El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-16


render assistance.
MRrsi Survivors Suffer.
The MesSaggerO declares there are
no fewer than 5000 dead at Pescina and
5000 at CelanO; and that al CenchiO only
$50 were saved out Of population OF
$500. At Marsi the dead number 1000.
Most of the survivors here are injured
and they are suffering previously from
want Of food and lack of care.
Officials Make Reports.
Official reports regarding the extent
of the disaster now are being received
by the authorities. These concern
towns and villages in the district in
which Avezzano is located and thus far
are as follows:
Palermo, completely DESTROYED. eXcaDt
one house, 1000 dead out of $500 in
habitants
San Pelino, almost totally destroyed:
500 dead out of 1900 inhabitants
ScurcOla, destroyed; number OF vic
Tins not yet ascertained.
NillalagO, 20 dead and 20 wounded
Rajano, four dead
Fratturo, near Scanno, zoo dead. so
wounded.
Popoli, four dead II wounded.
Barrea, nine dead, 20 wounded
Villeta-Barrea, three dead.
Woman and BEby Extrieated.
Whlle the work of rescue was pro-
ceeding at Capell Friday night the
soldiers heard strange cries and. led
they found woman buried under the
debris with a new born child. Both
were extricated alive and uninjured
and are doing well.
MnTeOnt Gives Impressions.
William MaTconi who returned here
Friday from AvezzanO on board the
tram with king Victor Emmanuel, de-
clared words were insufficient to de-
scribe the horrors he had witnessed.
The town had been leveled he said
those hlI
escaped death in the disaster now we're
destitute
King Victor Emmanuel told me-"
MarcOni said, that he had visited the
scenes of all the earthquake disasters
II Italy since he was q child, but this
one surpasses all others, even including
Messina. The king said the survivors
oil AvezzanO were only between . and
percent Of its population. while in
Messina one-third OF the population
escaped"
Describing the damage in Avezzano,
MarCOni SAID:
'Avezzano has ceased to exist. In
Messina some buildings, especially the
places along the sea front give one the
lmpr esSlOn that they are still intact,
their facades having survived the
shock, while only their interiors fell
in. Not so with AvezzanO. Not a wall
there remains erect. It seems as though
the town had been ground to powder
by some gigantic machine"
Merely Try to Rescue Living.
The people of Avezzano according to
Marconi, have abandoned their efforts
to take the bodies Of the dead from
the wreckage and are giving their
entire attention to trying TO rescue thu !
living who are prisoners in the de-
bris- The catastrophe was of such
vast proportions, Marconi said that no
organization OF men could possible
nave done anything to give Immediate
7-n s-
their inability to render aid to those
who called for help from their place
Of entOmbment.
During the first day Of the disas-
ter Merconi continued. the Tescuers
were so few they could not even at
tempt 10 eXcavate at places from which
cries or distress came. and planted poles
mere and there at such places hoping to
return later with adequate forces Of
men to release the imprisoned persons
when would be rescurers did arrive,
however, most of the voices were stiIled
and the poles were merely markers Of
spots under which lay the dead"
Girls Held 4 Eder Piano.
Marconi personally heard coming
from under the ruins Of the girls schoOt
IN Avezzano the voices of two of the
pupils implorinE for aid. The girls
SAID they were uninjured. They were
protected from injury by q piano, under
which they had fallen and which be-
came wedged in the wreckage and acted
as a screen from the tumblinC walls Of
the school house. At first chokCd or
dust and later numhed by cold, they
had remained for two DAYS without
nourishment and. in spite of the siren
uous efforts made to release them, the
girls were still prisoners when Mar
conf left Avezzano for Rome.
Prior to his departure. MarcOni said
he endeavored to organize small par
ties Of men to attempt to extinguish
fires which had broken out at several
points along the debris. and which, he
added, undoubtedly would have caused