THE EARTHQUAKE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3083, 4 January 1909, Page 5

THE EARTHQUAKE.

TWO TRAINS ENGULFED.

A BRAVE SCHOOLGIRL.

A PESTILENCE THREATENED.

MANY SUICIDES AND CASES OF

MADNESS.

LOOTERS SHOT BY TROOPS.

* INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER. A MESSAGE FROM THE KING. "SEND MORE SHIPS." WHOLESALE ROBtfERY. -DANGEROUS CRIMINALS OVERPOWERED. ; CONTINUANCE OF SEISMIC DISTURBANCES PREDICTED. Received January 3, 4.15 p.m. ROME, January 2. A wave on Monday engulfed two trains loaded with passengers, which were leaving Reggio. A girl, aged 12, a boarder at the Convent at Monteleorie, repeatedly returned to the tottering building and rescued three nuns and four of her companions. _ The Duke of Aosta while exploiting among the ruins at Palmi stumbled against a dying man still clutching his money and banknotes. Tne Duke attempted . to raise the moribund survivor, who died in his arms. King Emmanuel has telegraphed to Signor Giolliti, the Premier, as follows:—"Send ships, still more ships, above all ships laden with quick--lime.' Correspondents emphasise that a pestilence is threatened unless the J ™ survivors are speedily removed from the scene of the disaster. Ocean linei'3 are assisting to remove refugees. It is believed that most of those •who were buried in the ruins are now <}ead. It will be necessary to cover Vthe ruins with quicklime ti prevent a pestilence.

Provisions are now abundant. The Marquis of Semonola is ;-tiil imprisoned among the ruins ,of a -cellar at Mes§ina, but he possesses provisions. The newspaper "Tribune" stutes that out of 20,000 survivors at Messina one-fourth are the dregs of the population, requiring to be restrained "v by armed force. Many suicides and cases of madness . are reported. Rain is falling in torrents. As a measure of precaution against madness all dogs and cats are being Many famished people are ■ eating them. The military overpowered 80 dangerous criminals indulging in wholesale robbery. Reggio and Messina have been placed under martial law. The troops shot two of the famished mob, who were attempting to plunder a bank safe. Father Albani, of the Florence Observatory, predicts a continuance -* of the seismic disturbances forsevV eral years. The survivors at Sante Aeufemia were without food for 48 hours. PRINCESS RESCUES TWO CHILDREN. SHIPPING COMPANY'S AGENT I ' PERISHES. Received January 3, 4.30 p.m. ROME, January 2. Pnncess Levalle was viewing the sunrise at Tvarmina when the earthquake occurred. She hastily returned to Messina and found the Lusco Palace in ruins. Fancying she heard the voices of her daughters under the ruins she commenced scraping away with her hands and nails, and rescued two unknown children. Then her husband appeared and told htr that her daughters were in a place of safety,, They also rescued two babies, whom the Princess intends to adopt. The Admiralty intercepted the steamer Ophir and diverted her to Reggio, from whence she conveyed '750 refugees and injured persons to Naples. The Orient Company's agent at Messina perished in the disaster.

KING EMMANUEL'S THANKS. ALL ITALY CO-OPERATING IN AFFORDING RELIEF. Received January 4, 12.5 a.m. • ROME, January 2. King Emmanuel has telegraphed to /J King Edward his whole-hearted ■Mk -thanks for the British officers and

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

sailors great'work of charity. It is officially stated that more than half the population of both sides of the Straits of Messina have perished. The British Admirals report that the topography of the Straits has not altered.

, All Italy is co-opsrating with the Sovereigns, Princes and Ministers in affording relief to the sufferers. Thousands of beds have been offered to the authorities. The Neapolitan aristocracy lent hundreds of motors. Queen Elena personally attended the wants of patients at Messina yesterday and sewed garments for refugees. FATE OF SIGNOR FTTLCI. SUPPLIES FOR REFUGEES. ROME, January L The first great shook of earthquake lasted 37 seconds. It was followed by four immense waves. Signor Fulci, the Italian Deputy and ex-Mi:iister, lay. injured in a ruined cellar for fifteen hours,- and was then suffocated. His brother heard his cries but was unable to go to his relief. Two priests were the only survivors'at Scylle. They were iri the vault of a churoh, which alone withstood the shocks. The captain of the steamer Umbric saw some famished survivors at Reggio killing and eating dogs. The British military attache at Rome has gone to Messina to intercept the steamers Op hi r and Bremen, and request them to give assistance.

