Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-12-03
600 DEAD
Continued from Page one)


The homeless are counted in the
thousands, most of whom are mourn
ing for lost relatives, or searching
for their bodies. Relief parties from
the surrounding sections of Milan
and Brescia are on the scene, while
all available troops have been mus
tered to render assistance to- the
shelterlees. The bishop of Gergamo
received a telegraphic donation from
the Pope, fer the purpose Of UNDER
taking immediate extensive relief.
TheSa is great fear among the sur
vivorS of other dams breaking, es-
pecially as today is the feast Of st.
Bibiana, on which, according to pop
ular superstition, if it rains, it will
rain for forty days and forty nights.
The three villages almost complete
ly destroyed were Dezzo, Gonna and
Bueggio. OF the 500 inhabitants Of
Dezzo. only three survived.
The disaster threatens to be one Of
the greatest of it's kind because of
the vast amount of water let loose on
the countryside. 1t destroyed hun
dreds of homes, where families, per-
ished without even realizing the ira
gedy which overwhelmed thems A
correspondent of the Associated
Press visited the scene. The dyke,
situated three miles from the village
of Dezzo, was an immense structure,
four miles long and thirty-fi yards
thick. 1t served as a dam for the
artificial lake, located about 5000 feet
above sea level and contained 10000,
600 cubic yards of water, the source
of which was chiefly the glaciers of
Glenco Mountain. This basin meas
ured about four miles by two and
cost 100000 lire.
Apparently the dixie yielded
through the immense pressure of the
water at the two ends where the ma
sorry was imbedded in the mountain
side. ktorrential rains had occurred
and they continue. rendering the dis
aster more menacing for foggy at
mosphere prevents a general view of
the catastrophe. The entire country
side, where the fury of the elements
ragged, seemed to have been wiped
out by this superhuman force. Hous-
es, bridges and trees were toppled
over like ninepins and have f1oated
away or are banked up against the
hills.
The immense body of water, carry
ing along with it mud and debris of
all kinds, levelled the villages, join
ing on its way with the mountain
torrents, and even excavated the
mountainside and descended swiftly
on the plain of Corna, destroying in a
few minutes houses and factories and
the electric light centres. <
Thus far the dead have been esti-
mated at six hundred, but it has been
impossible to ascertain the exact
number. for whole families are miss
ing. The neighboring lakes and riv-
ers have been raised 10 to 20 feet,
and on their surface float bodies,
some of which travelled many miles
from an altitude of 1000 feet, carried
by the awful deiuge. A nurse, who
lived in Gonna village, was rescued
from the water two miles from her
home, while the entire family with
whom she resided. persisted.
A boy saved himself from the ava
lanche of water by climbing a tree,
which .withstood the flood. When
the water had passed the boy des-
cended in an exhausted condition and
was taken to a nearby city, but died
soon afterwards.
A number of workmen, who hap
pened to observe the onrushing of
the waters, took refuge in gallery
in the mountain. After the subsi-
dence of the water they came forth
and imagined they had emerged from
different exit as they could not
recognize the country before them.
Giuseppe March,, sergeant of
carabineers in the village of Corina.
telling of the bursting of the dam,
said that about eight o'clock in the
morning he heard an appalling rumb-
ling, resembling the explosion of a
powder magazine. From a window
he was amazed TO see that a house
which formerly faced the barracks
no longer existed. Hardly realizing
what was happening. he rushed to
save his wife and two daughters.
They climbed to thu roof of the
building and chung to the chimney.
ST thought it was another deluge,
submerging the world" he said.
The Gardiner and his family re-
mcined on the roof for hours, watch
ing the seas of water destroying all
in their path as far as the eve could
discern. Gonna was practically bur-
led. only the barracks and church
standing. The Parish priest, Ber-
nardo Moro, saved himself by climb
ing to the dome of the church.
Though injured in the foot he soon
organized relief work: he collected
bodies taken from the flood and READ
solemn burial services over them IN
the little church.
The royal engineers RELIEF corps mas
reached the scene and 'are alreaoy
beginning the construction OF brloges
across the flooded valley to aid the
villages of Sciipario and Villamag-
giore, which are surrounded by water
and whose Inhabitants are IN danger
of starving.