The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-01
TO CONTINUE THREE YEARS.
Prediction of a Scientist Regarding
the Disturbance i'm Italy.

Rome. Jan. 1.-The presence of the
king and queen of Italy in the str1ck-
en- district has done much to lnfuse
energy into the different relief COM
mittees. Considering the means at
the disposal of the rescue workers
wonders are being done. The queen
looks far from we'll. She Is exhausted
and the terrible scenes she has wit
messed have affected her strongly. She
weeps frequently, and on more than
one occasion she has covered the
hands of some unfortunate woman
with her tears. The king desired the
queen to return to Rome, but this she
refused, saying she could not sleep
from thinking of the miserieS OF her
subjects. BY remaining on the spot
she feels she can do something to re-
lieve the general misery.
Trains leaving here for the south
are filed almost entirely with news
paper men, relatives of victims or vol
unteers on rescue committees These
committees are composed or every ma
tionality of Europe.
a word of Italian but they go forward
simply because they have hands with
which to work All volunteers are
thankfully accepted, and there IS room
Prof. Alfani of the Florence obser-
vatory, predicts that the seismic ac-
tivities will continue for three years
to come. He recommends the enforce
the earthquake zones of Italy.
The personal accounts of survivors
obtained today all go to confrm tne
first reports of the extent of the d1sas-
ter, and they but add to the greWsome
recital of suffering and pathetic in
ability to help the injured One feature
of the disaster at Reggie is the large
number of homeless children. In
some cases little babies were found
creeping about in the ruins and 1t
restore them
their parents even If the parants are
alive. A sailor who went ashore at
Reggie relates that during his work
of rescue he was attracted by SOUND
of infant voices. Looking under fall
len beam he found twins about year
old in a basket They were unin5ured
and their clothing was OF the peSt-
They have not yet been claimed
In many cases survivors recovered
consciousness to find themselves far
away from the scene of the disaster
Larger numbers of survivors have be-
come insane. They try to throw tneH-
selves overheard, if they are at sea- or
10 hurl themselves out of car windows.
ONE moor woman relates that in her
family were her husband and eight
children. She was awakened by
great rushing noise. She. then lost con-
and knew nothing turtner
until she found herself on board
steamer far away from her home. The
authorities would not permit ner 10
return to seek her family
A youth. himself wounded, carried
Irrecle1 home. When the party was
found they were lying by the side of
the road. the young man dead but the
children uninjured- s.
What has taken place at Reggie has
been repetition of the scenea at
Meseina. but the proportion of the
population to perish at the former
place is higher. TODAY the conditions
at Reggie are worse than at Messina,
owing to danger of epidemic from de-
composing bodies.
It has been proposed in small viii
lages. where not one house remains
standing, to set the debris on fire as a
means Of publication.