The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-19
$4,000 ITALIANS
KILLED BY QUAKE
ZONE AFFECTED LIES BETWEEN
FLORENCE AND NAPLES. ADRI-
ATTIC AND TYERRHENI-
AN SEAS.
ROME Is TERRIBLY SHAKEN
otai OF II5 Buildings in thecity Were
Oamaged-Avezzano and Other
Towns in Abruzzo Badly
Shaken.

Rome, Jan. 14.-Twelve thousand
persons were killed today in the great
est earthquake in the history of Cent
raj Italy.
The zone Of devastation lies between
Florence and Naples and the Adriatic
and Tyerrhenian seas.
Avezzano, approximately sixty-seyen
miles east of Rome, in the province of
Abruzzo, is officially reported practic-
ally destroyed. Nearly all of the 10000
inhabitants are said to have persisted.
The towns of Torres, Cajanti and
P1pp1, the latter near Florence, are re-
ported more than half DESTROYED with
many dead.
Rome Terribly Shaken.
Rome was terribly shaken by the
shock. A total of 775 buildings in the
city were damaged The whole popu-
lace was wildly excited. The streets
are confused mass of frightened per-
sons.
Pope Benedict was saying mass in
the Vatican when the shock was felt
The chalice shook in his hand and
nearly fell. The pontiff held fast to
the edge of the altar. He was yery
calm, and in moment kneIt and pray
ed. AS the vibrations ceased the none
resumed the ceremony in a steady
voice.
Pages Home Damaged.
At the PaJaZZn dol Dro oo r,F,ora
Thomas Nelson Page, the American
ambassador lives, several cracks in
the building which already existed.
opened wider and plaster fell in sew
eral of the rooms. The glass was
broken in the embassy office.
In the Lateran palace, especially
that part occupied by the profane mu-
scum, the earthqu Ike caused cracks
OF sufficient size to permit the light
from the outside to penetrate the build
ing.
Lasts Thirty Seconds.
At the Meteorological institute it is
said that building continued to rock
and tremble for about thirty seconds
after the shock had ceased and the
duration of the phenomenon altogether
was about one minute. 1t was stated
that it was not believed that the dis
turbance extended to Sicily.
Facts Arrive Slowly.
The main facts of the calamity, ar
irving slowly from the damaged dis
tricts, display in bold strokes the seri-
BUSINESS of the disaster.
The town of Pofi is reported half de-
stroyed
At Tore Cajetina, thirty-seven miles
east of Rome, the village was wiped
out.
AT Sulmona the barracks collapsed,
burying several soldiers and injuring
a number of civilians.
Capello and Magliano in Abruzzo
were badly damaged, while at Frost
none the partial destruction of the
prisons resulted in the mutiny of the
prisoners. Two deaths are reported,
but the damage is unestimated
The most violent phase of the, seis-
mic disturbance appears to have been
in the neighborhood of Veroli Monte
Retonde.
The center of the earthquake was
between Sarno and Campobasso. 1t
was felt powerfully at Perugia and
shook houses as far north as Ferrar.
Two Shocks Felt.
In Rome two shocks were felt this
morning. According to the Vatican
observatory the shocks were undula-
tory. The first one was slight, and
lasted five seconds. The second CON
tinued for thirty seconds.
Many ancient and famous buildings
in Rome were among the hundreds
damaged.
ST. Peters Unchanged.
A hasty examination of st. Peters
church and the Vatican buildings indi-
Gated that they suffered no serious eff
fects. Pieces of plaster fell here and
there In some of the minor rooms, but
the sacred buildings themselves were
as whole, free from injury.
Affected Large Area.
The greatest ravages of yesterdays
earthquake are spread over territory
Of several hundred square miles with
the environs of Rome apparently on
the western border of the affected
area. The shocks caused a loss of
thousands of lives in a prosperous sec
ton of the country and did irreparable
damage to priceless antiquities.