Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-01-01
A HUNDRED
THOUSAND
Are dead
Earthquake Horror Is
Growing Hourly
MANY CITIES IN RUINS
Survivors Suffer From Lack Of
Food and Clothing
FEARS OF GREAT PESTILENCE
All Civilized Nations Are Hast
ening to Offer Aid

Rome, Dec. 30.-One hundred
thousand dead; Messina, in Sicily,
and Reggie and score of other towns
In southern Italy overwhelmed; the
entire Calabrian region laid waste.
This is the earthquakes record so
far as is at present known from the
reports that are coming slowly into
Rome on account of the almost COM
plete destruction of lines of communi-
cation to the stricken places.
The death list in Messina ranges
from IL 900 to so, 900; that of Reg
gio, which with it's adjacent villages
numbered As, 900 people, includes al
most the entire population. At
Palmi 1000 are reported; at Cassano
1000, at Cosenza 500; and half of the
population of Bagbara, about 1000.
The Monteleone region has been
devastated, and Riposto, Seminara,
San Giovanni, Scilla, Lazzaro and
Cannitello and all other communes
and villages bordering on the Straits,
are in ruins.
The king and queen of Italy are
now on their way to Messina, having
sailed last night from Naples aboard
the battleship Vittorio Emmanuel.
The pope has shown the greatest dis
tress at the calamity, and he himself
was the first TO contribute, sum
amounting to 5000, 900. to the relief of
the afflicted.
Warships to the Rescue
British, French and Russian war
ships are steaming towards the south
and already several of the ships of
Sicily. Officers and men of these
ships have performed heroic services
n the work of rescue.
1t is feared that many foreigners
have been killed, as a number were at
hotels at Messina and doubtless at
tourists. Little is known of the fate
Of the diplomatic representatives of
the foreign powers stationed at these
posts, although the Italian govern
nent is using every effort to relieve
he anxiety felt on their account.
|
There is the gravest danger that a
pestilence will follow the destruction
Of the towns where, on account of the
vast havoc wrought, bodies will lie
lnburied for days and weeks. Those
who escaped death, many of whom
are badly injured, are making their
way by the thousands to the nearest
place of refuge. Their sufferings
even now must be intense, as they
ire without food or clothing.
Latest reports. received here state
hat 1000 soldiers in the various bar
racks at Messina were buried under
he ruins. The rock of Charybdis
now blocks the entrance to the Strait
Of Messina. The tidal wave wrecked
The lighthouses in the Strait, includ-
ng Faro beacon, and they crashed
INTO the sea.
The loss of life on both sides of the
strait and in eastern Sicily was enor-
nous. One of the refugees from Reg
gio, who was the first to bring the
news of the city's destruction, tried
% make his way to Sicily in a sail
boat, but was compelled to return
and finally found safety at a peninsula
port. In describing his experience, he
said:
Sea MysterlousIy Agltated
1.-THE sea was strangely, mysteri-
Dusly agitated, and the heavens were
lblaze. Nearing Sicily, the clearing
| I'M ol,a ravaa1ad tho rnvctarx. AGo.oi-.
was in flames. In the frenzy of de-
Ipair l turned my boat back to Gala
sria."
Starving, bleeding from injuries
Ind almost insane from their terrify-
ing experiences, Messina's survivors
ire fleeing in all directions. The
Ipectacle presented by the ruined sea-
port is described as terrifying
rumbling buildings both killed and
mutilated the victims, while hun
lreds of the injured, Imprisoned In
The wreckage, were abandoned to
heir fate by the fleeing populace
One of those who escaped said:
People and Houses Twisted
1.-THE earth seemed suddenly t.
arop and then turn violently on Its
axis. The whole population, who
| practically were precipitated from the
houses rent in twain, were spur
| round like tops as they ran through
he streets. Many fell crushed tt
| death. and others, bewildered, tool
| refuge for breath beside the totter-
| Ing walls, where they soon met the
fate of their companions.