crash that seemed to shake
the whole town. This probably was
the gas works blowing up.
Eventually we reached the princi-
pal square of Messina. Here we
found 1000 or 5000 utterly terrified
people assembled. None of us knew
what to do. We waited in an agony
of fear Men and women prayed and
groaned and shrieked. I saw one of
the big buildings fronting on the
square collapse. 1t seems to me that
scores of persons we're buried be
meath the ruins. Then I lost con-
seriousness and l remember no more. "
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
MOUNTAIN OF WATER HIT
SHIPS IN THE HARBOR
Torpedo Commander Graphically Tells of Havoc
bv dial Wave NTes

Graphically Tells of Havoc
Wave at NTessina.
had risen on the sea front and Corso
Garibaldi had disappeared; the streets
were full of debris, and at various
points the town was reduced to a
mass of horrible ruins, from which
arose flames and smoke.
PETTY Officer Dennini landed in a
small boat manned by eight sailors,
after long struggle with the angry
waves, and entered the town.
Means Greet Sailors Ears.
Series, means and desperate ap-
peals for help arose from the ruins
with disheartening insistence.
Meanwhile convicts and other
prisoners escaped from jail began to
plumber the ruins of the Bank of
Sicily, the Military College and other
public buildings; nothing could be
done against them at first.
''Dennini and his few men, work
ing from o'clock until noon, were
able to dig out $50 injured people
and keep life in many others by CIV
ing them liquor; unhappily their force
was inadequate to the needs of the
moment officers and men of the
cruiser Piemonte also accomplished
miracles of valor and self-abnegation.
cat least half the population must
have persisted. The survivors wan
der about the ruins stupefied and half
naked, imploring aid
Italy needs several millions of
dollars even to partially relieve the
suffering and want.
Mourning women and men fill the
railroad stations here, trying to pro-
coed to the devastated region"
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
THE WORK OF RESCUE.

Rome. The first stories of the res
cue work at Messina reveal to the full
the horrors which accompany such
catastrophes. In addition to thou
sands of corpses, often hideously
mangled, hundreds of injured are ly-
ing beneath the wreckage.
Many OF these are women and chill
dren in their night clothes. Shrieks
and cries of pain are heard on all
sides. Now and again some unhappy
wretch, mad from terror or grief, is
seen sitting in the mud the sea de-
posted in the streets, or clinging
with useless energy to some support,
fearing the sea will return and wash
him away.
Instances are recorded of such de-
mented persons deliberately plunging
into the burning ruins and perishing
in the flames. In one place five chill
dren were found around their moth
er's corpse, themselves only justalive
The torrents of rain have helped to
check the fires, but make it difficult
for the rescuers to accomplish any
thing. They are also aiding the de-
composition of the bodies.
Crowds of destitute, too much hurt
or too dazed to help themselves, hud-
die in the higher parts of the town.
Many have fled into the country seek
ing refuge in caves and crevices in
the mountains.
Reports from numerous places in
Calabria and Sicily bring tales of dis
aster, any one of which would alone
cause sensation. At Riposto the
sea suddenly receded, and as suddenly
returned in wave of enormous
height, overwhelming everything for
q distance Of a quarter of a mile in
/ land, and in its ebb sweeping hun
dreds of inhabitants into the sea. 1t
it stated that the dead are lying in
thousands at Monteleone and through
out that neighborhood
All kinds OF reports of robbery in
Messina have reached here. The pri-
son was demolished and many of the
prisoners were killed, but others
made their escape and started to join
the vandals who we're looting the city.
These robbers, undeterred by the
appalling sights around them, robbed
the collapsed buildings and took valu-
ables from the bodies of the dead.
The fear of the pestilence that usu-
ally follows such disasters confronts
those in charge of the situation
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05

Rome.-Lieutenan Saccarese, COM
mander of the torpedo boat Sappho,
which arrived at Porto Santa Venere,
thus describes the seaquake at Mes
sina:
I'VE were anchored off Messina
when, at $50 yesterday morning,
there was fearful upheaving move
ment which, coming from the bottom
of the sea, struck violently all the
ships anchored in the harbor.
Then the sea suddenly arose into
a mountain of water which, running
down the strait, struck with thun-
derous crash on the piers and jetty.
Ships Sunk at Anchor.
"The bridge giving communication
between the breakwater and the shore
was swept away. Many ships at an
Choir in the harbor were totally
wrecked; the Austrian steamer An
Grassy was torn from her moorings
and ran amuck, greatly damaging
other steamers.
''In a few moments all the harbor
works were destroyed. The sea be-
came less agitated, and its surface APP
peared to be absolutely covered with
barrels, casks and pieces of broken
boats. Then black cloud came over
and hid the town.
"Only when dawn broke was it pos
seible to get an idea of what had hap
pened on land-a disaster whose hor-
ror and tragic magnitude no one can
describe. The whole town was re-
duced to ruins, among which stood
the sinister skeletons of the Town
Hall and Of the Hotel Trinacria All
the splendid palaces and villas which
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION or THE
REGION IN ITALY DEVASTATED BY
EARTHQUAKES AND TIDAL WAVES
essna the Ruined City 200 Years Old and Has Had
Many Masters and Cnfastrophes.

