Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-16
EARTHQUAKE HITS
FARMING CENTER
Consul Bolognesi in Chicago,
Talks of Devastation in
His Home Country.

Chicago. ILL.,. jan 16.-Eive or six
days must elapse before a satisfactory
report OF the effect of the Italian
earthquake can be obtained in the
opinion of Giulio Bolognesi, Italian
consul in Chicago. The nature of the
country. combined with the extent of
the disaster, he explained, will pre-
vent a rapid review of the disaster,
Meanwhile. he pointed ont, while the
telegraph lines are down the govern
ment is sending its splendidly organ
lied military relief forces into the tif-
fected regions.
The districts which suffered most
are in or near the Apennines.' said
Mr.. Bolognesi. THE region is largely
agricultural and not so thickly settled
as either the north or the extreme
south of the peninsula. The farmers
live in little villages of a few hun
dred inhabitants. 1t Is a part of Italy
which the tourists for the most part
do not frequent.
There ire few public buildings or
monuments in the districts which are
noteworthy. Each town. of course. has
it's little church and municipal hall.
but they are neither old nor particu-
larly distinguished. There are a few
palaces. however. that are beautiful.
Just now the region is probably
covered with snow. That will delay
relief work a good deal The temper
ature is not severe; it seldom goes be- !
low 10 degrees.
There are a great many olive |
groves and vineyards. Near Avez- I
zano is one OF the most fertile dis !
tricts in all of Italy. Avezzano itself. 4
where more thaEi $4,000 lives were lost |
is one of the largest towns in the .
whole section. II was a beautiful city
Prince Torionia, the member of
parliament from. that district, is sup
posed TO be the richest man in Italy
One OF the chief sources of his wealth
IS particularly fertile stretch of land
formerly the bottom OF Lake Fucini,
which his grandfather had drained at
a cost of S1O.OO0.OO The land, is now
valued at $4,000, 600. 1t is used al
most entirely for growing wheat
The crop. however. will not be ser
ously damaged. I am certain. There
will always be more people TO cult
5ate it. and, of course, the disturb
ince could not disturb the plants in
he ground.
1.-THE Italian government is splendid
Y prepared to meet such a catastro-
,he. 1t is particularly well prepared {
low with the army modified The
government showed what it was capa- {
lie If doing at the time of the Mes
ina disaster, and 1t should do even
,etter work now.
With the Red Cross service, which |
las arrived on the scene, Sarge bodies
4 troops are sent into the stricken
district. They clear away the debris
nd aid the doctors and nurses in I
very way they can. The government f
sually commissions the general of
he district 10 take charge of the re- s
ef work. l
'In Italy there is also an organiza- s
ion known as the Green Cross. This L
civil organization with branches o
throughout the towns and cities of the c
eninsula. II furnishes medical as Z
istance and has at its disposal large
lumber of private ambulances and mo- a
)r cars. II is a highly effective or d
anization with splendid record" l;
Mr.. Bolognesi explained that there T
as one difficulty in doing the work Y
relief. b
The construction is practically all p
stone in the villages he explained. Il
Wood is expensive in Italy and the fl
one is hewn right out of the nearby Ii
The country dwellings are
1t firmly built, and they probably d
ppled fin and buried the people in W
EN-. 1t will be a heavy task remov- p
& all the debris N
Not many OF the Chicago Italians W
I'VE relatives in the areas which suf- m
reGi from the SHOCK" Mr. Bolognesi NJ
planned. Most of my countrymen lie
the city are from the south of the al
,ninsula. Emigration decreases as F,
VI go north in Italy" NJ
" sc
For keeping a mans head cool there c,
s been invented a fan to be so sus-
nded inside a hat as to vibrate as IN
oil