The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-01-16
DEATH LIST FIR ON
EARTHQUAKE IS
STILL RISING
Now Believed That Over $4,000
Lives Were Lost
sixty TOWNS ARE IN RUINS
at Avezzano Said to Be
More Complete Than That at
Messina

Rome, Jan. 16.-From 25,O00 TO So.
600 still remains the unofficial esti-
mate at Rome of the casualties re-
sulting from the earthquake which
rocked southern and central italy ear
ly Wednesday morning AS yet II
has been impossible to determine
from the brief descriptions of the
catastrophe that have reached Rome
over the hampered lines OF communi-
cation the amount OF the damage
done by the disturbances, but such
details as have come through leave
no doubt that nearly 100 towns and
villages have been utterly demolish-
ed or badly wrecked and that great
loss of life resulted. Thousands OF
persons now have laid for nearly
three days beneath crumbled biuld-
ings throughout the earthquake zone
some OF them dead and others alive
while others have been removed
from the twisted wreckage and taken
to Rome hospitals for treatment of
injuries. or are being cared for in
temporary structures in their home
towns. which are presided over by
physicians and nurses rushed thlther
from the capital and other cities in
the kingdom.
II is believed that many of thosc
who were caught in the wreckage
and were uninjured perished later
from cold or lack of nourishment or
else were burned to death in fires
which brolye cut in various places
amid the ruins This is especially
true of Avezzano and Magliano di
Marsi, where fires started and there
seemed little chance of quenching
them owing to lack of water
Avezzano, from all accounts still
holds the position of chief sufferer
through the disaster. Ten thcus-
and persons in that district are said
to have perished and the entire town
has been leveled Sora and Peccini
each have 1000 dead. while the fatali-
ties at Giosimarsi reached $500 ard
San Benedetto 5000. Numerous other
towns report fatalities running up
ward from 10 TO over 1000. In the
the stricken districts the people are
camping in the open. Troops are
guarding the demolished or partly
demolished towns to prevent iooting.
Thomas Nelson Page. American
ambassador to Italy yesterday asked
Signor Salanda. the Italian premier
and Baron Sonnino. minister of for
eign affairs. whether assistance from
the United States government. iinan-
cial or otherwise in aiding the peo-
pie stricken by the earthquake. would
be acceptable. ambassador Page was
told yesterday that owing TO the il.
ternational situation. the Italian gov.
ernment had decided, as a question
of principle to abstain from accept
ing officially any foreign aid. AS
this will not prevent private initiative
on the part of Americans or other
foreigners living in Italy or their
friends at home ambassador Page
is now approaching the government
with "A view of ascertaining the best
way of directing the relief work in
manner acceptable to the authorit
les and the people.
The principal loss of life, and prob
ably the chief property damage, ap
pears to have occurred in Avezzano
and the town of Sora. Is miles away
Both these municipalities were blot
ted out of existence and their popu
lations virtually wiped out
The rescue forces have been aug
mented by the staff of the United
States embassy at Rome, dispatched
TO Ayezzano in automobiles by En-
bassador Thomas Nelson Page. The
secretaries and attaches carried Sup.
plies of clothing and provisions for
the sufferers.
A wagoners apprentice, a boy OF
13, was the first person to give the
news of Avezzano to the outside
world. He succeeded in getting back
into the town few minutes af'er the
first shock He found railroad en-
ploye and persuaded this man, with
his help, to rig up telegraph instru-
ment in freight car and connect II
with q wire that was still intact.
Calling on the instrument, the rail
road man, who is an operator, soon
got Rome. The two together then
sent the first news of the disaster.
Fancy large pineapples at Estes
Market. ADV.