Licking Valley courier., 1915-01-21

l
rom Ayegzano were Count Filippe
lesta, Countess Resta and three OF
heir young sons. The count person.
lily rescued his family by digging for
lfteeh hours In the ruins of his resi-
lence, one Of the finest in Avezzano.
A fourth SOP was also saved. he Is
\ physician and after digging out his
medical kit he joined the relief force
working in Avezzano. Count Resta
save the first definite account OF the
destruction Of Avezzano.
Like Rough Sea.
The first shock was felt shortly
\er D O'clock on Wednesday morn
\ NssEf Count Filippe. ut was suf-
acieIp arouse the family, but as no
NOR emo}s followed Immediately
aftsi ID, all returned to their beds
myself. ] had gone through
.gI p|sss " Rad ssRs sGsssSs sE lils iEs
X. and uas sitting near door
hok. Just before three o'clock, tne VI
tons began with terrific violence
rt kSs like being upon the sea when
th1,, 4A4-.,sa. The earth waves
were unndating and were of such
force thu. the strongest buildings tum
bled down like houses of cards.
4 felt the house giving way and
could hear the creaking of the walls
then the crash of falling beams OF
plaster. Instinctively l leaped toward
the doorway and as did so l heard
the roar Of falling wreckage behind
me. ! uttered a prayer in my heart
for my family, but knew that, In
such q disaster. they would have lit.
tie chance to escape death in their
beds.
Streets Rise and Fall.
The street and the gardens in front
Of my residence seemed to be rising
and falling as though some mighty
force beneath the surface of the earth
was pressing upward and outward. |
was thrown from my feet, so strong
were the undulations which accompa.
MED the tremors, and on all sides
could hear the crash OF falling mason.
ry and the cries of men, women and
children aroused from sleep. Some,
like myself. who had been aroused by
the previous shocks, had not returned
70 bed and they owed their lives to
their precaution.
Il was badly frightened, but my
senses took note of happenings around
me which came vividly to my mind
afterwards. For instance, l remember
hearing q woman's scream cut short
In the middle as though she had been
quickly killed,
Worked Debris is Hours.
"As soon as the quaking had ceased
began to tear at the debris of my
home, not even waiting for daylight
worked like one possessed. / was
careless Of my torn hands and the
blood that dripped down over my
nails. felt no fatigue. The thought
kept running through my mind: 4
must get them before they suffocate.
] knew nothing that passed around
me. II felt no hunger. l was TEN
porarily out of ~ mind For fifteer
hours struggled. tearing at the
stones and bean is like - madman
Tpen' assistance Dame. v pn told thai
That been WORKING con huously fol
'een hours ! Eould not believe 1t a
A.
nov severe ly the MSrsica district
Niezzano wHs located, SUI
quake y told in ~ ,sS sSrN,, ,TI
sTsm se'to Pope Bene
-
.Arsica diocese has beer
d into great cemetery
Capelle AMI Paterno wer,
lmost I'll Inhabitants were
the ecSleslasts some are
wounded. A few villages
'ese are immune but gen
ISOLATION reigns. It is an i'm
md distressing catastrophe :
Nedict sent the following re
rather OF all the faithful
II the unfortunate, an
h grief by this immense
extend my arms to my
ildren and am praying fol
le dead'and comfort for thu
-s.s.s..-sa,,a.s.s-s.A@>an.