Semi-weekly herald., 1909-01-07
Earthquake News

NEW YORK. Jan. 4.-News from
italy up to this morning continues L
Dc most lamentable 1t can be thu!
be summarized that yesterday morning
the entire population OF Pellario wa,
hurled into the sea by big new quake
The injured went downward without
struggle. Battles with the pillagers
continue. Six Russian sailors were
shot by robbers and sixteen criminals
SIAM A violent earthquake has caus.
ed the eruption of Stromboli Ambas.
sador Griscom has chartered steam.
er and will supply 1t with doctors.
nurses and air provisions needed to aid
the sufferers. The Red Cross has ca.
fled him s150,0OO for the work. Amer.
Aican philanthropy far exceeds that of
Why other nation. Italy has sent
thanks to the United States through
her ambassador at Washington. The
king and queen have returned To
Rome. Roosevelt today will ask con.
sress for 100000 to relieve the quake
sufferers. The ships Culgoa and Yank.
ton have been detached from the
American battleship fleet and are be.
ing rushed to the stricken zone with
vast quantities OF supplies.
REGGlO, Jan. 4.-The detachment of
troops which was sent to the villages
on the east coast of Calabria found
nothing but ruins and bodies of per.
sons who were killed in the earth.
quake. The survivors had fled
There is every reason to believe that
dreadful havoc was wrought in the
mountain villages that have not vet
been explored. A convotee with
1000 rations of bread, which was 20
ing through Bagnara, was rifled en-
routs by famished persons here. A
number of small boats, all overloaded
were put out into the channel to re-
quest food OF incoming steamers
which the officers Of the vessels were
scompelled to refused them. Several of
the small crafts capsized and a mum.
ber OF persons were drowned.
MESSINA. Jan. AT Nivza, be-
tNeen Messina and Catania, a freight
train today ran into and telescoped
relief train crowded with Injured per.
sons. five of whom were killed.
Messina, the destroyed city of 81.
cily, was the chief commercial town
of the island and during the 2,7OO
years since II was founded has passed
through many yicissitudps II bod ona
OF the finest harbors in the world, and |
ranked fourth among Italian cities in |
the extent of its commerce. Messina |
is said to have been originally founded |
ed by PIRATES in the year 730 B. c. |
II has been the scene of war and fear |
ful carnage, of plaques and disaster |
In 1740 thousands of its population
died from plague, thousands were kill |
ed in the earthquake of 1888 and in
1854 cholera carried away 10000 of its |
inhabitants. In connection with the |
terrible catastrophe which has over |
taken Italy, the newspapers of the |
coufyy are now reproducing prophe. |
cy made few days before the cata-
clysm of Matilde Serao of Naples and |
published at that time in a Naples |
newspaper. She did not predict the |
>eSact disaster, but declared that some |
day Mount Vesuvius would belch forth |
death and destroy the city of Naples. |
DIR. Arthur C. Cheney, American con |
sui at Messina. who is reckoned among |
the victims of the calamity, is native !
of Illinois, but was appointed to the |
post from Connecticut in 1907. He
previously served in Bohemia, and his |
wife was Bohemian girl.
MESSINA, Jan. 5.-Earthquake |
shocks are continuing here, although |
they are diminishing in intensity. st
night, especially, they are frequently |
felt. Fires in the city are also being
gradually extinguished. Thirty thou |
sand rations were distributed yester-
day, and as many today. Official fig |
ufes compiled thus far show that a.
900 bodies have been buried in Tie |
four cemeteries. That 5000 refugees
have left the city and that 5000 per
sons still remain here. Instead OF ex |
cavating in an endeayor to find The
S,odies buried beneath the ruins, It is
proposed that every house in which |
It is believed persons are buried shall
be covered with quicklime.
MESSINA, Jan. 5.-Entombed for
eight days under the ruins OF their
own homes. suffering untold tortures
from hunger and thirst and from their
wounds, scores Of hapless human be
ings are still alive in Messina and Reg
gio. Their agonized shrieks and means,
growing fainter each day, still ring in
the ears of rescuers in the streets.