Evening star., 1914-05-09
PROMPT MEASURES TAKEN
FOR RELIEF OF DISTRESS
Authorities at Rome Order the Army
and Navy to Co.
Operate.
RED CROSS IS ENLISTED
Appalling Stories Told by Refugees
From the Stricken District-Many
Homeless Without Means
of Support.

CAT.ANlA. MAY o.-Eartlr-
quake and volcanic eruption. fol
lowed by fire. DESTROYED MANY
villages on the slopes of Mount
Etna last night. Refugees de
clare that the loss is as great As
in the Mcssina disaster OF 1908.
Official reports late TODAY
placed the number oil dead at I,5
and the injured at eSs. These
figures will probably be increased
by later advices from the wrecked
villages. \ greater catastrophe
was prevented bv the fact that
the final severe shock OF earth
quake was preceded by sixty
others, and many OF the popula-
tion had abandoned their houses
and fled into the open country.
Ndiiiodu lldAhS WSlS 10TH up,
churches razed to the ground,
houses shaken to ruin and tele-
graph poles overturned over
radius of several miles around
Catania. Terror-stricken people
rushed from the villages into
Catania before daybreak today,
bringing stories of ruin and dis
aster. Their reports caused the
authorities to take immediate
steps for measures Of relief. The
army, the navy and the civilian
authorities received orders from
Rome to render mutual aid in the
work OF rescue The aid Of the
Red Cross was quickly enlisted.
interruption OF railroads and
of telegraph lines made it impos-
sible to obtain accurate details as
to the loss of life.
Appalling Reports Reach Catania.
The great gravity of the disaster was
not realized until this morning when re-
ports came In from the surrounding
country. The villages of Linera and
Cosentini We're transformed into heaps of
ruins. At Zafferana every house was de-
stroyed and enormous damage was caused
at Santa Venerina.
Roofs fell in and walls collapsed in tho
hamlets of Santa Maria, Ammalati
Carico. Guardia. Mangano, Santa Tecla
and Bongiardo The village of Santa
Maria Nerginc Catena Was destroyed.
Fifty persons are known to have been
killed in the village OF Linera which was
destroyed Among the ruins of Pass
opomo, Bongiardo and Malati twenty
bodies had been found this morning.
Soldiers. tiremen, sailors. priests and
private individuals worked together IN
affording succor. In many cases they
found their way obstructed by broken
bridges and ruined roads. In the village
streets heaps of debris lay everywhere
In the villages of Cosentinl and santa
Maria twenty bodies We're recovered this
morning Several hatnlets i'll the neigh
borhood of Acireals were devastated ard
a number of people killed and injured.
Along the principal highways IN tue
stricken district tn. scene of desolation
were frequently encountered. MANY OF
these were burdened with improvis"d nj
tcrs made Of branches of trees and
bushes on which they were carrying m
iured and diving relatives to the tempor-
ary surgical stations. established by The
surgeons and n,l ses. In the neighborhood
of Santa Nenerina the number OF tie
injured was very great.
The authorities have commandeered
all available automobiles to assist in
the work of rescue.
officials Meet at Daybreak.
Prefec. Minervini of catania and all
the officials under his superintendence
were called together before daybreak
this morning and received orders to do
their utmost to aid the afflicted in
ha bitants They have been since work
ing indefatigaby.
All available nurses We're mobilizei
today, and are assisting in gathering
the homeless and the children who
have lost their parents. Temporary
shelter is being provided here for the
refugees
According to refugees. fire in some
places completed the work of destruc-
tion and hindered the efforts of the
rescuers
one of the evidences of the severity
Of the series of shocks is seen along
the roadsides. where hundreds of telr
,raph poles were overturned. Half Il
nile of railroad track was turned topsy-
turvy near the village of Maneano.
Not Alarmed by Shocks.
For several days past earthquake
shocks had been felt AT frequent in
.ervals accompanied by eruptions OF
Mount Etna. No particular attention.
however, was paid to the occurrences.
,s the inhabitants of the district are
to these agitations and
he shocks were not exceptionally vio-
ent The last severe shock was felt at Z
o'clock last evening. but the fact that
his had caused serious destruction was
not known in Catania for some time.
,s railroad and telegraph communi-
,ation was interrupted.
The center of the disturbance was the
village of I.inera. Here the proportion
,f dead and injured was very heavy.