| Show THE earthquakes THE NEWS telegraphic columns today are freighted with frightful tidings tiding so loss of life and destruction bt bf property by means ot of a mighty earthquake one of the greatest of recent times not only as relates to destructiveness b but ut to extent also the rupture seems to have extended from gerona on the northeastern spanish coast and following the semicircular shore of the mediterranean around the southern part of france and italy nearly if not quite to rome this is a vast scope of country to be affected at the same time and in the same manner by oue one of the planets spasmodic pulsations sat ions and the consternation and awe of those in that and the adjacent territory must have been extreme at this writing the extent of the damage done cannot be computed with anything like jike accuracy details come along slowly as the affrighted people recover their equanimity but so far little but round figures and guesses more or less exah exaggerated aerated have been sent to the world atif fifteen teen hundred deaths are reported from one place another says three hundred and smaller figures come along numerously and variously it is perhaps perhaps within the limit to place the loss of life at no less than persons and the destruction to property at an amazingly amazing amazingly ll large sum one that time and careful care ul calculation alone will enable us to even approximate one incident in connection with the sad catastrophes which attended the earthquake was as suggestive and impressive as it mus mast nave been painful ul to the participants at nice nicea a party of revelers had been to a grann grand cirni carnival the whole night long and were wending their thear way hoin homeward jeward in a semi somnolent land more or less in 14 1 ebria ted condition doubtless shi singing agn 1 9 ribald songs and making drunken leers at those they chanced to pass when all at once and without an instants warning the ground seemed dropping from beneath them buildings began to totter and wid the face of nature like many of their own 0 w was distorted and disfigured T they he could scarcely keep their feet and many did not want to preferring pre fernn for the time their knees to rent upon doubtless for the first time in their lives their hilarity and recklessness reckless nes suddenly ceased and prayers and lamentations followed what chatas a spectacle P that must have been the clown the columbine the demon and the monsters of varied shape and hue hae prostrate before the being whose image was only in their minds when the moment of peril came supplicating him as only those can who know kaow him not when all is peace anao danger threatens those who la in holy places who acknowledge the exist ence and revere the will of deity may be greatly moved at such or any manifestations matifes of his power but they will not be so 80 overwhelmed nor absurdly unprepared as were those these revelers whose paint thickened tears mingled with the dust while abile they implored aid and mercy from the source whence alone it could come |