I}he American ship Celtic brings 32,000 dollars' (about £6,400) worth of clothing, shoes, tents and food.

The Italian and other naval authori- | ties are organising relief. Captains report that the bed of the sea in the Straits of Messina has risen ten feet. NARROW ESCAPE OF KING EMMANUEL. DISCOVERY OB 1 TREASURE. ROME, December 31. When, after going to Reggio, King Victor Emmanuel revisited Messina, a building of five stories fell at his feet. 1 King Victor Emmanuel has declared ■that Britain's prompt response shows j the brotherhood of the two nations. The King is helping to direct the rescue work at Messina. Queen Helena is visiting the injured aboard the ships in the harbour. She herself rescued a child from the ruins. It is reported at Naples that sailors of the Russian warship Makaroff discovered in the ruins of Messina twenty million francs, supposed to belong to the ruined branch building of the Bank of Italy. The sailors took the treasure to the commander of their ships. , People are frantic to go ty search for their relations 4 , and steamer captains are refusing £SO for the passage from Naples to Sicilian ports.

Hundreds of doctors and nurses are hurrying to the spot. RELIEF MEASURES. SUBSTANTIAL DONATIONS. PARIS, January 1. The French list totals £B,oou. OTTAWA, January 1. The Canadian Government is granting £20,000 to the earthquake relief fund.

Received January 4, 12.5 a.m. LONDON, January 3. The Pope has contributed £4,000 to the Relief Fund, the College of Cardinals £BOO, Queen Margherita £BOO, Lord Rosebery -£4OO. NEW YORK, January 3. Friday's subscriptions totalled £40,000. The residents of San Francisco have subscribed £12,000. Chicago proposes to send £20,000, and Boston £IO,OOO. Besides the Steel Corporation, J. P. Morgan and Company gave £6,000, Busch, Brewer, St. Louis, £5,000; j "The Christian Herald," New York, £4,000; Board of Aldermen, New York, £20,000. The Lord Mayor's Fund in London now totais over £20,000.

OTTAWA, Januarys. The Governments of Ontario and Quebec give £5,000 each. Other Canadian provinces will subscribe £I,OOO each.

STATEMENT OF AN AUCKLAND , ASTRONOMER.

By Telegraph— Press Association AUCKLAND, January 2.

It is of interest to recali the ntate* ment made to a "Herola" repi'esfintative a fortnight ago by Mr J. T < Stevenson, an old Auckland resident, and a member of the Royal Astronomical Society. Referring to the recent Whakatane tremors, and basins: his conclusion on the belief that eruptions are influenced by the position of the sun and the moon, Mr Stevenson predicted further movemens of our shifting globe in the following words:—"l expect, a further period, but not of such intensity between 22nd December and 26th December. The indications point to a shock occurring at that time in the Southern Hemisphere. On 22nd December the moon will again be drawing to its nearest approach to the earth; between the 25th and 26th instant the attractive forces of the sun and moon wi 11 again exert their greatest influence on the earth's' crust." When seen again on the subject in connection , with the Messina catastrophe, Mr Stevenson remarked that the Italian earthquake had apparently occurred when the moon made its nearest approach to the earth—on the 27th instant.

"It was the Southern Hemisphere that your prediction concerned," the interviewer commented.

"Yes," replied Mr Stevenson, "as the moon and sun were both vertical over the Southern Hemisphere, and the sun was at its nearest point to our earth, I thought the disturbance would probably be there. However, the attractive forces of the sun and moon must ha"e been exerted on the nadii 1 position, the opposite place on the earth to where the sun was vertical."

Mr Stevenson pointed out that local outbreaks had occurred, he having received a message to the effect that a slight shock took place at Whakatane on the; evening of the 21st instant, also that a severe shock was felt at Waihi on the 22nd. Ha did not expect, however, that anything serious would occur at these places. That there wo.ild probably be further shocks in Italy and Sicily during next week he was strongly inclined to believe, as the

moon is now moving northwards in her monthly orbit, and her attractive influence on that account may be taore exerted over the Northern Hemisphere.