The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-05-12
Effected BY Hardest
Shocks In Complete Ruins
and Many Bodies Are Yet
Unrecovered Among Ruins
of Homes Shaken Down
Without Warning

(By the Associated Press
Catania. Sicily, May "a great
earthquake last night brought death
and destruction to many villages
near Mount Etna. The number Of
dead up to tonight as officially plac-
ed at 173, with about $50 injured. \
large part Of the devasted territory
has not been inspected.
The affected zone extends from
Zaffarana, the highest village on
Mount Etna, to the sea, between Aci
Reale. on the south n Giarrw. on
the north. 1t includes Iinera. the
center Of the disturbance. Pisano and
Santa Verenina. In Linera alone ITO
persons were killed ana 800 injured.
In Bongiardo Is dead and 81 iniur-
ed have been taken from the ruins
AT COnSintini sixteen were killed and
many injured.
These villages and many smaller
places were levelled.
Terrible Disorder Prevails.
The entire district today present
ed a spectacle of ~desolation. ruin ana
death. Many Of the injured had nor
been from the ruins. All
train service has been abandoned ow-
ing to the collapse of bridges, brok-
en- tracks and obstructed tunnels.
For centuries this section has suf
- Will " Ito
activity Of Mount Etna. Yet il is
thickly populated. as the land is fer
tile, vineyards growing with little at
tentiOn.
At the central point OF the disturb
ance dozens Of bodies were lying
along the roads. many nnrecognizable
as they were badly crushed. The in
| jured lay in the open, awaiting as
sistance which has been sent to them.
Inhabitants in VINEYARDS.
Where Ifnera stood is a mass OF
ruins. Those GUS which did not
collapse entirely were SO broken as
to emphasize the completeness of the
disaster. The village consisted OF
about 500 inhabitants. Most of the
people escaped because the shock oc
CURED when the men and some Of
the women were working in the fields
From the vineyards they saw their
houses falling and when they arrived.
GREATNESS, at their homes, they found
only ~wreckage. with some of their
people buried beneath it.
This for the fact that most
of the victims at Linera were women
and children. The men, wild with
terror and grief, attacked the debris
with their bare hands in an effort TO
save their families.
Week Before Loss known.
Generals Trabuchi and Moccagatk
Nm AZ ia lIlC WI r. vi ItS-
cue, which is being taken up vigor-
ously by soldiers, firemen. policemen
n Red Cross volunteers. 1t is ex-
pected. however. that weeks will pass
before the full extent Of the disaster
can be ascertained: as it is believed
many peasants are buried underneath
their homes in the isolated country
districts.
At Catania the strongest shock last
ed six seconds Electric lights were
extlnguished and the street railways
were put out of service. People rush
ed from the houses. shops and cafes.
Many jumped into boats and others
crowded into the squares AT the
hospitals patients ran to the court
yards ilnploring help.
Many Pitiful scenes.
Many pitiful scenes occurred. AT
BOngiardo, an Did woman. the on!y
survivor Of a family of Is, re-entered
a half-wrecked house to search for
her grandchildren. She returned
with a little girl alive and rushed in
again. Almost Immediately the house
collapsed, burying her under the
w~reckage.
AT Consentini, a young soldier who
should have left Thursday on his re
turn TO Ilbya. obtained a leave al
absence Tor three days to attend tbs
marriage of his sister which was Il
nave occurred Sunday. He is among
the victims.
Mgr. Nigo. Bishop of Aci Reale re.
manned for "a hours in ATTENDANCE or
the injured villagers.
r