The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-01-04
Nv ?. MARION CRAWFORD.

= WAHiON AhAWf QhD.
LONDON, Jan, A~F. Marion
Crawford the novelist cables from
uals vivid story Of the destroyed
city Of Meesina. which he obtained
from his soninlaw who returned
% villa Crawford after spending
tive days and hair Ia the ruined
city.
Crawford SAYS he tells the STORY
IN the words OF his soninlaw as
follows
III heiun impossible % reach
Messina by Ordinary means. l sue.
ceefad Ia getting passage as
atowAwAs aboard q small steamer
On Tuesday evening and reached
Measlna the following morning at
$50 o'clock, TO my surprise the
lighthouse al Faro. on the strait.
waN stlll standing. a. well a. the
iishlng huts az its base. and the
first impression Was that the news
81 the earthquake had heen greatly
cxegNegated but As We advanced
Va soon came Ia sight OF thu awful
truth.
Black Smoke Over Ruins
"A dense black smoke arose In
columns from the vast ruins and
was gently blown toward us BY the
mnrnlnS hreeae As we drew near.
or we san that thu fine buildings
on the magnificent curved espla.
made. thAt we're such a feature ~
the water front. we're all either
crmpletciy destroyed or else rent
down hair their height Along the
shore a compact crowd OF people
swsyed and wrlghed. while a
strange howl ~ voices. scarcely
human. reached our cara. Il was
the howl Of the people who were
ALREADY mad with terror and cry
Ina FOR help. even for water.
Refused Landing.
A steam launch from a man,of.
war approached ua with peremp.
tory orders to land no one on pain
Of death. which was no mere threat.
Our captain. however. asked per.
mission for himself alone 20 land.
He lowered boat laden with pro
visions and handaees for the wound,
Cd. and the captain and six seAmen
got Into a. Regardless of their pro.
teetn. let myself down by a line
hand over hand and dropped into
the boat The eapsala would have
forced me 70 return. bot the aeamen
were already pulling Justify 70 the
shors. When forty yards from
shore. every man % the crcw
1nmped overheard and swan ashore,
all mad With anxiety for their farm
flies. ! then took one oar aud the
captain another. and We pulled for
the shore
Crowd Seize Bread.
Instantly the crowd sprang on
tbs boat % seize the bread Sc had
bronght We we're thrown down
and trodden under foot BY the fam.
fshed men. bat soon struggling 10
car feet. We FASTENED toward the
ruins of the city
AT every step the ground was
stFswn with bodies and fragments
o. bodies. The air vas fillea with
osse Ions moaning. which sometimes
nixhad out from beneath the ruina.
where thousands stu lie buried
alive. bat which was constantly
swollen bF the cries o. the wounded
and dying in countless narrow
streets
Burn Dead and Alive
~Everywhere fires burned sieadi.
~ among the ruins. consuming the
dead and living together With the
utmost difficulty reached the ruins
of thu Hotel TrinacrIa. Of which
the front vas standing This was
IT f:50 Thursday A Eang OF Rus.
aisn senmen was working with
splendid courage to bring out those
buried alive IN the hotel suddenly
the ground rocked under oar feet.
the front Uafi 81 the hotel trembled
ana then fell In one mass upon the
devoted sailors. throwing them a.
q man
by some miracle not stone
tourhsd me. and the panic-stftcken
crowd swept RE on the Via Maxaini
which was choked with dead.
wounded ard dying. Here many
Italian surgeons were working Ike
mad men 10 save such lives 81 they
could. where every convenience was
lacking
plsiful Scenes
Il remember the exagperased cry
Of one aarHeon shouting for water
IN which 70 dissolve corrosive sub
Innate. but not a soul helped him.
while be bent over the body of a
poor wretch who had lost both legs.
"Then suddenly. q man ] knew
was upon me. impioriDg me % help
him excavate his family from the
ruins Of HIS house. For two hours
We sought the place In the heart Of
the burning. crumbling city. We
found the smoldeFsng ruin. ont 81
which came low and trembling cries
for help.
In a voice that nothing car de.
scribe. my friend called 70 his faith
or and mother. and from beneath
the crumbilng walls came back the
call. '0lancomino. my son. save usl
Ny poor friend threw himself Ike
q madman upon the wrecked ma.
sonry, trying 70 tear Il away with
his hands
4 cried out for help. but We were
completely alone. / then seized .
halfcharred bit OF timber and
thrust Il into the hole whence the
sound came and tried 70 move the
stones. bat 60 my horror. screams
OF pain came back as II | had un.
Willingly wounded some unhappy
person. but ! had no time 70
think. for suddenly a horde Of half
mad refugees filled the lonely
street and carried me on 70 the
railway station.
Money No Value.
Suddenly ! was face % face
with An officer who was shouting