Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-05
OUR FLAG AMID RUINS
Raised by Vice Consul Lupton
After First Shock.
HIS OWN NARROW ESCAPE
Hunted Half Naked in Debris for
Missing Americans.
ENGLISH CHAPLAIN'S SAD FATE
Frenzied Efforts to Save Him and
His Family Given Up in
Despair.
HIS OWN NARROW ESCAPE
ENGLISH CHAPLAIN's SAD FATE

MESSINA, January 5-The home of Mr.
Cheney, the American consul was crum-
bled in the first shock and it's inmates
almost inextricably buried beneath the
ruins
Stuart X. Lupton, the American vice
consul. was in his room at the Hotel
Vittoria when the building was demolish-
ed. His escape was a miraculous one.
Wearing only his trousers and carrying
his shoes and his overcoat in his hands.
he CROPPED his way along the quay knee
deep in water toward the American con-
sulate. On the way he met a woman
and a man, both naked, and instinctively
laid his overcoat over the shoulders of
the woman. Clambering over the ruins
Of the consulate, he became conscious of
the fact that his feet were bruised and
bleeding. Then he wondered why he had
carried his shoes In his hand. He con-
tinued in state of bewilderment until
he had established himself on a British
ship In the harbor. Later he again came
ashore and raised the American flag over
the new consulate in a damaged but one
of the few remaining buildings in the
outskirts of the city. Then Mr.. Lupton
began an Industrious search for Ameri
cans.
hOCel LlSC round.
All of the Americans who have not
been heard from may be considered safe.
Probably all are in the south of Sicily.
Those who are known to have suffered
from the earthquake have been reported
The telegraph and telephone wires have
been placed at the service of the govern
ment and personal messages will be de-
layed indefinitely.
<ol
found amid the ruins of the Hotel Wit
toria the blackboard with the full list
of the guests Of the hotel clearly written
upon 1T on the night of the disaster. 1t
bore. besides the name of Mr.. Lupton,
only two other English names-those of
British subjects. The disaster was dis
tinctly an Italian one, except for the
American. French. Turkish and Swedish
consuls. the British chaplain and few
German shipping clerks.
Family's Pathetic Death.
The work of rescue at the home in
Messina of the British Chaplain Hulatt-
or. to be more exact. the piles of ruins
which had been his house-was most
pathetic. The rescue party through heroic
efforts had succeeded Saturday. January
2, in reaching a portion of the ruins from
under which came groans, indicating that
been a house were yet living. This fact
infused fresh vigor into the men, and
they worked heroically; but although they
continued in their efforts until late into
the night, no success rewarded them.
Work was resumed at daybreak Sum
day. when the men fell to their task
with vim, feeling certain that Mr..
Hulatt, his wife and four children were
alive beneath the debris. Only one voice
was heard now, and that seemingly in
lamentation. Still the rescuers, among
whom were a number of sailors per-
severed. Evening fell, and at STA pm.
there was another distinct shock OF earth
quake, which rendered the situation to
those who were endeavoring to give sue
cor extremely dangerous. as the tottering
walls about them threatened momentarily
to collapse and bury them with the vic
Tins already there The sailors. how
ever. forgetful of the danger, continued
their task, refusing to be denied the
chance of rescue, and their persistence
was soon rewarded for they found the
bodies of Mr.. Hulatt and one child lying
in bed, both dead The bodies were badly
crushed. and it seemed as though death
had been instantaneous. Undeterred by
this gruesome find, the men kept hard at
work until finally the groans beneath the
twisted ruins ceased and they were con-
vinced that the entire family had perish
ed. Then the men quit work.