THE MESSINA EARTHQUAKE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9363, 4 February 1909, Page 5

THE MESSINA EARTHQUAKE.

A SURTIYOR’S STORY,

GALLANT RESCUES

United Press Association.— By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. ' Perth, February 3. ” The narrative of Constantine Doresa, a London sharebroker, who was one of the ten who survived out of the eighty in the Hotel Trinacria at Messina, gives a vivid description of the ; soene of horror which prevailed. After the crash Doresa found his bed standing by an abyss, the whole side of the hotel having fallen out. With ,the aid of sheets torn into strips he lowered a Swede, his wife and baby,- who were in an adjoining room, to the street, and then followed himself. All round buildings were falling with terrible crashes, and frightful screams were rising from all sides. Captain Owens, Mate Read, 13. sailors of the Afiven, and sbpae Russians went ashore with ropes and ladders to see if they could save any persons on the high buildings. They 1 1 sard little children crying piteously ru a building, which seemed ready 1 1 collapse. Read reared a ladder against the lowest balcony and then turned to Smith, ode of his seamen, it ad said “Now Smith.” It seemed like sanding the man to a certain death, but Smith, without a word, was op the ladder and on to the first balcony, where he caught a stone lowered by means of a string, by the children. To the string he attached a light line and the children hauled this up and made it fast. He then climbed up to the children on the crazy ruin and found so many that iie could not manage them all himself. Captain Owens turned to Read, who instantly went up to Smith’s assistance, and one by one they lowered the little creatures in safety. Read’s next feat was to rescue a woman who had been buried to the waist in the-'ruins, while the fire was blazing all round. With a saw he cut the plank pinning the woman and then dashed through the flames with her in his arms. An Italian officer came np and said “What is the name of the ship to whom these men belong? I shall send an account of their splendid bravery to my Government.”

When daylight came, {[looting was proceeding indiscriminately, some wretches hacking off the fingers of the dead to get the rings.

Gn Tuesday morning the ,British fleet came vearing up the Straits, bringing the first help from the outside world.