Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-02

ROME, January 2.-Queen Helena has
been slightly injured at Messina.
dispatch received here today from
Minister of Justice Orlando. who is with
their majesties at Messina, says that a
slight shock was experienced at Messina
and the patients in one of the improvised
hospitals were thrown into a condition
Of panic. Her majesty was close by.
She hurried to the scene and tried to allay
the fears of the people. She was caught
in a rush the patients were making for
the open and sustained slight contusions
on the chest.
AS the Duke of Aosta was crossing
The Via Carmine in Palmi the wall of a
house fell and flying plaster struck him
on the face and hand, inficting slight
scratchess
In the midst of conditions that hardened
physicians and soldiers find insupportably
revolving Queen Helena persists in work
ing with her hands over the injured Her
courage is infiexible, but there are fears
that she will break down physically. The
king has ordered her either to take a
complete rest for day or leave the scene
entirely. She has refused.
Soldiers Surround Town.
Messin4 now is thoroughly occupied by
troops Each quarter has its body of
them divided so that no point in the town
is without protection. A Gordon of sol
diers also surrounds the entire town,
which ia almost deserted Only soldiers
and sailors are TO be seen there.
The sufferings of persons still buried in
the ruins OF fallen buildings here who are
slowly diving from hunger is awful to
contemplate. Dead bodies have been
found which bear mute testimony of the
torture endured before death relieved
their sufferings. Several Of these persons
nave died gnawing at their arms and
hands. evidently delirious from pain and
hunger.
The Archbishop of Messina has been
found still living in the ruins of his pal
ace.
Latest Estimates of Dead
Exact statistics of the dead and the
surviving still are impossible TO obtain,
because all the dead bodies buried under
Ihe ruins have not yet been excavated. 1t
is equally impossible to make any ac-
today scattered from one end of the
country to the other. The only figures
that can be given are reached by caicu-
Iating the total populations before the
disaster and subtracting Iherefrom the
numbers that are supposed TO have sur
Nived- The result Is, OF course, approx
mate. On this basis is made the esti-
mate that about 25OOO people have left
Messina and the MesSina commune AS
the total population of the city and com
Ixkl
are about 1900 people still i'll the district.
tbe dead probably amount to ll'.Io
The victims are Increasing daily, not
only through the dying OF the injured
but a. by the many suicides committed
by desperate survivors whose minds have
given way
The funds raised for the relief WORK
IN many countries already run to severa
million dollars and yet. as il is feared
the utmost amount that may be raised
Will fall short of what is needed. Th'
Italian government, IL is Thought, vii
attempt TO arrange for an immediate
national loan.
Total Dead 100000.
PARIS. January 2.-The Figaro today
publishes the following despatch from
Rome:
LAS each day goes by the disaster ap
pears more horrible. terrifying and i'm
mense. 1t is without precedent in III,
history of tne world. In my earlier dis
patches l spoke of over 10000 dead
This number doubtless will be exceeded
for now IL is conservatively estimated thai
9o,UO persons periShed miserably in thi:
staggering catastrophe and the worst !:
not yet grown. The scourge has not ye
done its final work.
The tremblings of the earth continue
with sinister rumblings and at times jet:
OF boiling water surge from the crevasses
The sources of the streams are poisoned
with putrid matter.
I'm spite of herculean efforts the. Succo
still is Insufficient sn the more remott
regions the unhappy injured are dying fo
want of food and medical treatment Dog!
and swine. enraged by hunger. spring upoI
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