Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-12
BROKER TELLS OF His
NARROW FSCAPFFROM
DEATH BY TEMBLOR
New Yorker Wintering in Los Angeles
Receives Communication Written
by Business Associate Describ-
ing Horrors at Messina

Thomas Randall Keator, a we'll
known New Yorker who is passing the
winter in Southern California, has re-
ceived from his brokers' office in New
York letter that describes in a thrill
ing manner the devastation of Messina
and the terrible loss of life caused by
the earthquake.
The letter is from Rufus Leavitt Of
the firm of Leavitt & Grant, brokers,
and was written the day after the
earthquake. By merest chance the
writer escaped death.
The letter follows:
HOTEL CAPPUCCINI, CONVENT
AMALFI, Dec. 80, 190S.-My Dear Ged-
des: Have had some fiercely close calls
in my life, but the one this week tops
the list. L sailed from Naples Decem-
ber 26 for Messina, Sicily, arriving
there the next morning, or the day of
the earthquake. After spending the
morning looking at the cathedrals and
principal monuments, and the weather
being rany, / decided to move on to
Taormina on the afternoon train. did
this by the merest chance, as the hotel
[ had lunched at, the Trenactor, had a
lot of uninteresting Americans there,
and Messina, outside of being situated
/ in a most beautiful location, with
charming climate, had little to attract
me. Had / not moved on at the time
did l would have been a thing of the
past, as not q, soul escaped from that
hotel. Arrived at Taormina, forty miles
from Messina, where [ put up at the
Hermit hotel, retiring early. About
in the morning was awakened by a
sound similar to that of an explosion
of a large gun, but did not think it
anything serious; turned over, and the
noise was repeated with more force,
followed by the building sinking badly,
so much so that the chairs in my room
all turned over, and it was then that L
was aware of something doing.
Every one was up In a moment, and
lost little time in getting into my
clothes, and feeling my way down the
stairs, still very dark, was soon in the
street. There everyone was in terrible
fear, though unconscious of what the
real cause was.
About an hour later we heard Mes
sina was in trouble and begging help
Immediately. The railroad tracks were
SO shaken up that it was impossible to
run a train, but about forty wagons,
with medicine, clothing, etc., started
for the city. I remained at my hotel
till reports began coming in about
o'clock telling of the terrible disaster.
Then decided to go over. After five
hour drive came upon a sight God for
Did my ever seeing again simply in
describable." We left the wagon about
three miles from Messina, the earth be-
ing so torn up that roads were impass-
able, and on every side we passed hun
dreds of dead. Those that were still
alive we did what we could for, but
having no medicine or in fact anything
but spades and some linen we could
do little more than remove them to
more comfortable place. Personally /
used up every piece of clothing L had
on, including my overcOat, with eXcep-
tion of pants and my coat, making BAN
dages.
It seemed that the dead were every
where, and the cries of the wounded
will never leave my ears. Palermo sent
train of men over with supplies,
which saved many lives, and the king
of Italy arrived by steamer the same
evening.
I remained till yesterday, when 1
came over to Naples with a boatload
of wounded, having worked from 3
o'clock Monday afternoon till nine last
evening without a thing to eat and wet
through most of the time. Am indeed
in luck, and only wish it was in my
power to help more. The suffering at
Messina is something horrible.
Endeavored to cable you from Sicily,
but the cable did not work, so had to
wait till my return to Naples this
morning. and trust you received my
CdD1S. w dS 81 CiIdIul0u Will AIuclII
that I returned there today to spend
New Years, after which I sail for
Gibraltar At this writing it is impos-
sible to tell the number of dead, but
it is enormous. 1 could write pages,
but am going to bed played out. Will
reserve the balance till my return; too
horrible to put in writing. To night l
shall certainly say my prayers and
thank God for my deliverance. Hope
everything is o. K. Yours, RUFUS.
P. S.-The Italians seem to have very
little reasoning power in such times as
these. They are a selfish, cold-blooded
lot, thinking only of themselves.