Show i l aff f j j apy jy t f f SOOM m buildings tottered and fell with the earths upheaval thousands of people being buried beneath the rums in some of the stricken districts flames followed and completed work of destruction while in one city a tidal wave engulfed men women and children as they fled from falling homes rome the three provinces of co ena catanzaro Catan yaro and reggio dl calob na comprising the department ot ca bobria which forms the southwestern extremity of italy or the toe of the boot were devastated monday by an earthquake tarth quake the far reaching effects of which were felt almost throughout the entire country one hundred tho asand dead mes s na in sicily and reggio and a score 01 other towns in southern italy over whelmed the entire calaunan Calab nan region laid waste that is the earthquakes so far as at present known the reports that are coming slowly into rome on account of the almost complete destruction of lines f communication to the stricken places the death list in messina Is esti n abed at from 12 to 50 that ut reggio which with Us adjacent villages numbered 45 people in eludes almost the entire population at palmi 1 are reported dead at cassano at cosenza and halt the population of bagnara about 4 the monteleon region has been devastated and bigosa semi nara san glovanni Glov annl lazzaro end cannitello and all other corn and villages on the straits are in ruins stunned at the magnitude of the calamity which jias overtaken fellow countrymen all italy mourns tor the tr icken province of calabria and the island of bicili accustomed tor cen aurles to earthquakes italy stands aver in dread but none was prepared HOY the disaster which in the traction of a minute on monday devastated cities and towns and caused the death of thousands messina whose tragic history haa been marked by tidal waves and war nd which was the center of the ter maelstrom was shaken to ruins flames burst forth to complete the city s destruction and to burn alive untold numbers helplessly p n boned beneath fallen walls and broken timbers the strait of messina was baaken and tw isted by the earth s trembling foil mariners report the channel altered beyond recognition the ports and villages on both the continental and sicilian sides were wrecked and inundated and all light houses along the coast were lowed up navigation now Is danger ous and in some places impossible in the calaunan Calab nan district which was only beginning to recover from the effects of the earthquake of 1905 reg gio was the center of the earth s up hearal the seaport of reggio is re I 1 arted as no longer existing and the city proper is in ru ns the loss of life on both sides of the strait and in eastern sicily was enormous one ot the refugees from reggio who was the alist to bring the news of the city s destruction tried to make his to sicily in a sailboat but was compelled to return and finally bacety at a peninsula port in de bribing his experiences he said the sea was strangely mysterious ly agitated and the heavens were ablaze sicily the clearing smoke revealed the mastery mes aina was in flames in the frenzy of despair I 1 turned my boat back to ca libria starving bleeding from injuries and almost insane from their terrify ing experiences messina s survivors are fleeing in all directions ahe spectacle presented by the ruined seaport is described as terrifying tumbling buildings both killed and mutilated many while hundreds of the injured imprisoned in the wreck age were abandoned to their fate by the fleeing populace one of those who escaped said the earth seemed suddenly to drop and then turn violently on its axis the whole population who radically ere precipitated from the bouses rent in twain were spun e round like tops as they ran through the streets many fell crushed to death and others bewildered took refuge for breath beside the totter ing walls where they soon met the f te of their companions I 1 SOME APPALLING earthquakes OF THE PAST year and place L ves lost 1692 jama ca 1631 naples 1693 S 1724 lima 1755 asbon 1783 calabria 1797 qu to 41 1812 caracas 1822 aleppo 21 1857 calabria 1860 mendoza 1861 peru and ecuador 1880 man la 1883 charleston 27 1896 japan 1905 ind a 1906 san franc 5 there Is the greatest danger that a pestilence will tollow the destruct t on of the towns where on account of the vast haac wrought bodies will 1 e un burled for days and weeks 1 those who escaped death many of whom are badly injured are making breir way by the tho sands to the dearest place of refuge their sut felings even now must be intense as tl ey are without abod or clothing it Is feared that many foreigners have been killed as a number of the hotels at messina and doubtless at other places were crowded with tour alts already british and russian squad rons have arrived at messina sail ars and marines have been aisem barked and they have performed courageous acts in rescuing the in j ired and removing the wounded A large number of survivors have been transferred to the warships which ire transformed into great floating steamers with doctors druggists and workmen have arrived at messina from catania and ather special dispatches received from calabria confirm the destruction destruct lon of aggio they rort that the situa tion there Is as bad if not worse tl an at messina the streets in rome are jammed with people who as soon s they heard the news flocked into the streets the hands of alf the nations have been extended to italy in her afflic alon from rulers have come mes sages of condolence and from the peo is promise of that aid aich brings the world closer to gether n time of great calamity great britain and russia have sent their warships quick as the flash of the telegraph could carry the orders to lend assistance to stricken cities relief funds have alread been started and rf hundred ships and trains are on their way carrying sup alles and reinforcements to the south pome milan florence naples and ether cities are henfling sen fling physicians 1 olice and firemen |