The Earthquake in Italy.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 13, 16 January 1915, Page 5

The Earthquake in Italy.

FRICHTFUL APPEARANCE OF AVEZZANO TOWN. THE WORK OF RESCUE. [By Electric Telegraph—Ooptbight] United Press iAssooiatton. Rome, January 15. The stricken area is greater than was at first believed. Eighteen small towns in the neighbourhood of Lake jFucino, which was the centre of tlie disturbance, were razed, and twenty damaged. It is estimated that twenty thousand were killed in this region -and forty thousand injured. The faulty system of house construction by dry-building, was the chief cause of the death-roll. • The only house sftanding in Avezzano was built on concrete foundations.

Soldiers are feverishly working to rescue 140 school girlsi The cries have ceased, but it is hoped that many will oe found alive. The King is superintending the work. The town. presents a frightful appearance. Great blocks of stone, piled one on another, renders the rescue difficult. Two hundred dead and 160 injured have been extricated. •

SIDE OF MOUNTAIN CRASHES IN VALLEY. , RIVERS RUN BACK. A section of the mountain near Salerno, 3000 feet long by 500 wide was split off and crashed into the valley, destroying everything in its path, and ' causing many casualties. Every hotel at Fiuggi, near Rome, collapsed or was damaged, but as the season was past the casualties were few. Rivers in the vicinity ran back for two hours ( after the shock.

MORE QUAKES REPORTED. Geneva, January 15. Severe earthquake shocks are reported from Mount Blanc range. Many avalanches occurred, and several villages are isolated. Slight shocks were felt in the Tyrol. MORE VIOLENT THAN MESSINA. MARBLE CROSS AT BASILICA OF ST. PAUL'S DESTROYED. Rome, January 15. The Pope visited the injured at Santa Maria hospital. The shock was more violent than the Messina earthquake. The great marble cross at the basilica of St. Paul's was thrown into the roadway. A glass roof fell into the Chamber of Deputies, burying the Ministers' tables with piles of wreckage.

Many prosperous towns and holiday resorts wore damaged. A train travelling was derailed by the shock and a number of passengers injured. An eye-witness relates that where there had been towns he saw enormous ivhirlwinds of dust and smoke. Twothirds of Sora is in ruins. The Rossi Palace collapsed and buried twenty people. Many local authorities and notable people are among the victims. Some 450 bodies have been recovered, and many have been rescued.

TOWN WHOLLY AND PARTIALLY DESTROYED. Rome, January 15. Half Magliano Di Murse was destroyed, there being 1300 dead. Three parts of Pesciua was destroyed, with 4000 dead. Three thousand at San Benedeto were buried in the ruins All the houses at Cappadocia are, uninhabitable, the people camping in' the snow. Nothing remains of Albafucensis, and it is believed the whole population perished. Of nine hundred at Lapelle only thirty are alive. Tho King has gone to Sora, where there is little hope of rescuing the buried.