New-York tribune., 1909-01-02
FOREIGNERS ESCAPE
AMERICANS NAY BE SAFE.
Party FIees from Messin0-pHidge
Ri0ts-Rcscue Work.

c.+enia Ian while nothing Is yet def
ntteIv known concerning The Americans sup
posed to have been in Messina ut the time or the
earthouako il was learned to-day that party
OF twenty English speaking persons, "hich may
have included some Americans, made tAer es-
cane crossing tract of country when was hot
affected by the shocks in the direction OF "a
leTmo.
Soldiers have been called from the rescue work
at Messina TO queli disturbances in the sur
rounding villages where the survivors We're III
a state Of riot because assistance had not oeeh
given them They could not understand the I'M
possibility of succoring all Immediately ana pro
yIdIpg the needy thousands with food ana shei-
ter. on the arrival Of the soldiers. however the
disturbances ended, the peasants being speeohF
subdutd.
The doctors of the Russian and British squad
rous have Joined In establishing a hospital at
tho trolley station and another at the maritime
noIice station Both are full TO overtiowng
The seriously wounded have been taken ABOARD
the ships. Several Russian soldiers nave peei
killed during the rescue work by falling walls
I heavy rain continues to fall at Messtns, in
creasing the suffering of the injured and max
ing more difficult the work Of rescue II IS
however guenchng the fires and having d
slightly purifying effect on the air
The distribution of food has been organized
Bakeries have been opened and slaughter houses
este blished and it is hoped that by nighfall, or
al the latest tomorrow morning no one need De
without bread.
The road between here and Messina Is filled
with refugees. There are crowds OF them at
every station nf the railroad and they are pour
ing into the main highways from outlying VAL
lagos. hamlets and huts. Some Of them stagger
along overloaded with their most precious pos
sessions; others are driving before them a donkey
OH cd bv 10
hold goods. while still others are accompanied
by sheen, few goats perhaps faithful
dog A great majority OF the survivors. however
have saved nothing. All their possessions are
on their backs in the shape Of tattered clothing
and in many cases even these garments only
partly cover their owners
The survivors one and all tell awful tales Of
death and destruction. They say that there are
undoubtedly still living people trapped in the
ruins of the smaller villages. which have not
been carefully searched; that others strayng
along the beach and that still others are high up
in the mountains. Many people fed TO the high
land to escape the waters
More than four full days have now elapsed
since the first shock and it is hard 10 believe
that there are still living souls in the wreckagc
Death would be preferable to their agony and
suffering
The streets of Messina are so encumbered with
"
are very slow. and the area TO be gone over is so
great that much time must elapse before all the
crevasses, holes. cellars and heaps Of ruins can
be examined. The city has been divided into
zones and the work of rescue in each district is
in charge of army officers. The soldiers con-
tinue to distribute bread and water to the sur
vivors.
Few children have been found alive at Mes
sina while at Reggie large numbers of them
have been taken alive from the ruins.
Eight hundred dead soldiers under the
wreckage of the Messina barracks Most OF the
corpses being recovered throughout the city are
mutilated beyond recognition. The survivors
impore the rescuers to search the ruins for rel
atives and friends.
Castro -Reale has been added to the list of de-
vastated towns. Not house escaped The
streets filed with despairing survivors seek
ing friends and relatives and crying aloud tnr
food and water. This place had population O.
about four thousand.
American and British travellers who were at
Taormina at the time of the earthC uake have
formed organization for succor of the in
jured. They have given splendid assistance. and
their labors have called forth many expressions
of admiration and gratitude.
The headquarters of the organization are at
Giardna, thirty miles south of Messina on the
road to Catana. The committee includes about
fifty men and women. under the leadership of
Miss Hill.