The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-01-04
.ITALY'S FEARFUL DlSAS-
TER.
immensely of the Disaster-Death
Roll Throughout Entire Terri
tory Staggers Belief Relief
Work-United States Sends
All

Something of the immensely
Of the disaster in southern Italy
may be gathered from the fol-
lowing dispatches:
Rome, Dec. 80. The immen-
sity of the disaster in Southern
Italy and Sicily can only be
measured by the fact that it is
now estimated that lie, 600 peo-
pie persisted in Messina and
Reggie alone. A score of other
towns have been devastated and
thousands of victims in these
places must be added to the roll.
In the face of this awful total
all Italy stands appalled,.
Nor has the full death-list yet
been reached. Ship loads of
fugitives have arrived at Naples
and other ports and the vast
majority of these are sorely in
iured. Other thousands remain
near the ruins of their homes or
wander half-starving, half-nak-
ed over the land. The forces
that on Monday overwhelmed
the cities also destroyed the
means of subsistence. Telegraph
ic communication has been es-
tablished with Messina, the ap-
paratus having been installed IN
a railway van. Messages which
have come over the line, though
they have been meagre in detail,
show that hope is gone. Nothing
remains of the city but mass
of ruins that have been swept
by fire. A mere handful of sur
vivors are being cared for ny
the rescuing forces, but their
distress is great and it has been
increased. by +hR Flj1lelticH wind
that followed the deluge of rain
Destitution is everywhere ant
appalling. There is little foo
and less water.
Rome, Dec. 31.-Estimates O
the death roll of the earthquake
now cease to concern the Italian
people. 1t is enough to know
that the catastrophe is over
whelming figures would adj
nothing to the grief of the strick
en- nation, nor move to create
efforts those upon whom tn
work of relief and rescue ha
fallen.
Every channel open to tn
government has been utilized t
this end, and other nations hav
been quick to come to it's assis
lance, even before the cry fo
aid went up. Shiploads of fugi
tives have been carried out O
the stricken zone to Naples, Pa.
. ermo, Catania and other ports
and according to the Minister O
Marine. rescue vessels to tn
number of Sc are now centere
in the Strait of Messina, and 5
. 600 soldiers are being landed O
D the two coasts.
D Most important of all now
0 the question of the living. Thou
7 sands of those who escaped tn
: falling walls and the sweep {
l the tide are starving and will
d out clothes or shelter. They ca
scarcely longer survive the
sufferings. The first though
O has been to carry food and CO.
3 ering for these helpless peopl
F and it has now been decided
= the government to send a file
of emigrant steamers to tran
Il port them to other places.
The horror of the situation
4. Messina and Reggie grows wi
every fresh dispatch. One
the correspondents places Il
death roll throughout the emit
= territory as high as 300, 1000, b
this appears to be extreme. Othe
make their estimate 100000, b
] the official estimate as made
|, the Minister Of Marine still hol
to lis, 900.
Relief expeditions which ha
been making their way to Regis
have encountered tremendc
distractions all along the rou
They report eighteen PROVING
GO villages beside those alrea
9S mentioned in Calabria as havi
90 been completely ruined. 7
1S would indicate that the ear
- quake did not confne its W.
Sc of havoc to the coast. WI
has become of the inhabita
90 of these villages is not knoV
% Those that were left alive at
.23 the destruction of their hor
Ec doubtless joined the great ar
90 of refugees seeking safety,
have fallen by the wayside.
The Calabrian coast for TIL
miles has been torn and twist
From Bagnara to Reggie, a
lance of Is miles, the country
- half demolished. Assistance
reached but few of the villa
= and they are practically with
D. supplies of any kind. At F
nara surgical operations are
ing performed with prur
knives, but at Reggie even
l.. is impossible.
Is, Bands of thieves infest
country and the despair of
unaided villages is COMP
Hunger supplies the motive
scenes of shocking violence
pillagers and robbers defy
few surviving policemen
If soldiers.