The sun., 1909-01-17
MESSINA SHAKEN ALL MIGHT
u. s. SAILORS FIND BODIES or
CONSUL CHENEY AND WIFE.
Five thousand, Victims Have Died since
Great Esrthquake-Itsiy shocked
by Failure Of AbruEu 70 Take Part
I'm Relief work-Lembross' study.

!" Heucf Vorh-ho"utvses Stuuy
Special Cable Dsspdtehes 10 TEE SUN.
RcME, Jan. i8.-Shocks continued at
Messina all through last night. There
was one rather violent tremor this MORN
ing which lasted several seconds.
The bodies Of Consul Cheney and Mrs.
Cheney were found yesterday afternoon
In the ruins OF the American Consulate
at Messina after the hardest kind OF work
by 200 bluejaokets from tho Illinois.
The Identification was complete. as the
bodies were In an excellent state Of preser-
vation. Death was no doubt instan taneous.
The bodies we're found in bed.
The battleehip Illinois was sent to
Messina TO recover the bodies. A party
of bluejackets was sent ashore to remove
the debris from the consulate. The
supply ship Culgoa will take the bodies
TO Naples to-day and arrangements will
be made to ship the remains to New
Hoven, DR.. Cheney's former home. The
Illinois has been ordered to Malta
The American reiief ship Bayern landed
at Palermo to-day her remaining pro-
visions and stores. Commander Belknap
PuiNhoocu oh ttiO eNdndOtO Hdlti OSbO5
from the North German Lloyd Steamship
Company and gave them To the hospitals
where 500 we're needed, as the refugees
were sleeping on the floors.
Admiral Mirabello. Minister OF Marine
and Rear-Admiral Sperry have arranged
for the distribution OF the Celtic's cargo
Of relief supplies. Naval Psymaster
MCGOWAN will assume charge OF the pro-
visions and stores In cooperation with
Lieut.. Branchini. who will represent
Admiral Mirabello. The supplies will be
landed wherever they may be found TO be
most needed.
A careful summary OF reports from
various points indicates that fully five
thousand victims OF the catastrophe have
died since the day OF the earthquake.
These include the injured taken to Naples,
Syracuse, Palermo. and Rome and inmates
Of the hospital ships at Messina and along
the Calabrisn coast. There Is no longer
a chance that any persons remain alive
in the ruins themselves within the de-
vsstated area, though rescues continued
until the nineteenth day.
The problem Of recovering bodies amid
the debris has not yet been underta
anywhere. The last few days have been
devoted. especially in Messina, to search
for the most valuable Of the many treas
ures known TO be within reach. Many
million dollars worth have already been
salvaged. especially priceless records,
and valuable. and works Of art
The situation has been improved sani-
tarily by cool weather and deluges Of
rain. which have made possible efforts
that otherwise would have been i'm
prac acticable,
The endeavors Of the Government to
force the survivors TO leave have been
only partly successful Some say they
would rather starve near their old homes
than 60 elsewhere as paupers A device
to smuggle away thousand from Mes
sina by inducing them TO 60 on board q
ship to receive food supplies and then
sailing Of proved too cruel for repetition.
II appears that some families were broken
up by this maneuvre and the resulting
grief on top OF the calamity was pitiful
The latest report OF an, attempt Of the
authorities TO mitigate the sanitary evils
by pumping disinfectAnts into the ruins
seems absurd in its utter futility to any
one who has seen the vast chaos to which
Messina has been reduced. 1t is now re-
garded as certain that a great majority
Of the many thousands OF undiscovered
dead lie under the masses OF ruins upon
the pavements. not in the debris Of DWELL
ings. Natures final oonvulsion came at
a moment when half the population Of the
city were in the streets fleeing for their
lives toward the few open spacee where
alone safety was possible.
The Duke Of the Abruzzi left Turin
to-day for Paris and London. where he
will make the final arrangements for his
Himala yam expedition. The attention
Of all Italy has been attracted for the
last few days by the conspicuous absence
Of the Duke from relief expeditions or
lists in connection with the
disaster, Public feeling on this subject
now finds expression in the newspapers.
The itd gives priminence to a Short
Letter to an Absentee The writer Of
the letter says:
Il don't know your address, Illus
trious Sir, hence this public letter to tell
you that many people in Italy are asking
where you are-at Turin. in the Palazzo
Cisterna or on board some battleship
belonging to that navy which despite
the fact that it sees you very rarely con-
siders you it's future commander In
chief' 1t seems you are somewhere
else.
Now the absence OF such a prominent
cannot naaa unnoticad in a
tragic moment for the history OF the
country just when two Of your cousins,
who never attempted TO reach the North
Pole and will never climb the Himalayas,
are nobly accomplishing their duty and
just when another OF your relations
older than yourself and your direct
superior, is giving a good account Of
himself
where then have you gone to hide
The undersigned. who besides
newspapers is an assiduous
reader Of them. has not had the pleasure
of finding your name in any OF the many
nor has he heard that |
you have offered either a small sum or
your work This is too bad, because YOU |
are not the only rich young man who |
has made a brilliant career. You not
only belong to a family which cannot
hide itself in a shadow. but you have
special duties toward your country
which your exploits have exalted. which
has praised you and expected something
better from you.
1T is said that you were disappointed |
n love and that you are preparing for a |