The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-01-08
Typhus and Typhoid
Follow Shock Ruin.
NEED FOR DOCTORS
Nurses and Hospital Sup
plies Also Inadequate.
RELIEF Is BADLY ORGANIZED.

Americans on the Scene Are Amazed
at the Incapacity of the italian OFF,
cials to Make Effective Use of the
Millions of Money Pouring In From
the Charitably Disposed People of
Many Nations - Three Battieships
and a Cruiser of Admiral Sperry's
Fleet Are Now on the Way With
Medical Supplies, Doctors and Pro-
visions.
Rome. Jan. 6.-In spite of the glow
ing accounts given out by the Italian
authorities here as to earthquake re-
lief. reports from Messina, Palmi and
Reggie today show that the situation
in the ruined cities is appalling.
Typhus and typhoid have become
epidemic, and the number Of cases is
so great that the staff Of doctors and
nurses is inadequate to cope with
them.
Hospital supplies, disinfectants and
provisions are not sent in sufficient
quantity owing to the deplorable lack
of organization ON the part of the med
ical and health authorities.
Americans here and in Messina are
amazed at the incapacity of the italian
officials to rise to the emergency. With
millions of money at their disposal,
sent by sympathetic givers from the
United States, England and France, it
seems utterly impossible to get sup
plies where they are most needed.
Large numbers of victims who
ought to have been saved died of hun
ger cold and neglect owing to the con-
fusion. Much valuable time was lost,
and the authorities overlooked many
small villages in Calabria and Sicily,
which remained for days unaided
while the Inhabitants starved. Even
cities to which the survivors were con.
veyed, such as Rome, are suffering
from disorganization.
Handicapped by low supplies, the au.
thorities in the stricken cities fear
that the epidemic will get beyond their
control. 1t is even a greater menace
than starvation. "Send supplies Is
still the appeal.
Hundreds have died of hunger.
Thousands have died of their injuries
before aid could reach them. Fully
$4,000 who were trapped alive in the
ruins have burned or succumbed to
wounds.
Temporary barracks will be erected
outside of Reggie within the next few
days. Material will be taken from the
ruins.
The director of the Reggie gymna-
SUM, who arrived here, says that the
rescuers We're forced to fight for their
lives not only against ghouls, but
against savage dogs, cats and pigs,
which fought with the ferocity of wild
beasts.
Robbers unhesitatingly knitted the
rescuers, and the fighting often reach
ed the proportions of battle.
Earth shocks are continuing at Mes
sina and Reggie. There were several
at the latter place, which occurred at
intervals of twenty minutes. One
shook down many walls.
Instead of excavating in an en-
deavor to find the bodies buried be-
meath the ruins 1t has been proposed
that every house in which it is be-
lieved persons are buried shall be COW
cred with quicklime.
The horrors of the sanitary condi-
ticns in Messina are unspeakable, and
only the toughest of surgical attention
Is possible.
In one hospital there are 400 wound
ed persons, without single nurse.
The piteous cries of the distressed
persons for water were unheeded be-
cause Of the lack of attendants, and
several of them died.
The work of rescue is being pushed,
and even now persons alive are occa-
sionally dug out from the ruins. An
old woman was released from the
wreckage of the Church of San Fran
cisco. She did not seem to realize that
she had been buried for so many days.
She explained that she thought she
was entombed in the church after hav-
Ing died a natural death and that she
was living in the hereafter.
The prompt dispatch Of the Ameri-
can battleships, with the feet COM
mander Rear Admiral Sperry, to ofrer