New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-14
Streets Split Apart and
Swallow Pedestrians
and Vehicles.
CATHEDRALS AMONG
BUILDINGS IN RUIN
AvezzanO Levelled TO the
Ground and 5000 Of
Its People Dead,
SICILY BELIEVED
TO HAVE ESCAPED
People Cry Catastrophe Is
Punishment for Sins of
Nations at War.

lsdtlU0S dl w d.
Rome, Jan. iJ.--An earthquake which
occurred at 1856 O'Clock this morning
and lasted thirty-four seconds has laid
a triangular section of Southern Italy
several hundred miles in extent in par
tlal ruins.
Reports from outlying districts to
night indicate that 1900 people are
dead and 10000 injured by the up
heaval.
This city. Naples and score cf
towns to the south and vest Of the
capital are tonight in state OF panic,
which has continued without abate-
ment for the last fourteen hours.
Reports come from the town OF Aver
7ano, sixty miles TO the west. that
5000 persons were killed there. \
thousand escaped from the ruins, bur
most OF them are badly injured. The
hospitals. many Of them wrecks. have
been abandoned. and squads Of physi.
clans have been organized in every To-
cslity to take charge of the dying and
wounded and remove them TO tempo
Tary quarters.
The heaving OF the earth began simu'-
tsneously in all PARTS Of the cit,
Streets split apart, dropping earl,
morning pedestrians and vehicles inlo
their depths. On the hills tho ancient
ecifces rocked and threw priceless
monuments and statuary from their
bases.
The widest panic ensued in the busi.
ness and residence sections. People
poured from their homes half dressed.
and crowds from the shops and mar
kets Joined the throngs, all running
into the piazzss and open places, crying
out in their terror.
Great sections of the populace fed
at random through the streets, lesping
over barricades Of masonry from fallen
buildings and seeking shelter. or IN
places forming professions, singing
and reciting the Litsny of the saints.
The more panicstricken ran shouting
that the visitation was a punishment
for the sins Of men who were fighting
agtinst their brothers in the Europeaa
war. Many fed into the churches ana
had TO be routed out BY the police, Who
we're compelled to use force to drive
the frantic vorshippcrs from the edi-
fiCes.
The shock was the strongest that
Rome has felt IN more than hun
dred years
From below Naples In the south 10
Ferrera in the north, distance o.
more than 300 miles and across simo''
the width Of the country the unduls
tory movement continued for a consid
ersble period.
In Rome II pas thought az FIRST ths'
two shocks had occurred, but the seis-
mographic instruments In the obscf-
vstory showed that there was only one
which began at 1855 O'Clock and lasted
thirty-four seconds.
The buildings on bgth sides Of the
Porta del Popolo. the north entrance
to Rome, threatened to fall, and the
eagle decorating the gate crashed 10
the ground. The obelisk m 81. Peters
Square was shaken and badly damaged.
while the statue OF st. John Lateran
and the statues Of the Apostles sur
mounting the Bssilics were so badly
damaged that they are m danger OF
collapse. The famous eolonnsde deco
rating ST. Peters Square was lowered
four feet, while the adjacent house,
once occupied by the sisters OF Pope
Plus X, was badly cracked.
Owing 70 the vide extent OF the dis
turbance and its terrible consequences
the full effects Of the earthquake are
not vet known. The fortified city %
Aauila was cut OF from communies-
ton, but il is reported that several yil-
lages in that region we're destroyed.
Likewise Potenzs. capital Of the prov
ince of the same name, on the eastern
side Of the Apennines. which has .
population Of nearly 10000 persons, has
been isolated. In 1867 this town was
almost entirely destroyed by an earth
quake.
The whole shock was over as sud
denly as u began, but the appearance
OF the destroyed and damaged sections
Of the city, coupled with the fear OF
the people that the lull in the disturb
ance presaged another and greater