Evening star., 1915-01-15
KING AND POPE JOIN
IN RESCUE RELIEF WORK
Ambassador and Mrs. Page Offer
Their Services and Will Lend
All Possible Assistance.
THOUSANDS BURIED IN RUINS
Soldiers and Civilians Working Des-
perately to Save Those Yet Alive.
Supplies Rushed to Scene
by Automobiles.

by Automobiles.
ROME, January Is. - Latest reports
from the earthquake stricken district
Indicate that the disaster approaches
closely that which befell Messna six
years ago Estimates today. based on
messages received here. place the dead
at ao.ooo and the injured at more than
o. 900.
Thousands of victims are still buried
alive. imprisoned by the wreckage of
their homes while rescuers from every
walk of life struggle desperately to dig
them out. King Victor Emmanuel, who
returned to Rome from Avezzano last
night. personally superintended the re-
lease of IA number Of such unfortunates
In all ninety-eight earthquake shocks
We're recorded by the seismosraphs. Two
shocks were violent. the others of minor
character The quakes are said to have
been due to continuous heavy rains, re-
sulting in vibrations which formed great
bodies of steam by contact with incan-
descent matter This hypothesis seems
confirmed by the fact that the spring at
San Guilano has almost doubled the
volume of its flow since yesterday.
King Victor Emmanuel, the Pope. the
government officials and the Catholic
hierarchy have combined In sending re-
lief to the injured
Wounded Brought to Rome.
Trains from the east are bringing
hundreds of injured into Rome, where
they are being taken to hospitals and
private houses for treatment. Surgeons
and nurses are being dispatched from
all directions into the stricken districts
TO minister to the needs of the injured.
while troops are being sent to the ruin
ed or damaged towns to guard against
vanda1s.
The American ambassador. Thomas
Nelson Page, has sent some of his staff
10 AvezZano to learn the exact details
of the disaster. 1t is from the AbruzZ
provinces that a large percentage of
Pope Offers Hospital.
Pope Benedict this morning offered to
the mayor of Rome the use of the Hos
pital of Santa Marta, which he visited
yesterday. The offer was gratefully ac-
cepted, and it's 300 beds serve as a ma
terial relief for the difficult situation.
The latest reports place the number of
dead in Avezzano at 10000, and in Sora
at 4,95c. in at least sixty other towns
affected more than 5000 have been killed.
From these towns come the majority of
TIE injured. In AveZZano and Sora al
most every one was killed.
The situation in AveZZanO is increaS-
!nSly grave because of the destruction of
the aqueduct system and the consequent
shutting Off of the water supply. Com
nun.caton is slowly being re-established
and two hastily improvised hospitals and
one refugee camp have been set up.
Among the towns which are said to
.Avezzano. Sora, Capelle, Magliano.
Marse, Massadalbe, ColIarmele Gerchio
Celano. Lelli. Paterno. San Felino, Gio-
samarsi, Scurcola, Capistrello, Antro-
sano and Castronovme, while Pescina,
OrtonamarSl. Samtelimo, San Benedetto
Ortucchio. Cocullo. Bisegna, BaIsorano
Canistro. Civitelladantino, CasteIIa
fumi, Pagliotra and Sorbo are badly
damaged.
From many other places come reports
of slighter damage to property and
mlnor casualties.
Rescuers Hard at Work.
E"scuerS. working by torchIieht, toiled
all night amid the ruins of Avezz.,o
hut the work is necessarily slow because
OF the great amount of wreckage to 1e
removed.
Firemen from Rome who are engaged
in the work are centering their efforts
about the girls school, in which so manv
of the pupils are buried They sue
ceeded in recovering one living child and
one body.
King Victor Emmanuel returned n
Rome last night. To Premier Salandra
he confirmed the gravity of the disaster,
and expressed admiration for the eff
fcient work of the Italian soldiers More
troops have been ordered into the earth
quake zone
Minister of Public Works CiuffeIli is
at Avezzano. where he has organized the
work of rescue. He spent last night in
a railroad car at the station. Today he
began a tour of investigation to ascer-
tain actual conditions in the country
around Avezzano:,
Automobiles Garry Supplies
There has been organized in Rome a
private expedition to send out auto
mobiles loaded with relief over zoo
machines already have left for Ayez-
zanO. They carried blankets. 1nedi-
cines. food and cordials Among the
members of the Italian nobility active
in relief work are Prince Borphese
Prince Colonna Prince Altieri and
Prince Potenziaui.
The Pope is anxious about the fate n,
Mgr. Jannetta, Bishop of Sora. from
whom nothing has been heard
Recent reports of casualties SET forth
that there were seventy victims of the
earthquake at Castellri; thirtv-seyer
dead and 40 wounded at Isola and tor
dead at Capoiacroce. AT this last men.
toned place the casualties were almos,
all among the relatives of the locaf
priest
When the king returned from Avezzaur
at 9 80 O'Clock last night he had tbre.
cars attached 10 his special train, in which
forty badly injured persons had beer
placed. Three of these died on the iour.
ney.
Premier Salandra and other member,
of the ministry and the mayor met The
= king his arrival and drove with him
TO the palace.
King Directs Rescuers.
When the king was in Avezzano yes