The sun., 1909-01-17

prodigies by systematic organization.
No food had been distributed 10 the
hungry survivors. The sailors volun-
teered to 60 on half rations to give food
TO the sufferers. One hundred thousand
pounds OF beef, the same quantity OF ship
biscuit and 10000 pounds Of coffee were
given out and the commander wirelessed
to Malta for more, which came the next
day. This was distributed in Reggie.
San Giovanni and Scylla. and then the
people complained IL was not the food
they were accustomed TO and they did not
like II. They clamored for spagetti and
DILL
San Giovanni was the most prosperous
Of the Calabrian towns which have dis
appeared. 1t contained ten large silk
mills, which comprised a fourishing in
dustry, the most successful and almost
the only largo industrial enterprise in tho
extreme south Of Italy. They are all
destroyed, Of course. and most OF the
operatives are dead. I noticed that one
tall chimney. which one would suppose
would be the first to 60, stood as sentinel
or monument above the metropolis which
nature had made. Here was the railway
ferry which transported trains from Rome
and even from Paris across TO Messina
en- route TO Palermo. 1t happened. by
the way, that one Of these boats had left
the slip at Messina about two minutes
before the disaster on Monday morning
She had proceeded about one hundred
yards when the CONFUSION seized her
She was first thrown up, then sucked
down until she struck violently on the
bottom OF the harbor. She rose again.
but holes had been torn in her hull and in
a few moments she sank.
MONEY LOSS BEYOND RECKONING.
have paid little attention to the sub
ject Of the pecuniary loss by this disaster.
1t may amount 10 $50 900, ,00o--perhaps
FIVE times that sum would be nearer the
truth. have not even attempted to
count the cities and villages which have
been destroyed in this large area All
are architecturally ruined. and they in
cluded population of more than 5000, 900
souls. l have seen myself twenty-five or
thirty towns and villages which are COM
pletely dismantled
made q short trip outside Of Messins
to get an impression Of the scars which
Nature herself might show, ! took the
precaution 10 60 armed. for the protection
Of martial law does not extend beyond the
city limits and the distracted and des-
perate population are scarcely amenable
10 the ordinary restrictions Of civilization.
We found no occasion for fear, however
the countryside was practically deserted
Evidence Of the great convusion upon
the face Of primitive nature was COM
paratively trihing The turf which is
lperennially green. and the stratum OF
soft soil beneath served as blanket 10
cover the forces Of destruction below.
Where the surface was hard or rocky there
were cracks and fssures, but there were
no yawning chasms or great upheavals.
l had no time 10 60 up into the hills, where
there are probably more striking evil
dences OF the titanic forces which had
been at work,
On the Calabrian coast it is more chao-
otic The landscape there is more rugged
and rocky. In Reggie itself, assures
20 feet wide have opened in the earth.
I imagine that the same thing will prove
| to be the case in one or two spots in Messina
also. noticed in one or two places where
large buildings had stood their ruins
had mysteruously disappeared. This was
true Of one Of the larger hotels. Its
remains were scarcely at asreater height
than the original level Of the site. One
ia driven to the conclusion that the earth
has swallowed them up,
THEORIES or THE SCIENTISTS.
! Already the men Of science are quarrel
ling among themselves as to the secret
Of natures processes which result In
these terrific manifestations. Flamma
rian declares that percolations from the
sea through the crust into the liquid fire
beneath generate high pressure steam
which rocks or tears asunder the surface
above He points as corroboration TO
the fact that one Of the assures at Reggie
spouted great volumes Of hot water,
several feet into the air for two days after
the earthquake. Others affirm that the
shrinkage OF the earth due TO the cooling
| process causes the grinding together
or collapse Of the joints or thin places in
! the crust.
The most interesting theory and the
one which adduces the most tangible
substantiation in the shape OF successful
prophecy is that held by Frank A. Perret.
about which / cabled something last
Sunday. He holds that astronomical
influences constitute the chief cause OF
earthquakes He has made horoscopes.
80 to speak. OF the dates Of all the great
seismic disturbances in history and he
says he finds that on almost every
occasion the globe has at such times
been under very unusual strains owing
to the position Of the sun, moon and
planets. II two or perhaps four OF the
earths more powerful celestial neghbors
happen TO be on exactly opposite sides
at the same time their strong powers OF
attraction tend TO draw the globe into
the shape of an ellipse. II soon after,
owing TO the revolution OF the earth or
other change of position, tho sano strain
is applied at right angles 10 the first
the disturbing effect upon the terrestrial
structure is multiplied. Mr.. Perret cal
culated in advance that this process would
occur during the month Of December
three successive times with greater power
than had happened for many years. He
tells ME that he published in the American
magazine Science more than a month
ago his conclusions that Sicily would
suffer grave seismic disturbance during
that month The reason he selected Sicily
as the seat OF trouble rather than the West
Indies or San Francisco was because Of
the direction OF the strain.
Mr.. Perret arrived at Genoa by steamer
from New York three days before the