Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-01-06
Death, Destruction
and Ruin in Wake
of Upheaval
Danger that Pesti.
lence Will Fol-
low Horror

Rome. Dec. SO.-10O,000 dead; Mes
sina in Sicily and Reggie and score
other towns in southern Italy are over
whelmed; the entire Calabrian region
is laid waste; this is the earthquakes
record as far as it is at present known
from reports coming slowly into Rome
ON account of the almost complete de
struction of lines of communication to
the stricken places.
The death list in Messina ranged
from 10000 to $4,000, that of Reggie,
which with its adjacent villages num-
bered $4,000 people, includes almost
the entire population. At Palmi, 1,ooO
are reported dead; Cassano, 1,OO0; Co
senza 500; and half the population OF
Bagnara. about 1900. The Monteleone
region has been devastated and HI
posto, Seminara, Sangiovanni Scilla'
Lazzaro, Cannitello and all the other
communes and villages bordering on
the straits are in ruins.
The king and queen of Italy are now
on their way to Messina. having sailed
last night from Naples aboard the bat
tleship Vittorio Emmanuel. The
pope has shown the greatest distress
at the calamity and he himself was
the first to contribute sum amount
ing to 100000 to the relief of the af-
f1icted. The British, French and Rus.
sian warsnips are steaming toward
the south and already several ships OF
Great Britain have reached Sicily.
It l. feared that many foreigners
have been killed. as number of no
tells at Messina and doubtless at other
places were crowded with tourists,
Little is known Of the fate of the di-
plomatic repre- -entatives of the for
eign powers stationed at these posts,
although the Italian government is us
ing every effort to relieve the anxiety
feit on their account.
There is the gravest danger that
pestilence will follow the destruction
of the towns where, on account Of the
vast havoc wrought, bodies will lie I'M
buried for days and weeks. Those
who escaped death. many Of whom are
badly injured, are making their way by
thousands 10 the nearest place Of re
fuge. Their sufferings even now must
be intense, as they are without food or
clothing.
Latest reports received here state
that four thouzand soldiers in the vari
Gus barracks at Messina are buried
under the ruins. The Rock of Charyb
dis now blocks the entrance to the
strait of Messina The tidal wave
wrecked the lighthouse IN the strait
including Faro Beacon, and they
crashed into the sea.
Rome, Dec 30-Stanned at the mag
nitude of the calamity which has over
taken their fellow countrymen, all
Italy mourns for the stricken province
of Calabria and the island OF Sicil.
Accustomed for centuries to earth
quakes, Italy stands ever in dread but
none was prepared for the disaster
which in the fraction of minute de,
NdStdtCu tAtiN5 dAAd Wv 1AS GisA "a ASNA
the death of thousands.
Messina, whhse tragic history has
been marked by tidal waves and war
and which was the center of Monday s
terrestrial maelstrom, was shaken to
ruins. Flames burst forth TO com
piete the city's destru ction and to burn
alive untold numbers helplesely pin
toned beneath fallen walls and broken
tirnbers. The straits Of Messina was
shaken and twisted b. he earth's
trembling, for mariners report the
channel altered beyond recognition
Ports and villages on both the cont
mental and the Sicilian sides were
wrecked or inla dated and all light
houses along the coast " ere swallowed
up. Navigation now is dangerous and
in some places impossih e.
Port Of Reggie is n, More.
In the Calabrian distric, which was
only beginning to recover !'r1m the eff
fects of the earthquake of 1905, Reggie
was the center of the earth's upheaval
The seaport of Reggie is reported as
no longer existing and the city propel
IS in ruins The loss of life on botl
sides of the strait and in eastern Sic
uv is enormous. One of the refugees
from Reggie who was the first t
bring the news Of the citr'g destruc
ton. tried to make his way to Sicil'
In a sailboat. but was compelled u re
turn and finally found safety al
peninsula port Describing his expert
ence. he said.
THE sea was strongly, mysterious
agitated and the heaven ablaz'
Nea.ing Sicily, the clearing smoke r.
vealed the mystery; Messtna was