Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-01-21
QUAKE ZONE VAST
MORCUE;M|SERY|S
INCREASED BY COLD
Destitute Victims Are Being
Relieved Rapidly as Re-
sources Of Italian Gov
eri1ment Permit.
AID GIVEN BY AMERICANS
Late Advices Support Early
Reports That Dead Number
About 10000 and In
jured About 40, 600.
AID GIVEN BY AMERICANS

Rome, Jan. 1S.-A correspondent
OF the Messagero. who has heen
traVellng through the devastated
zone, telesfaphs his paper that, eX-
Siuulhg AVezzano and Z. number of
otnef villages. the number of dead
VIII reach 10000. His estimate of
the total number of dead is 40 oOO
Rome. Ian. ls.-The Messaggero.
uectares there are no fewer than
sooo dead at Pescina and 5000 at
Ceiaho, and that at Cenchio ONLY
100 were saved out of a popula-
ton of $500. At Marsi the dead
number 1000. Most all the sur
hVor here are injured and they
are suffering ~greievouslv from
want OF food and lack of care.
ho1ne, Jan. 1S.-I'alnine and intense
cold are adding to the sufferings of the
earthquake victims and slowly increas-
ing the huge death roll. Food there is
IN plenty, but its transportation to
many town affected is all but impos-
SIDE because of INSTRUCTED roads.
rescue work is going ahead feverish-
~, TOT each hour OF delay means death
by starvation or exhaustion for buried
victims, From town after town come
reports of excavation that was too late
to save lives.
Attention gradually is turning from
AVezzano, the center of the disturbance
ana the greatest sufferer, to smaller
town where IN almost equal p~errcntage
OF the population was destroyed. In
one case so far-that of ~Sora-late re-
ports Show that the effect OF the earth
quake We're less disastrous thar had
oeeh feared. Only 360 of Scra's 1000
persons appear to have been killed.
Early Estimates Confirmed.
While train loads of injured continue
TO arrive in Rome, additional details of
the horror come in, all tending to con-
frm earlier estimates of the ire
inendous loss of life. Reports in
dictate that. next to AVezzano. the towns
that suffered most are Pescina, with
1910 Victims; Palermo, with 1000 dead
and ~Sarnelino, with 500 of its population
OF i,6oo killed. All are near Avezzano.
Inc horror of possible flood added to
famine and suffering from cold exists
IN the nelghborhood of the Fucino canal
when mas been damned up by a land
silde at Observation-Disclosures. Sol
diers and civilians are working des-
perately to clear the canal. Though it
seems definitely established that the
present earthquake will not rival that
OF Messina in 1908 in the number of
dead the percentage Of casualties in
proportion TO the population affected
appears to be much higher, due, it
seems. to the dry construction Of
buildings that was almost universal
throughout the stricken district.
Messina had 76.4S3 dead and 95.470
injured. Present reports indicate 20,nO
deaths II twice as man injured in
this castatrophe.
The only buildings not levied by this
earthquake were the few made with
reinforced concrete.
Marsica Vast Cemetery.
Just how severely the Marsica dis
trlct suffered. in which AveZzano is To-
Gated is best old in a terse telegram
which Monsignor Bagnoli, bishop Of the
Marsica region, sent to Pope Benedict.
The telegram reads:
"The Marsica diocese has been trans
formed into y great cemetery. Avezzano,
Capelle and Palermo RACED and almost
all inhabitants dead. f.cclesiatics. some
dead, some wounded.
"A few villages in the diocese are
immune but generally desolation
reigns. 1t is an immense and Distress
Ing catastrophe"
The Dope in reply to this distressing
information wired the bishops:
Being father of all the faithful, but
first of the unfortunate. l am pierced
with grief by this immense misfortune.
II extend my arms to my unhappy
H'AS III guy VII N as rs " fENNt IVA
the dead and comfort for the sur
vivors."
More wounded having been brought
to The Santa Marta hospital. which is
close to the vatican. the pope again
visited the patients there to comfort
them. To each he gave a medal.
kine Comforts Victims.
King Victor Emmanuel and the queen
mother. Margarita. made the rounds
of the hospitals in Rome yesterday,
visiting the injured, of whom numbers
arc arriving hourly.
The American ambaasador, Thomas
Nelson Page, Will visit the earthquake
district today or tomorrow. The am
bassador has agreed with the mayo
Prince Colonna, that the best way for
Americans to participate in the relief
Of the victims is to do so as private
individuals. The kind sympathy. gen
erosity and tact of the Americans, by
which they will not infringe on ltaly's
decision to decline foreign official as
sistance though they will still largely
contribute as private individuals to al
leviate suffering. is causing a profound
sentiment of gratitude.
The motor car, with the staff from
the American embassy. visited the
earthquake district yesterday and wit
messed the work of rescue. They saw
some of the victims eXtricated alive
from the ruins and also visited the
camps where refugees are centered.
They gave such help as they could,
which was received gratefully. They in
CURED about the victims and gained the
information that there We're no Ameri-
ans among them, although some are
said to have claimed American citizen
ship. as they had lived in the United
States for a time.
~ -L-E