The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-01
GREAT PROBLEM OF PREsE RvlNe
LIVES OF SURVIVORS cox.
FRONTS ITALY.
SOME PLACE DEAD AT 900, 600
Group Of islands Near Sicily Reported
to Have Disappeared--Anarehy
Prevails in Devastated
Districts.

overwhelming-hgu would add moth.
ing to the grief of the stricken nation,
nor move to greater efforts those upon
whom the work Of relief and rescue
has fallen.
Every channel open TO the govern
ment has been utilized to this end. and
other nations have been quick to come
TO its assistance, even before the cry
for aid went up Shiploads Of fugi
tives have been carried out of the
stricken zone to Naples, Palermo. Cata.
MIA and other ports. and according to
the minister of marine. rescue vessels
to the number OF 80 are now Centered
In the Strait of Messina and 5000 sol,
diers are being landed on the two
coasts
Most important Of all now is the
question OF the living. Thousands of
those who escaped the falling walls
and the sweep Of the tide are starving
and without clothes or shelter They
can scarcely long survive their suffer
ings. The first thought has been to
carry food and covering for these help.
less people, and It has now been de
cided by the government to send a
feet OF emigrant steamers to transport
them to other places.
The latest reports received at Rome
state that there have been many in.
termittent shocks following the first
to which the greater part Of the de-
structlon is attributed. The British
warship Minerva reported by wireless
TO Malta that two severe shocks oC-
CURED at Messina Thursday night
Prof. Riccio, director of the observa-
tory at Mount Etna, states that his in
struments have recorded AZ distinct
shocks after the first, but that during
the last IA hours they have been al
most motio1less. Etna and Stromboll
are now qdiet, and he is certain that
the earthquake was not of volcanic but
geological origin, similar to that of
1856.
YLloyd O. Griscom, the American am.
ybassador, will leave here Friday and
will proceed to Messina and other
places In the south on an Italian war
ship In search of information concern
ing missing American travellers 1t
has been found impossible to obtain
tidings OF the hundreds OF foreigners
supposed to have been in the zone,
about whom inquiries have been made
TO the government and the various EN-
bassies.
The horror OF the situation at Mes
sina and Reggie grows with every
fresh dispatch. One of the correspon-
dents places the death roll through
out the entire territory as high as S00-
900, but this appears TO be extreme
Others make their outside estimate
100000, but the official estimate as
made by the minister of marine still
holds to $4,000.
Relief expeditions which have been
making their way to Reggie have en-
eountered distractions all along the
route. They report Is provincial vii
lagos beside those already mentioned
IN Calabria as having been completely
ruined This would indicate that the
earthquake did not confine its work of
havoc to the coast. What has become
MOI, she Inhabitants Of these villages is
not known. Those that were left alive
after the destruction of their homes
doubtless Joined the great army of
refugees seeking safety, or have fallen
by the wayside.
The Calabrian coast for 30 miles has
been torn and twisted. From Bagnara
TO Reggie, a distance of 25 miles, the
country is half demolished. Assistance
has reached but few OF the villages and
they are practically without supplies Of
any kind. At Bagnara surgical opera
tions are being performed with prun-
ing knives, but at Reggie even that Is
impossible. Bands of thieves infest
the country and the despair of the un-
aided villages Is complete. Hunger
supplies the motive for scenes of
shocking violence and pillagers and
robbers defy the few surviving police
men and sOlliers.
A wireless message from the Strait
81 Messina reports that the Lipari
Islands, group Of volcanic Islands In
the Mediterranean, near the coast OF
Sicily, have disappeared, The total
population OF the group numbers 2S,-
900. and must evidently have perished.
The minister of marine has rushed a
torpedo boat 10 ascertain the facts.
Reggie, via Catania, Jan. LA state
OF most frightful anarchy prevails.
Mobs Of rufiians roam among the ruins
giving full vent to their yilest instincts.
They are pillaging the wrecked jewelry
stores and banks and do not hesitate
10 shed the blood OF those opposing
them A few soldiers who escaped un.
hurt have been impelled by an admir-.
n. able spirit Of discipline to organize
patrols on their own initiative. Tney
are endeayoring TO protect the prop
erty left intact, but the criminals fight
against them tooth and nail. The mum.
bers OF these criminals have increased
10 such an extent that the soldiers
have on several occasions been forced
TO open fire on them
Il was only after pitched battle in
which several were shot and killed
tina q semblance Of order was re-