The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1909-01-28

over a calamity. Hardened as was TO catas'ro
Plies the piteous sights which met my gaze at
Messina Reggie and other cities more than once
drew tears to my eyes.
1t was my good fortune to be one of the mem
bers of the party of King Victor Emmanuel and
Queen Helena when the ruler visited the stricken
district and many times both the monarch ana
his consort broke down completely upon viewing
the awful sights which followed the earthquakes
fires and tidal wave
Survivors were raving maniacs and they roVed
the brick-strewn streets. in many instances nude
The stories told by unfortunate refugees VINO
retained their senses almost unbelievable.
A soldier named Emilio de Castro was IN 'he
military hospital He was awakened by ire
mendous roaring sound. He felt himself ialhhs
and thought he was in the grip OF nightmare
1t seemed to him that he had awakened in hell,
for the air was filled with terrifying shrieks He
soon realized however what was happening. Ills
bed struck the floor below, and he was sun on IL
1t paused moment and was again preclpltated'
He struck the next floor but this gave way a'
once and thus the man and bed came down from
the fifth floor of the hospital 10 the ground. me
soldier was not injured.
A druggist named Pulco relates that at %
minutes past five Monday morning he was on
ferry boat in the port of Messina going TO Reggie
Suddenly gale % wind arose, bringing a heaVN
sea with il. Then great chasm seemed TO open
in the water and the boat went down and struck
the ferrvboat noated safely on top of the sue
ceeding wave Most of the people ON board,
however, were swept off and drowned. me pudt
was badly wrecked but it foated ashore. Pulco
was still on board. After the first panic he lahuea
and found Reggie like a city OF the dead No
body was moving in the streets, and the silence
was broken only by the means and groans ana
shrieks of the wounded Pulco and several com
panions tried to eXtricate some wounded from the
wreckage but this almost impossible De
cause of the crumbling ruins, In one OF the
squares Puco found group OF people all com
pleely naked One old man was carrying hule
girl in his arms The child was covered win
blood is that your child?" he was asked. NO,
he replied Yesterday | found her on the pave
ment In Messina. picked her up and cared fof
her No one claimed her and could not abandon
her ! have had her in my arms ever since.
With this touching explanation the old man De
came obvious to his questoner and everything
around him.
The serapin brought into the port of Naples rec
ords of numberless tragedies Families separated;
mothers moaning and crying for their dead chlI'
dren; husbands and wives lost to each other, or
a sole survivor wishing that he had not been
spared There was one girl on board the steamer
her clothing tattered and torn, who had saved
canary bird She music hall singer ana
had clung to her pet throughout the terrible
scenes OF devastation The bird was the only
happy thing on board the vessel
one of the Messina doctors sleeping in
room on the third floor when the first shock came
and saved himself by gripping the roof OF
neighboring house.
A trryboat moored at one of the docks seemed
suddenly 10 be thrown high into the air. 1t landed
on top of the dock safely.
The nerves of the unfortunates were IN such
condition that at yhe least noise they were prone
to rush screaming from their rooms, seeking the
omen strss.s. Sisnor Brot. the mayor OF Brescia