The sun., 1909-01-01
PITEOCS SCENES IN MESSfN1.
weirdly Clothed Wanderers In the Ruins
twenty Shot for Robbing Dead.
Special Cable Despatch 10 FHE sun

Special Cable Despatch 10 FHE sun.
RoMR, Dec 3i.-A correspondent, who
went 10 Messina from Catsnia describes
a walk he took over the huge mound Of
stones which marks the site Of the Corso
Cavour. He says:
1T was O'Clock in the afternoon and
IL was already dark. Rain was falling
We first saw homeless family sitting Oil
heap OF stones. They were half naked
and huddled together under a single
umbrella. We asked them to come with
US and be relieved, but they refused,
saying they preferred TO die in the ruins
of their home hard by.
"A white haired woman shivering on
the ground and covered only with bed
quilt begged for help, saying she had been
an artistic at the Pelolo Theatre. She was
barefooted and practically naked. She
had eaten nothing for three days. We
asked her to come with us to the station,
but she would not. except on condition
that we bought her a pair OF shoes. This
was impossible under the circumstances.
The spectacle Of the wanderers among
the ruins would move one 10 laughter.
their makeshift garments being so ludi-
crous. Some Of the men wore women's
skirts and bodices, while women had
donned military uniforms. which were
the first things they could obtain to cover
their nakedness. Others had nothing
but blanket or rug around them
Among the ruins | met an acquaint-
ance. He was covered with mud He
wore a pair OF what had been white under
drawers. a crush hat and wooden sabots.
met the solitary survivor OF family
named Bonnano. He carried a dead
child in his arms and seemed to have
lost his reason.
Several persons seemed to be deprived
Of speech. | do not mean that they
would not talk willingly; they had been
stricken dumb. One could hear the
groanings of the wounded who still
linger invisible beneath the ruins.
Returning to the railway station. WE
found what remained of il tbronged by
a half mad crowd suffering extremely
from thirst and hunger, standing hud-
died ia hopeless misery. The destruc-
tion OF the aqueduct and the water SER
vice causes great suffering. There il
nothing 10 drink except the water OBJ
DuuultS ny Jilo ram
ROBBERS OF THE DEAD SHOT.
The correspondent adds that numbers
of peasants from the neighborhood of
Messina focked into the town to rob
the dead and sack the ruins. The au-
thorities have ordered that these ghous
when found be Immediately shot. Twenty
were thus executed yesterday. One
81, hx,
sailor in the act Of cutting of the finger
Of a corpse for ring. He was shot.
The correspondent estimates the num-
ber e dead in the whole area at 900. 900
VIVID RECITAL BY REFUGEE.
Dr. Aliotti Rossi, young physician OF
Messina, narrated to-day his own exper-
fences on December 2s. He spoke calmly
and without excitement. His demeanor
was subdued and despairing, az Of one
who had looked upon and lived through
the worst terrors the earth can furnish.
He said.
Il arose elrly Monday morning. as !
intended to leave Messina by an early
train. II was stll dark and was making
ready to start when the profound silence !
which precedes da wn was broken by /
an extraordinary noise.
Il can best describe il as being like the
bursting Of a thousand bombs. This was 1
by rushing torrential rain. |
Then there was a sinister whistling just :
as II a thousand red hot iron rods were
Kissing in water. ,
Il did not realize what was happening
until suddenly the violent movements Of
the surrounding walls told me IL was an