The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-08
Italian Towns and Cities Are
LeveIed ty Force of Shocks.
Casualty Lists Constantly Grow.
ing-PrOperty Damage Big.
KING EMMANUEL TO SCENE
Many Historic Buildings and
Art Treasures Ruined.
Leaning Tower of Pisa Now
Leans to Final Fall.

which shook northern Italy yesterday
apparently was one of the most ex-
tensive that ever struck that region.
Reports received here today iritii-
Gated an area more than 500 miles
long and $50 miles wide was affected.
Scores of deaths and hundreds of in
1urleS already have been reported and
1t was feared the casualty list would
continue to mount as communication
was re-established- Property damage
was expected to reach millions of dol
lars.
King Victor Emmanuel. who was
visiting in Pisa, was reported to have
J left that city to visit the devastated
districts.
Relief work was being conducted
under government supervision. Sol
diers and volunteer workers were be-
ing rushed into the stricken area.
Whole Towns Arc Razed.
The earthquake which occurred
early yesterday apparently extended
from the region of San Stefano, in the
iApennines, so miles southeast of
Florence, northeastward into the In
terlaken district of Switzerland The
more important cities which felt the
shock were Florence, Leghorn, Spezia.
Genoa. Milan, Modena. Lucia and
! Reggie.
The tremors seemingly entered the
province of Massacarrara, in north
western Tuscania. where five towns
| VIVA SoHemandina. F1Vizanno. Quer-
cia. Molassa and Tarasco-were re-
ported completely razed. Scores OF
other towns and villages in other
parts of the quake area were badly
| damaged.
| Death List Is Growing.
As reports from the stricken region
come IN over faltering telegraph and
telephone lines, the extent of the dis
| aster seems to be growing. and there
| Is possibility the da mage done may
be much more serious than was at
first believed.
The territory violently disturbed
seems to be lozenger-shaped. with
Florence at the southern apex and
( Modena at the northern end. It ex-
tends along the Etrurian coast and
runs over the Apennines eastward for
upwards of 100 miles In this district
there are many populous towns. and
no tidings have as yet been received
| from many of them.
! At Fivizzano, a town of 900 In
habitants near Carrara, several hum
dred lost their lives and almost every
| building was damaged and many
were completely destroyed. Among
| the collapsed structures is the postof-
| flee, in the ruins of which is the en-
tire staff soliera, in the province of
| Maassa, MARTINA and Monti. nearby,
! were partly destroyed. Rivesa no,
| Fornf and Montignoro are reported in
ruins while in Mari1 and Cararara
/
| Viareggio the church of st. Paul was
destroyed and at Castel Franco df
Soto, the ceiling of the church was
shattered.
Many Villages Wiped Out.
Panic prevails al Lucca. as a result
| of the cataclysm and from Gavinana
and Lisestre come reports of lives be-
ing lost. At Villafranca in Lunigiana.
an entire family was buried in the
| ruins of their home. and the village Of
/ NiRPffa entirely dasfrnyad
Gus damage was done in the Frignano
district where houses collapsed and at
| Frassinero where a number of houses
| fell. Pievepelago AMI SAINTS Andrea
were badly damaged but the number
of victims has not been ascertained.
Relief parties sent in reports that
the towns of Quercia. Molassa and
Tarasco had been completely wiped
out. The whole region around Spezia
was said to have been seriously dam
aged
signor Bertini. under secretary OF
public works, has left for the de-
vastated area to personally supervise
relief work.
Two Towns Destroyed.
On account of interruption to COM
| munication. details were lacking II
was learned that Villa Collemandia
and Fivizzano were completely de-
lstroyed. The former had 1000 popu-
lation. In the latter place. 20 were
| known dead and scores injured.
Fifty-seven bodies were said to have
been recovered from the ruins in Pisa.
where the famous leaning tower was
reported to have been so badly shaken
it was in danger of falling.
Troops and volunteer workers have
! been sent 20 the stricken area with
medical and food supplies.
| The shock. which centered in the
province of Massa carrara, lasted about
20 seconds and was the most severe
! ever felt in several towns in that zone.
Serious damage and many casualties
! were reported from IL towns.
| At Calcinniana, a church and sew
eral houses were razed. Two persons
were killed and many injured. The
church Of st. Paul at Via Reggie was
badly damaged and a workman was
killed and several injured.
A church and hospital at Pistoja
were shaken down and the churches
of San Francisco and San Lorenzo
were damaged
At Castel Franco. the famous Ceiiini
| theatre was destroyed. The entire
TO be camping in the open country
I nearby
The ceiling Of the church at St
Prospero. at Mo1inoquosa, fell while
worshippers were in the edifice.
According to the Nuovo Giornale
of Florence. the districts of Lungiana
and Garfagnana were the hardest hit.
The Spezia correspondent of Epoca
said the town of Fivizzano. in the
( iApennines. twenty miles northeast.
had been razed and Soiiera and Mott
had been partially destroyed. Many
iHere kfilad in fha fhree