The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-01-01
EARTHQUAKE HORROR
GROWS HOUR By HOUR.
DISASTER GREATEST OF MOD
ERIN TIMES.
Over 125,O00 Lives Lost-Earth, Sea
and Fire Took Terrible Toll
Survivors Mad With
Horror.

Rome, December 30.-The immen-
.sity Of the disaster in Southern Italy
and Sicily can only be measured by
the fact that it is now estimated that
10000 people perished in Messlna
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. Shiploads Of fugitives have
arrived at Naples and other ports,
and the vast majority Of these are
sorely injured. Other thousands re-
main near the ruins Of their homes,
or wander half starving, half naked
over the land. The forces that on
Monday overwhelmed the cities also
destroyed the means of subsistence.
! Telegraphic communication has been
established with Messina, the appa-
ratus having been installed in rail
way van. Messages which have come
sover the line, though they have been
meagre in detail, show that hope is
! gone. Nothing remains Of the city but
"a mass Of ruins that have been swept
by fire. A mere handful Of survivors
& are being cared for by the rescuing
forces, but their distress is great, and
it has been increased by the violent
icy wind that followed the deluge Of
rain. Destitution is everywhere and
appalling. There is little food and
less water.
s,E Of Messina's ninety thousand popu-
1ation it is believed that fully seven
ty thousand persons perished. Forty
thousand people died in Reggie.
American Consul Dead.
The government is finding Difficult
! ty in ascertaining the fate of the
many foreigners who we're in the
earthquake zone at the time Of the
catastrophe, kilograms concerning
whom are coming from all quarters
Of the globe. The commander Of the
battle ship Admiral Makharoff,
which arrived with fugitives at Nap
les today, confirms the report Of the
death Of the American consul at Mes
sina, Arthur S. Cheney and his wife,
=. who we're buried in the ruins of the
consulate. The number Of Americans
= Sicily ard Southern Italy is be-
J 1iaVed to be small. and several of
:: them are reported to have been stay
ing at Taermina, which is on the east
coast. about thirty miles southwest of
Messina.
All the sovereig and the heads
Of the foreign governments have sent
expressions Of warmest sympathy and
deepest coincidence. Frances mes
sage was especially warm, and she is
dispatching five warships from Tou-
Ion to Messina, which is hailed as a
token Of love from a sister State.
The minister Of marine tonight re-
ceived word that the steamships
Taormina and Campania, laden with
$4,000 beds and large supply Of pro-
visions. had left Genoa for Messina.
Other steamers, also bountifully
stocked. are on their way to th;'
stricken cities from various ports.
Large Army Needed
The dispatches from the stricken
zone say that large army would be
required to cope with even the press
ing needs Of the unfortunate people,
who are roaming abb I. b1!f-ciad a:tA
starving. some Of them dragging ar
ticles of clothing from the smould-
aring ruins to protect themselves from
!. the piercing winds. Terrible suffer-
s ing is inevitable before the much
needed relief stores can arrive.
- Late dispatches state that the city
of Palmi contains 1900 dead and
!. twice as many .l,.::,re. Jwo-ti,ird>
! Of the town was laid waste. All the
villages adjacent suffered as severely.
Rome. Dec. 29.-One hundred
thousand dead, Messina. in Sicily and