The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-03-19
District of Italy
RdUaged BY Quake
Only Grazing Section

washington. u. C.. March 1.-The
National Geographic society has pre-
pared the following description OF
the region IN Italy Just devastated by
the great earthquake.
YIn the Abruxsi district az east CEN
trial Italy. where the recent earth
quake shocks have worked in econds
n destruction equal 20 weeks Of war.
there are. no great cities and few
monuments o. the country's brilliant
history or lis more famous works Of
art. Abruzzi IL n grazing, win grow
ina. farming district. II Is a noun
famous and hiIiy land. comprising
OF the Apcnnines. Some OF Itnly's
most picturesque scenery Is GO be en-
ljoyed here. although travellers from
America seldom seek II. as the rail-
way connections are bad and the inn
accommodations for the most part
sadly primitive u severe.
Tho district contains s0me ease
square miles. or II about equal IN size
TO the states OF Rhode Island and
Connecticut. II supports some two
million people. most Of whom make
their living In farming. orchard and
! vine culture. and In cattle. sheep and
swine raising. There n considerable
unimportant manufacturing within
the district but little or no Industry.
Rarely beautiful tapestries inc hand
made laces are worked IN the h.lly
villages as home work. Many OF the
Abruzzi peasantry. untaught In the
methods Of design and unaided by
any but the simplest mechanical con-
t~rivances, display the highest order
OF artistic appreciation IN their hand
lace productions.
Vast forests Of oak. beech and
| pine cover the Jagged mountain
| groups. and their area serves as a
feeding ground for large herds OF
swine. The raising OF swine and the
| preparation OF their meat IN one OF
the important endeavors of this oun
try. and. among the masterworks Of
Italy. the %vivacious. seductive. thrill
ing Abruzzi sausage deserves honor
able mention. These sausages were
| f6~fmeriy-that Is. before the war
even imported occasionally into Ger
many. where to he "A foreign SAUSAGE
and to compete successfully means to
be a sausage OF distinctly superior
lsort.
There Is little fiat land within
AbruEzi. beyond a narrow strip along
100 miles Of coast The uplunds and
the hills are used for pasture lands,
the valleys are very fruitful and are
farmed for olives. rice. almonds.
grains and wines. Nature has con-
tributed most 10 the backward state
OF the Abruzzi regions industries, for
a.. An - aa.Nl.asa A.. ..FNNN. Nha
trough Of e-ver-recurring earthquakes.
while the small rivers and creeks
which irrigate It's valleys do a regu-
lar damage by their sudden floods
The rivers are mostly very short. with
a considerable fall 10 the sea. Many
Of them have bee harnessed In the
last few years 10 e~iectric instaiin-
tions.
-Four provinces are contained
within the division AbruzIi-Teramo,
Chisti. Aquiia and Campobasso. and
there are about twenty mediums sized
towns scattered throughout them. A
sample Of every superstition that has
nourished in European lands since
the founding Of Rome Is to be found
stiil h%ouriShing In hardy strength
somewhere amnng the people OF
| Abruzzi. who are ultra-conserVatiVe
IN matters Of belief and In their de-
votion TO custom.
THE present Duke Of Abruzzl II
well-known TO Americans. II was
several times reported In this country
that he was engaged to Miss kath-
lcrine Elkins-now MS. William Hit
the daughter OF the late Senator
lElkins Of West Virginia. This report
was each time denied. The young
duke was the son of oN-King Amnde'
us OF spain. lie has won distinction
~ a ge0grapher, making the hrsl
lascent OF Ne. 81. El'as In 1897. de-
lterminlng the northern coast ol
FranE-Iosef land in his Arctic eXplo-
rations OF 1Se9-i90O. and settling a
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS record In 1903 b,
ascending Mt. Austen in India 20 q
height Of $4,000 feet"