Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-18
RUIN COMPLETED
IN ITALIAN TOWNS
BYNEW SHOCKS
Quicklime Rushed to Earth
quake Zone to Cover
Bodies and Prevent Epi-
demic- 32,764 Dead.

ROME, Jan. Is. - Five trains carrying
auicklime were sent into the earthquake
zone today, while shocks continued to
raze the few buildings left standing In
the, 60 towns and villages that were turned
INTO tombs by the disaster of last We'd
nesday. The lime viii be used TO destroy
the bodies, which the troops digging
frantically in the ruins have no time
TO inter In separate graves.
II IL believed .he immediate destruction
OF bodies VIII remove all danger of an
epidemic, which would otherwise be a
menace because Of a sudden warm wave
that has succeeded the intense cold fol.
lowing the disaster.
\ heavy rain Is falling in central Italy,
eAuhBuishins the fires that broke out in
several towns near Avezzano Friday
night. Though the rain has saved many
VINO We're IN danger OF being burned TO
death In the ruins OF their homes, II has
increased the suffcrings OF the refugees
gathered in concentrate tion CAMPS about
AVezzano, Sora ana Capelle.
DEATH LIST NOW s2,7e4.
With the latest official reports tn Pre-
mier Salandra recording 32.764 dead in 20
towns efforts are being made today to
straishten out the confusion that has
hitherto prevailed as to the number OF
injured and homeless. The Premier said
that the reports thus far received from
the heads of the relief forces caring
for the injured and homeless indicated
that Approximately $1,000 had been in
jured but that the great majority of
these were only slightly hurt.
The homeless, he said, number at least
$4,000 With $l,OOO,OOO appropriated the
Government will be able to care for all
of these as soon as conditions permit their
being assembled at central points. The
Premier denied the charges made by some
of the Rome papers that the Government
had failed to act as promptly as 1t should.
asserting that this criticism was insti-
gated by enemies of his cabinet.
According to the Premier. advlces from
the towns and villages thus far unheard
from are not expected TO swell the death
list beyond 5000.
Because of great chasms that have
Fucino. 1t may be impossible to reach
some OF the little mountain hamlets for
weeks.
SURVIVORS DRIVEN INSANE.
More than 300 men and women have
been driven insane by the disaster and
their sufferings.
"A woman Oh san v lnCenzO, little town
in the Liri River valley, lost her three
children. They were killed in tho earth
quake and she was injured. Broodlng
over the loss of her children drove her in
sane, and on Friday night she killed with
knife II children sharing with her and
other refugees a shelter set up by the
troops near Sora. After Staying the chill
drcn as they slept, the woman committed
suicide.
Overcome by the tragic scenes he wit
messed at Capistrello. priest became in
sane He refuses to leave the ruins of his
church, declaring he viii await the resur-
rection' OF his parishioners.
In the little village of Ortucchio desper-
ate efforts are being made to rescue vic
Tins buried In the ruins of the church,
where they had taken refuge when they
felt the first shock. The building was
thronged when the most violent shock
came. Two of the priests were fatally in
jured, hut they refused to let themselves
be carried away while their parishIoners
were still buried in the ruins. Both died
while watching the work of rescue.
Tho convent at Ortucchio was destroyed
burylng In its ruins 40 nuns. Cries can
still he heard coming from the ruins, and
II is believed that some of the nuns may
have been Lble to find a refuge in a
corner of the cellar.
DYNAMITE WALLS IN SORA.
Soldiers were at work all today dyna-
hitting tottering walls and the wrecks
of what were once fine buildings in Sora.
At times. as some particularly heavy
blast was set off. the ground shook and
clouds of dust rose skyward. This was
by shouts of fright from the
hundreds OF men and women refugees.
in whose minds the memory of last We'd
nesday's disaster was still keen.
The once smiling and prosperous Iirl
Valley, in which Sora is located, is black
and desolate as though the devastation
OF war had swept through 1t. The slopes
of the valley are covered with the tenn
porary homes OF refugees who are suf-
fering from the lack of food and cloth
ing, but mainly from hysteria and fright
nYMAMITEpc cCNTCNnEn