The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31
SICILIANS IN TERROR
IF ETNA'S ERUPTIONS
They Fear Recent Earthquake
Mas Forcrunner Of Greater
Disaster.
DESOLATION WIDESPREAD
American Government Extends
sympathy, and Aid Is
Offered.
Special Correspondence TO TIVE Sun

nearly 1900 feet from summit to base.
covering about 400 square miles and
being nearly 90 miles In circumfer.
forests. Gradually these forests dlsap-
peared They were partly obliterated by
lava streams and partly by man.
Settlement and cultivation advanced UP
the sides OF the volcano. While In ancient
times the inhabitants abandoned the dis
trict. driven away by the violent out
breaks OF Etna. the extraordinary fertn-
ny OF the volcanic soil rendered the region
tho most densely populated In the world.
Chestnut trees and pears were planted
TO break the hardened lava, terraces were
built for the vineyards. roads were cut,
and with great difficulty and hard and
long toll the soil was cultivated. The
olive. the orange and the lemon replaced
the oaks and other trees and the district
became essentially agricultural. while the
inhabited area increased.
Naturally villages and hamlets sprang
up A church dedicated to a patron saint
TO protect the villagers from the fury OF
the volcano and a cluster OF low, badly
northeastern slope Of Etna from Zaffe-
rama, the highest village on the slope OF
the volcano, down to Giarre and
Acireaie the population Is estimated at
about 1000 Inhabitants to the square
mile.
And yet during the last twenty years
more than thirty earthquakes due TO the
reawakenlng activity of the volcano have
occurred, and seven were catastrophe
Again ard again villages have been de-
stroyed. with loss of life. The peasants.
however. rebuilt their houses and re-
turned to cultivate the land. Their houses
were likely TO fall down at any moment
In fact n Sicilian peasant knows too well
that his house may be his grave-but the
land IL fertile and II is worth while to
risk death in order to live. Life Is n
struggle to a Sclian peasant, Dire
poverty and saualid surroundings are
inevitable. but II the soil is fertile ana
yields we'll the work Is less hard.
Active for Centuries.
An earthquake or an eruption Is
periodical event in the neighborhood OF a
volcano, particularly In the case OF Etna.
which has been active since prehistoric
times Seismologsts nowadays attempt
TO predict the periods OF volcanic activity.
They measure the intensity OF earth
ouakes and ascertain their origin. but the
havoc wrought and the loss OF life when
region is overwhelmed continue the
same as In the remote times when Etna
was thought to be the force OF Vulcan.
A description OF an earthquake or an
eruption IL always inadequate to convey
an idea OF Its awfulness. Even eyewit-
neses are so stunned and paralyzed with
terror that their accounts are not trust
worthy. Panic kills the human VIII, anu
man like an animal when terrorstricken
seeks safety in flight. The instinct TO es-
cape from imminent danger Is the only
impulse felt and during the great Messlna
earthquake as we'll as during that which
a few days ago devastated the northeast
ern slopes OF Etna the comman Impulse
was fight.
The 10000 Inhabitants Of Linera. Blon-
g,ardo, Santa Maria della Catena, Passo-
pomo, Cosentino and many other villages
and hamets al we'll as OF numerous $50
lated rarmhouses scattered within n area
about four kilometers long and a kllo-
meter wide had been warned OF the Inn
pend disaster of May shortly before
sunset The great volcano looming IN the
background had shown signs of activity
since exactly a month before. Napors
had issued from Its crater. ominous rum
bllngs had been heard on, calm. still nights
and earthquake shocks, generally slight
but sufficient to cause a panic. had been
relt In many towns and villages around
the base OF the mountain.
Every peasant knew that the volcano
was awakening. and despite the fact that
tne MESSAGES from IHt "hN'S
the intensity OF the shocks was being
measured had been reassuring an erup-
ton. preceded as usual by earthquakes
was feared.
Yet no precautions were taken. None
IN fact is effective against an eruption or
an earthquake. The Sicilian peasants
may have prayed to their patron saints
with Increased fervor and hoped that
through their intercess!on the houses,
built of loose stones and rubble without
mortar would resist the earthquake or
that tho earthquake would not surprise
them in their Sleep but beyond prayer no
precautions were taken.
Fatal Day Arrives.
Then the fatal day arrived. II dawned
the same as any ordinary day In Sicily.
and TO the peasants all days are alike and
spent IN the same way. The men went
out TO work IN the fields. vineyards, or
chards and groves, while the sun shone
and the scent Of orange flowers perfumed
the air. The day had all but passed and
tho sun was setting. The singing OF the
farmers at work In the country was no
longer heard as they were returning
home The children still played In the
s'rss's and roads and the women with
their t~bies beside them were cooking the
evening meal The parish priest or Llnera
was hearing confessions In the village
church. where few old women were
praying. The stiffness that precedes the
night the growing shadows as the sun
disappeared below the horizon and the
smoke from the chmneys OF the houses
everything seemed the same as usual.
Then the earthquake occurred. 1t lasted
iess than half minute, not quite thirty
short seconds. but II spread death like
wildhre. The earth swayed and rocked.
walls fell. assures and fractures were
opened In the roads and fields and every
thing was desolati"n, ruin and death.
The women snat0hed M their babies
and tried TO rush out In the open, but the
houses collapsed and buried them with
their children In their arms. The men
returning home found a heap of ruins
-.,ere had stood their villages The
children playing In the streets met death
with smiles. And the shrieks Of anguish
OF the dying. the screams for help, loud
weeping. dear names called out In the
vain hope OF hearing an answer and all
the sounds of human misery rose to the
sky as darkness fell and hid the awful
appalling scene.
What happened during tho long night
has been described with such u wealth CT
particulars and 30 many heartrend!ns
episodes that one 10 almost inclined to be-
lieve that newspaper correspondents were
buay writing while the peasants. still
w. IA. Z .s... ~