, 1915-01-16

9SOOAU0, VI louSef Cu9u the MeSSlna earth
quake. 1t is stated that about 5000 per-
sons were killed in Avezzano, all large
buildings there being wrecked. At AielIi,
near Celano, east of Rome, 1000 persons
were killed and 500 injured and the town
was destroyed. Mogliano was destroyed.
but no estimate OF the loss Of life is obtaiua-
BILE. At Poh 500 persons were killed and all
the principal buildings wrecked. At Tore
CAPTAIN the entire village was destroyed
and a large number Of persons killed. The
Galiano Cathedral was wrecked and the village
of Sora RACED, and at Sulmona the ST. Dominic
church collapsed. At Naples the shock was
felt, the glass of the observatory on Mount
Vesuyius being shattered. The effect over
a considerable area is not yet known, because
OF the obhteration Of telegraph and tele-
phone communication, but it is estimated
that twelve thousand persons were killed
and probably twenty thousand injured. The
cause of the disaster was the earthquake
and not the volcano, although it is reported
that Vesuvius has been rumbling since
the earthquake.
Rome appears TO have escaped fatalities.
Calls for doctors and nurses are pouring into
the capital from ali directions and eXpedi-
tons have beeu formed and are staIting
north and south. The shock brought the
populace from the Sums and running wildly
into the streets they caused panics and the
trampling o. women and children. The
police and the military reserves were ordered
TO patrol the city 10 restore quiet AMI pre-
vent criminals from Iooting.
The Pope was r~eciting the thanksgiving
afier the morning mass when the shock oc-
CURED, but he did not allow the terrifying
occurrence to interrupt his prayer. The
Swiss Guard fed, as did many others in St.
Peters, but His Holiness issued orders that
soon brought those about bim to their COM
plete presence of mind. He afterwards or
dered a solemn High Mass to be SAID in the
Cathedral and gave instructions for an m
VestIgation of the damage, if any, to St.
Peters.
King Victor Emmanuel was at the Villa
Ada when the earthquake occurred. He
immediately nlotoItd to the Quirinal, his first
desire eng to see The Queen and The little
Princes ard 10 l~taSsure thtm, and then
began 81 anNiouS and thorough enquiry re-
SaIdlng tie loss If life and the damage,
RECEIVING reports throughout the day. He
has expressed his intention Of visiting Avez-
zano and otler towns that have suffered
most, dts}nng, as at Mees}na, personally to
direct The rthet operations.
Some of the population in h~ysteria we're
observed kneeling in the streets praying for
destruction TO be averted, some of them de-
claiming that the visitation was an express
sion OF Divine wrath over the European war
and a warning to Italy to abstain therefrom.
London, Jan. 15tl-A despatch from Vi
emma states that Count Berchtold, Minister
OF Foreign Affairs, who some tine AGO asked
the Emperor to lie relieved Of his functions,
has renewed his request and the Emperor,
recognizing the important personal reasons
Influencing him, has granted the application.
Count BerchtoId will be succeeded by Baron
Stephen Burian.
The Times" thinks the foregoing indi-
Gates that something has snapped in the
fabric OF the Dual Monarchy. and suggests
that it is a concession to Count Stephen lis
"a, or the result of a militarist Court intri-
ono Or aooip cip,1lv t1o ,o,,,l{ ~ lor;ro