Studied with maps and accounts of
the more recent of the great earth
quake disasters of Italy, it is seen
that in the latest catastrophe the dis
turbance reached the surface on the
northern border, close to Swiss terri
tory Bomodossolo is among the
Alps, and the mountain range seems
to have been the route of the earth
quake 1t passed to the southwark
following the Apennines. There is a
twenty minutes difference between
the time of the shocks reported in
upper and lower italy.
In Calabria. which has been laid
waste again and again by such dis
turbances, this earthquake first
touched the surface with it's full
effect Lofty signal posts of disaster
marked its way, for it struck with
full force at the extinct volcano of
San Giovanni, spread its devastation
across the Strait of Messina to Sicily
and rolled up another score of death
and ruin all about the slopes of
Mount Etna, reducing to ruins the
ancient and famous city of Messina
and tumbling the buildings of Catania,
fifty-nine miles farther south, only
" pe3cAAA ONC1 w ACAul Lie OuCy pOl I
soon afterward with a great tidal
wave.
The spread OF the earthquake in
Sicily and Southern Italy, according
to the cable dispatches, was through
very much the same area as that of
the earthquake of 1873, which was
the most destructive in the history
of Italy Then, as now, the earth
do
both sides of the Strait of Messina,
which separates the toe of the So
called "boot" of Italy from Sicily.
The historic disaster completely
wrecked the populous seaport of Mes
sina in Sicily near the northern end
of the strait and destroyed many
smaller cities and towns in Southern
italy and Sicily.
The loss of life in this disaster Of
1888 was estimated at $4,000, Mes
sina, a city which is for the most part
but little above the level of the sea,
suffering terribly-then, as now, from
tidal wave. The region to the
south of Messina has also been often
overwhelmed by eruptions from
eastern portion of the island has been
damaged time and again by eruptions
of Etna and very little by earth
quakes, while the northeastern por-
tion has sustained heavy loss of life
and property from earthquakes and
very little from volcanic eruption.
Messina, which as in 1888 suffered
the greatest loss of life and property
from this earthquake, is a city and
seaport of upwards of $4,000 inhab-
itants, while in the commune en-
bracing the city, suburbs and adjacent
country, the population Is upward of
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
SCIENTISTS SAY DISASTER WAS CAUSED
nv SINKING OLE THE EARTK,S CRUST

Baltimore, Md.-Dr. Harry Field
ing Reid, professor of geological
physics in the Johns Hopkins Uni
versity, and one of the leading au-
thorities in the United States on seis-
mic disturbances, attributes the
earthquake in Southern Italy to a
general dropping down or sinking of
the earth in that locality. Speaking
of the shock and the reports concern
ing it, he said:
Southern Italy seems to be what
may be termed earthquake territory.
Seismic shocks occur there frequently
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
Feminine Notes.

Nine. Vincens better known by
her pen name of "Arvide Barine"-
died recently in Paris.
Mrs. Jane Bancroft Robinson has
just been elected president of the
Woman's Home Missionary Society of
the Methodist Church.
Mrs. Mary Anderson de Navarro,
the former American actress, accom-
panied by her husband and two chill
dren, came from England on visit.
A mortgage deed for $4,000 was
placed on record in Hawaii by former
Queen Liliuokalani, the deed being
executed in favor of Claus Spreckles
and W. G. Irwin.
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
THE CALABRIAN CALAMITY.
City of Reggie Disappears Under the
Sea and is One Vast Sepulchre.

