Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-01-06
All South Portion
/ of Italy Victim
of Disaster
Thousands Home
less, Killed or
Injured
Inhabitants Flee
From Homes to
The Open

Of CoSenZa, CatanZaro and Reggie dl
Calabria, comprising the department
of Calabria, which forms the south
western extremity of Italy or the toe
of the Boot" were devastated yester-
day by an earthquake, the far reach
ing effects of which were felt almost
throughout the entire country. Mes
sinas Sicily, was partially destroyed
and Catania inundated. In Messina
hundreds of houses have fallen and
many persons have been killed. Owing,
however, to the fact that Geographic
and telephone communication is al
most completely destroyed, it is impos-
sibie to obtain even an approximate
idea of the vast damage done
The fate of the entire region within
the zone of the earthquake is un-
known, but reports received here up to
a late hour last night indicate that the
havoc has been great and destruction
of life and property more terrible
than Italy has experienced in many
years.
All reports show that the present
catastrophe embraces a larger area
than the earthquake of 1905. The
tidal wave which followed the earth
quake shocks on the eastern coast of
Sicily sunk vessels and inundated the
lower part of Catania 1t is known
that number of people were killed at
that place, but the rushing waters car
ried everything before them and
sion that it will be impossible for
some time to estimate the damage and
lives lost.
For period, Messina and the whole
province of Reggie were completely
isolated through the Interruptions tc
telegraph and telephone, and the land
sides that INSTRUCTED the railways
Absolutely nothing was heard from
Reggfo throughout the day, while the
first news that came from Messina
came in the form of a dispatch which
torpedo boat, flying at full speed
along the coast of the peninsula, car
ried from point to point, always find
ing wires down until it reached Nico
terra. where the telegraph lines were
found intact. From this point the dis
patch was sent. 1t briefly stated that
the situation was desperate, and after
summarfzin the immensely of the ca
tastrophe. ended with the announce
meHs that Captain PASSING, command
Ser OF the local station. of torpedo
boats. was buried under debris after
having. with other officials, performed
heroic work trying to save others
The Italian government is concentrat
ing at points of greatest need troops
and engineers. Members of the Red
Cross were dispatched to various
places and camps with provisions
were Immediately prepared. all avail
able railway lines and warships being
use6 for their transport.
Two-thirds of Messina Destroyed.
Messina has suffered probably more
: than any other place, the latest infor
NATION coming directly from that
quarter being that two-thirds of the
town is destroyed and several thou
sand persons killed. The steamers
Washington and Monticello, which
were in that harbor, later proceeded
TO Catania, loaded with the injured
who were so stupefied by terror that
they seemed unable to realize what
had happened. simply saying that II
locked as though the end of the world
haS come.
Five steamers left Catania for Mes
siRa to assist in removing the injured
fron that place who are reported to
number thousands.
At Catania a panic stricken people
fearing new shocks, absolutely re
fused to reenter their houses and are
camping on the squares, which are
tree from water. and the surrounding
country.
Five Hundred Boats Sunk.
The tidal wave sunk five hundred
besos there and did great damage tc
several large vessels and steamers
fnognaing the Austrian steamer Buda