Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-14
EARTHQUAKE CLAIMS
TOLL Of $4,000
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! from all reports. seems to have CEN
tered in the vicinity of the town Of
Avezzano, where $4,000 persons have
been killed or injured. according to
the latest official reports. Reports of
damage in varying degrees of severity
have come from Latium, AbruZZi, Um-
bria, The Marches, Tuscany, Aezlia,
| Campania and Apulia.
The earthquake belt is estimated
to be about 500 miles long, extending
practically from one side of Italy to
the other. In Abruzzi, Latium and
| Campania the quake reached its high
est degree, described by scientists as
| catastrophe" and in other places it
varied between the seventh and the
tenth degrees.
Relief measures for the thousands
who have succeeded in escaping from
| their ruined homes in safety but are
in want and without shelter are going
ahead with all possible speed. Special
| trains have been dispatched carrying
physicians nurses and oVernment off
cials have been ordered to provide all
necessaries for the stricken people.
King Victor Emmanuel, despite the
! protests of government officials who
urged the international situation in
! Europe as a reason for his staying in
/
AVezzano to do whatever he could,
and by his presence give stimulus to
the relief work.
| Queen Helena. still in bed, since the
| birth of a daughter. has expressed the
keenest regret that she could not 90
to the scene of devastation as she did
at Messina.
Relief committees are being organ
lied in each locality that has been
stricken to work under the direction
and in cooperation with the central
committee in Rome which is under
the supervision of Premier Salandra
Soldiers have been rushed to the
scene. and by night will have estab-
| ltshed temporary colonies in which
the homeless thousands may find tenn
porary shelter
Lines of communication especially
railroad tracks and telephone and
| telegraph wires, have been inter-
rupted seriously throughout the en-
tire earthquake belt and the transpor-
tation of supplies furnished by the
government and private sources is go-
| ing forward by automobile and horse
drawn wagons
The forces at work relieving the dis
tress face scenes of the great trag-
edy. Families have been separated,
| fathers have returned to their shat
! tered homes TO find their children and
wives dead or missing. Children are
fatherless and wives have become wild
ows.
In every stricken section temporary
| hospitals have been established and
! to these have gone nurses and doc
tors to care for the injured The list
includes the Duchess of Aosta who
has gone to Monteroduni as a nurse.
from the most recent reports it ap-
pears that comparatively few escaped
firm the city of Avezzano.
| Those VINO got away and were only
slightly wounded insisted upon re-
turning to search the ruins of their
homes for relatives and friends. Sur
ViVors dug frantically into heaUs of
plaster and stone often stained with
blod. The gruesome search was only
too often successful. In many in
stances survivors tainted as their dead
were brought to light in the ruins OF
the home. Then the heart broken
searcher had to be cared for by -
members Of the hastily -organize
; lief committees.
At Scurcola a woman who uneart
the body of her three-year- a..
suddenly became insane. At Pop
} a young husband, returned from
} fields where he had been al W
) rushed to his home and found
heap OF ruins. lie tore away
fallen masonry and entered what
manned of his home only to tiud t..
, VIE lying dead with the baby in ncr
dIitlS. AI GOGa an ola gr9nGtatler,
the sole survivor of his family, in
sisted in forcing his way through the
shattered walls of what once had been
J his home. Suddenly the walls col
! lapsed and the old man was buried
with the other members of his family
railroad train which yesterday
was reported missing has been found
near AveZzauo. IT run off the track
} There is nothing like satisfactory
communication with the stricken dis
trict and consequently exact figures
as to the losses in lives and property
are impossible to obtain. Railroad
J traffic between AVezzano and Tagliac-
} ozso still is interrupted.
Very grave reports are coming from
Bussi Poppli, Cocullo, Hansanicio
Ocrei Paganaci9, Pescina, Aversa
! Sourcola, Magliano and Cappadoccia.
J Volcano May BE Cause
} The center of the disturbance an
pears now to have been the extinct
volcano of Fucino in the province of
Aquila.
The work of rescue and the search
} of the ruins in the hope of finding
people still alive was continued all
through the night Bonfires were lit
and torches brought into use. The
soldiers who early were ordered to
the scene of the disaster did excellent
work
Medical men are beginning to talk
of the possibility of epidemics among
those who escaped. A very large num-
ber of people fled from the stricken
area and will have to spend some time
without adequate shelter. They will
suffer from exposure and lack of food.
An employe of the municipality of
Avezzano. one of the few survivors of
the city, says the dead include the sub
prefect and the members of his fam
lily; the whole staff of the prefecture;
the stan of the law courts. the mayor
and all the members of the municipal
lcounci. inety-five out of the one
hundred soldiers who comprised the