City of Reggie Disappears Under the
Sea and is One Vast Sepulchre.
Naples.--Latest information re-
ceived here says Reggie, in Calabria,
is vast sepulchre, having been utter
ly destroyed No part Of the province
escaped the awful calamity.
The .ominous absence of details
concerning Reggie proves to be due to
the fact that not only the city itself
but its whole population, with the ex-
ception of mere handful, has disap-
peared.
The warships which were ordered
to relieve the survivors were unable
to approach the coast owing to the
changed configuration of the Strait of
Messina. Ultimately torpedo boat
ran close to the shore, but was UNI
able to discover trace of the city.
Where an aggregation of buildings
and busy streets stood two days ago
there was nothing but rocks and
earth. The city had vanished as COM
pletely as Aladdin's palace under the
magician's spell.
Only five of the city's 1900 in
habitants have yet been accounted
for. These unhappy wretches reached
Cattanzaro and Palmi half demented
by fright. They were scarcely able
to talk intelligibly, but their inco-
herent stories are sufficient to con-
firm the horrible fate of the city.
In view of this latest development
of the catastrophe the death roll may
we'll reach 125,000. One estimate is
100000 dead.
The Ministry of Marine has re-
ceived wireless reports of the OBJ
struction of the Strait of Messina,
showing that its safe navigation will
be impossible until it is recharted,
while its future navigation is likely
to be extremely difficult. The news
has caused a deep impression here,
for it's consequences, from commercial
and military points of view, will be
incalculable.
The strait was of great strategic
Importance and the Government has
spent immense sums in fortifying it.
1t is now anticipated that such forth
fications as may be unchanged will
be useless. Moreover, the strait
formed the shortest route from Mar
settles, Genoa and Naples to Egypt
and India, and If it be found imprac-
ticable voyages to and from those
countries will be heightened by many
hours.
Even Scylla and Charybdis, the
great whirlpools in the Strait of Mes
sina, which have resisted TIE forces
of nature for centuries, were moved
by the tidal wave, thus rendering
navigation dangerous and preventing
aid from reaching the stricken cities
by sea. The whole channel Of the
Strait of Messina is altered.
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
Among the Workers.

Holland now has an estimated
union labor membership of rs 900.
A proposal has been made to form
a union of clergymen in Boston, Mass
A reorganization of the bartenders
and bootblacks is going on at Oak
land, Cal.
The British Government in India is
taking care that the native workers
are sharing the benefits of British
factory law.
Notwithstanding trade disputes the
average paid-up membership of the
American Federation OF Labor has in
creased 47.915 in the last fiscal year
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05

will prove to be even more appalling
than the present reports indicate,
The shocks were as severe as those
which devastated San Francisco and
Valparaiso.
Vienna, Austria. 49, Professor Ed
ward Suess, the celebrated geologist.
says he believes the earthquake in
Calabrfa and Sicily was not due to
volcanic eruptions, but to the subsi-
dence Of the earth's crust, and that
It is likely to be followed by volcanic
movements. Should this settling
down of the earth's crust continue,
says Professor Suess, the granite hills
of Scylla and a great portion of the
Peloritan Mountains will be sub
merged by the sea
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05

at irregular intervals. The whole of
that section of the country seems to
be sinking in pieces, and personally
am inclined to think that the shock
was due to this general dropping
down of that portion of the earth's
strata"
London, England. John Milne,
the well known seismologist of the
Isle of Wight, said that his records
showed the italian earthquake to have
been the most severe in Europe in
many years. He fears that when the
full effects are known the loss of life
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
Notes Erom Across seas.

The Dutch cruiser Gelderland ar
rived at Willemstad, having been re-
called from Venezuelan waters.
A Royalist adherent attempted to
pull the beard Of President Fallieres
in Paris and was arrested.
A picked bodyguard is being
formed to protect Prince Chun, the
Regent of China, against assassina-
ton.
M. Iswolsky, speaking before the
Russian Duma, said that the only way
to curb the arbitrary Austrian action
was through a eonference Of the Pow
ers.
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
Tie World of Sport.

Gerard Meister, French swimmer,
won from an italian opponent and
four others in race in the Seine.
G. Greiff won the holiday cup and
r. M. Owen the monthly trophy at
the New York Athletic Club shoot.
George Standing defeated Peter
Latham, of England, at racQuets at
the New York Racquet and Tennis
Club.
At Los Angeles, Cal, James ]. JEFF
fries issued statement declaring pos
itively and emphatically that under
no condition would he re-enter the
prize ring.
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05

