The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-05

Naples. Jan. 4-The United states gun
boat Scorpion. from Messina January 3.
brings news that the work OF rescuing
living victims from the ruins is almost
finished About forty a day ara being
dug out
one or two were found IN remarkably
good condition. considering that they had
been without food for six days. An oc-
casionaI cry OF moan is heard from under
the rains, and every effort Is being made
to reach The sufferers before Hfe becomes
extinct
Little attention has yet been paid 70
the dead Scores OF corpses are visible,
but no effort VIII be made 10 remove
them as long as it may seem possible TO
save the living. i would be impossible
20 bury the tens OF thousands OF dead
Hundreds OF corpses have been shipped
out TO sea and thrown overheard as the
only way 20 avoid pestilence-
The disposal OF the dead must be be
gun systematically as soon as the living
have been succored- Several light shocks
occurred yesterday. the motion seeming
to be vertical
Strom5oH IS becoming more active. Yes
terday. as your correspondent went
aboard the battle ship Umberto, Etna
was also dischargiEg great clouds Of
smoke
Vesuvius Is Quiet.
Mount -Vesuvlus is almost ouiescent
The Scorpion arrived from CONSTANT
nople Saturday afternoon and probably
VIII take Ambassador Griscom to Messina
on Tuesday from Naples and cooperate
with the authorities in investigating the
ruins Of the American consulate ard
recovering the body Of Consul Cheney
and other American victims.
Even now the aspect OF Messina from
the sea is not as bad as that Of the op-
posite towns on the Calabrian coast One
curious effect of the earthquake was 10
leave an imposing. facade on the sea front
almost a mile Ing, with only a fe~
i.breaks. The effect Is like a piece Of stage
scenery. Nothing remains behind the
I front walls. columns. and parapet.
Fits Out Relief Ship.
Rome. Jan. 4-Ambassador Griscom has
! received $1,000 from citizens Of PhIlsdeI-
/ phia. He. not having heard from Amer
( ica. has himself undertaken the response
billy OF guaranteeing the $4,000 needed
/ for the fitting out of the relief ship ne in
tends 10 dispatch. He IS convinced that
the Americans Will respond to his appeal
/ for the funds necessary for the sending
Of this expedition
/ A royal decree was issued tonight pIac-
I Ing the Messiua and Reggio districts in a
state Of siege. which IS stricter than mar
tial law. Gen. Mszza, commander OF the
/ Palermo garrison, Is placed in supreme
/ command
Admiral Mirabeilo. minister OF marine
is quoted as saying that Queen Helena
/ refused medical attendance the other day
after she was feIIed while trying to check
a panic among the injured in a temporary
hospital at Messina- A woman struck
her violently in the chest, knocking her
down. Admiral Mirabello added: 'T can
not tell what her injuries were I only
/ know that the court doctor was compelled
to administer sleeping draughts when her
majesty returned exhausted at night af-
( ter her day Of administering 70 the dy-
ii1s7
Soldiers Zeal Too Great.
London. Jan. 5.-The Telegraph prints
/ a dispatch from Messina, dated January
.. which says that the confusion there
/ has attained a degree OF evaporation and
/ frenzy and. it must be added. Of truly
Italian folly. the folly Of zeal Nobody
can wander among the ruins without
risk Of being summarily shot One must
have a safe conduct, showing ones
status and mission.
I The correspondent relates how he
showed his safe conduct, signed BY Gen.
/ Mazza. TO a soldier. who refused to rec
! ognize the signature because the stamp
OF the military division was missing.
and he implies that he only ESCAPED
summary shooting by the fortunate ar
rival Of an officer Of his acquaintance.
Naples, Jan 4-F. A Perret. assistant
director Of the Mount Vesuvius Observa-
tory. arrived at Genoa from New York.
A week before the disaster in Sicily and
/ Calabria be estimated from the as
Economical conditions during December
Continued on Page 3, Column q.