The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-03

Rome. Jan. In an interview with
your correspondent, Marquis Serao, a
landed proprietor in Messina- who, with
his wife. has Just arrived here. said
We were awakened 10y the first shock.
Our first impulse was 10 rush 70 the
windows We found them blocked. and
so decided TO try the door. We lived on
the fourth floor, and we feared the stair
way had been destroyed However. We
decided 20 risk IL, and We hurried down,
and Immediately after il crumbled and
fell When we reached the street the
house collapsed I then realized that
my brother Charles. who married Miss
Hart. OF Troy. y. Y, was burned IN The
ruins with his wife We discovered them
and literally Unearthed them, as only
their heads wege free. We found their
granddaughter sufTocaJed-
Succeeding shocks shattered every
thing. We fed toward the beach. dressed
in our night gowns and begged some
sailors % row Us 20 the steamer Chesa-
peake. petroleum ship. bound for
Genoa. which. fearing FIRE. fastened its
departure We left the Chesapeake and
went aboard the British cruiser Minerva
where we were received through the kind
Offices or Ar LUpton. the American vice
consul who was indelatiEable In relief
work and in searching for Americans IN
the ruined city.
Not n Tourist Resort
Americans there, however, were few.
as Messina IS not frequented by tourists
The marquis said that no Americans
were residents there. except natUralizeG
Sicilians. who were mostly saloon-Eeep-
ers. Il Is unlikely that any Americans
were staying al the Hotel Trinacr.a.
AIr. Lupt0n, who was with the marquis
on the Minerva. did not mention any,
with the exception Of Consul Arthur 5
Cheney and his family, who perished-
The Minerva was transformed into a
hospital he continued. she was crowd
ed with injured people Some Of the
survivors refused medical aid. saying
that as they had lost everything they
might as well die Most of the steamers
az the port were either cargo boats or
tourist vessels. They were not fitted in
any way 70 provide for the enormous
influx Of injured. The Minerva was kept
were removed TO passenger steamers.
where the crews an passengers shared
their food and clothing with them
Marquis Sera0 returned 10 the shore
to search for survivors. The Italians.
ne SAYS. showed no cOWardiCe. but there
was mismanag cement and confusion.
Cries Of the Wounded.
Mr. Lupton lived on the Minerva for
two DAYS. when he vas ordered % Reg
gio. The marquis declares that the sight
Of the ruined and burning city. the
corpses, wreckage. and rubbish. is as
nothing compared 10 the cries Of the
wounded which are so dreadful, inhuman.
and piercing that those who heard them
can never forget them. The distribution
Of food was most difficult When boats
land provisions crowds Of survivors rush
them and assault the crews in attempts 10
steal the supplies.
Every boat was protected by squads OF
soldiers with loaded rifles. who threat
ened 10 FIRE upon the impatient crowds
Then when there was a semblance Of or
der the food would be distributed. Were
it not for the soldiers. It would be impOs-
sible 70 deal out the supplies. as the fam
ished survivors, maddened and savage,
and some with open knives In their
hands, were ready TO fight for food.
The marquis declares that absolutely
nothing was done al MeSSina the first
two DAYS after the earthquake Hence
the great mortality. Out Of 1900 soldiers
in one barrack only six were found liv-
ing. A majority Of the others had died
Of starvation and cold