London.-The measure of the
greatest tragedy which has ever be-
fallen the Christian world cannot yet
be calculated. 1t is known in general
terms that out of population of
1850, 900 in the devastated area of
Southern Italy and Sicily at least
10O,000 persisted.
The appalling news that the city
of Reggie di Calabria has been total
~ engulfed by the sea may make it
necessary to largely increase that es-
innate.
Besides, the figure given takes no
account of dozens of towns near the
centre of the disturbance whence no
word has come and where there is
only too good reason to fear there are
no survivors to describe their fate.
The destruction of property cannot
be so great as at San Francisco, for
Messina and Reggie, the two princi-
pal cities destroyed, were not rich or
magnificent from metropolitan
point of view.
AS great cataclysm of nature,
however, this disaster is on far
vaster scale than the California phe-
nomena. The whole face of the coun-
try and the coast line have been
altered. Even Scylla and Charybdis
have changed the positions they oc-
cupied since the legendary voyage of
Aeneas.
The three provinces where the
greatest damage was done are Mes
sina and Catania in Sicily and Reggie
di Calabria on the mainland. They
comprise about 400 square miles.
Several hundred persons persisted
and much damage was done outside
these provinces. but with them the
devastation was so complete that
scarcely human habitation remains.
1t will be days yet before the story
of their destruction can be known.
All accounts now agree that the time
occupied by natures gigantic spasm
was but thirty-two seconds. 1t was
some minutes later that great wave
came from the sea to complete the
havoc in the i'll fated coast towns.
The violence of the shock seems
to have been unprecedented, except
in volcanic eruptions of limited area.
The buildings in Messina were not
merely shaken down. Their founda-
tions were literally wrenched from
beneath them. To one side or the
other they were toppled from the
perpendicular and fell in ruins along
side their original sites.
This was the experience of Messina.
That of Reggie, on the opposite side
or the strait, must have been even
more violent, for scarcely one stone
remains on another of what was a
fiourishing city only two days ago.
No one has yet been found to recount
the fate of this town and it's inhab-
itants.
Messina probably will not rise
againtfrom her ruins and ashes. This
last overwhelming calamity will alter
the future history of Sicily and
Southern Italy. 1t may be regarded
as certain that considerable portion
of the population of this fair land
will bow before the wrath of the gods
and seek homes elsewhere.
Next to Italy itself America will
feel the effect of this calamity more
than any other country, for large
proportion of the stricken population
will seek refuge there as soon as the
means of flight can be secured.
Although there was no eruption of
Mount Etna at the time Of the earth
quake, it became active Immediately
thereafter and continues to threaten
an eruption.
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
Newsy Para grnnhs.

Mr. Taft expects to visit the 18th
mus Of Panama in the latter part of
January.
1t was said that a bill would be in
troduced at Albany, N. ", making
art forgery crime
The burning oiIship Kalomo was
sunk by shots from the Singapore
fort. two miles distant.
The United States, Great Britain,
and Japan agree on most points Of
propositions submitted to meeting
Of delegates appointed to frame rules
gover7fA hat is CONGREGATIONAL Prize
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
Skirt Manufacturers Decree
Complete New Spring Outfits.

Toledo, Ohio. Husbands. take no
tice! The makers of women's styles
decree that you must buy your wife
a complete new outfit for spring.
There's no chance to save by making
over clothes, for it cannot be done,
they say 1t must be three piece
suit with a hipless effect and in one
of these colors: Ashes Of roses, green,
taupe, electric blue, reseda, stone
gray, catawba, cedar or wistaria
This edict was issued by the Ma
tional Cloak, Suit and Skirt Makers.
The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-05
MoRRIsrowN rosroFFIcE.
Open from In the Morning Eltil ,
In the Evening.
N. -. MAnra f.r nar

i
in the Evening.
MAILS CLOSE.
gsO o. For New York and all intermeds.
ate stations.
Bis A. M.--For EAston, Newton. Chester ana
all intermediate stations. Whippany.
Ri5A A. M.--For Brookside, Mendham and 81,
stations on the Rockaway Valley Railroad
els 4. M.--For New York and intermediates
stations.
9.l5 A. M--Tor Mount Freedom
e.4b a. M.-Tor Newark. New York src be-
yond.
il.@A. M.-For Newark. New York and re
yond.
ls.45 r. M.--For New York apA ali inte-ms.
diate stations.
l2.45P. M.--For Rockaway and Dover
$50 p. M.-For New York and all inferno
date stations.
MAILS READY FOX DELIVERY.
1904 M.-Brom New York and intern.sdi-
ate stations.
$50 A. M.Erom Hackettstown and inte
mediate stations. Whippany. Mt. Freedom.
GA. M.-From Brookside, Mendham and ali
stations on the. Rockaway Valley Railroad.
ss.2o 4. M-1rom New YorA and intermedi-
ate stations.
IL A. M.-vFrom Dover.
~l10 p. M.--Erom New York and intermea,.
ate stations
l.28 p. M.-Frpm New York.
$50 p. M.--From Philadelphia. Easton Nav.
ton. Chester and intermediate stations
40 P. M.-From Brookside, Mendham and AN
Etations On the Rcckaway Valley Railroad.
s4A r. M.-Erom New York and intsrsneds.
Rte stations.
ala From Newark and New York.
delivered By carriera.