New-York tribune., 1919-07-01
italian Towns Are Heaps of
Ruins After Shock in
Tuscany; Relief Hurried
to Devastated District
Airplanes Survey Damage
Hospitals in Florence Re-
ported Filled With In
jured; Loss Is Heavy

FLORENCE. Italy, June 80 (By he
Associated Press )-More than c,e
hundred persons were killed and scv-
oral thousand injured by an earth
quake in Tuskany yesterday, which re-
duced the towns Of Vicchio and Ul-
veto to heaps of ruins and caused
widespread destruction in other towns
and villages.
A million and half people of the,
provinces of Florvncc, A,ezzo and
Sienna, where the shocks were cspe-
cially severe, spent last night in tho
open air.
The Duchess Of Aosta, whose hus-
band is the cousin of King Victor En-
manuel, visited part Of the stricken
area to render assistance. The pre-
feet, Count Olgiati, accompanied by en-
g'neers, soldiers and Red Cross work
crs, proceeded through the zone with
medical and other supplies.
Tho shocks began about 6 o'clock
Sunday morning. They were sligh-
at first, but continued at intervals
until they reached their maximum in
tcnsity at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
The terrifying rumbling at this time
caused much alarm, the vibration
breaking telegraph and telephone
wires, setting church bells ringing,
and, IN some eases, bringing down the
domes of churches
Most Severe in Fifteen Years
This earthquake is the most severe
that Tuscany mas suffered in fifteen
years. The full force of the disturb
ance was felt in the beautiful valley Of
the Mugello, enclosed between lofty
mountains on the western slope Of the
central Apennincs.
Among The towns which suffered
grcatly were Madrid whicn stands at
height Of 5,O75 feet on the noun
tHins. San pioro, Sieve, Na.;lia, Montor-
soil, Dicon.no, Govclla, and lubiano.
Mnch live .1ock vas kiilod. many h Nad
oi cattle beng buried in jhoir stalls.
fc,sos announccd the approach Of .ach
s'oe', hv 'ilei. wild y. Ching
Gravc GarNage IS reported from
1orda, Polio, Scarpcria, Tauo ar
ralezzolo.
Almost al o. the fatalities wcrc in
Tho Musc'lo Valley, where tho extent
Of tho disaster - appalling. Ulivcto
ls entirely II ruins, inc only building
st,r standing being tho church, wlcll
IS cracked. THO inhabitaOts Of pilarci-
aNo arc especially s1iaNcd by the de-
atructicn Of th" house wherc tho great
poet, Narducci, lived and worked
Villas I'all Down Cl.N
The dead al Santo Stefano number
. lo OF .-,>1..
ten Eupecanina and Mirauo we're
razcd to The ground. Villa Seramonte.
Villa Juist.na and Nilla Angela Carroll
disappeared altogether. being built
alonG the odgc OF the cliT down which
they fell. Tie list Of dead is small
compared to the Vastncss Of the dis
2stcr. This is attributed to the fact
that q ajority Of Tire neorle wcre out
size their houses working in tho fields.
In several o. the villages shocks had
oeen tclg since Sunday morning. The
people, fearing stronger shock. left
their houses, which was providental as
otherwise when the great shock oc-
CURED the victims have numbered as
N the Messina and Ave1zano disasters.
Terror stricken people arc searching
among the rnins. The women cspeciei-
y refuse to leave, struggling with
tAclr bare bands 20 uncarth those
whom they believe still alive
Many Injured in Streets
Ghastly stories are reported from the
destroyed villages, which two days aco
were among the happicst and most
prosperous in Italy. Fields and streets
are overfiowing with wounded, lying on
straw, grass and rags, and begging for
water which is difficult to obtain be-
cause the watcrpipcs were obstructed
by the earthquake. At some points
there arc long rows Of copses
There were extraordinary rescues,
such as that of q youngster who, after
being buried for several hours. was
found alive, protected by the body OF
his head mother arched abox. him
ROME. June 3O-The earthquako in
Tuscany was pcrceptiblc as far as Ven
lce, though no damage outside OF Tus-
cany has been reported. According to
latest reports received here the list
OF known dead has reached 1877.
Airpianes Survey LOSS
Alrplanes have been sent ont in all
directions along the Appenines seck-
ing information. 1t is feared that some
damaged regions may have been iso-
lated
Ihc hospitals of Florence are re-
ported to bs filled with injured. All
relief efforts are being centred at
Florence, Arezzo and Sienna. Arczzo
is about forty-tve miles southeast of
Florence, and Sienna is about the same
distance directly south.
Speedy relief in the damaged areas
5 rendered difficult by the lack of sup
plies and the scarclty OF transportation
Facilities.