ITALIAN DISASTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3090, 12 January 1909, Page 5

ITALIAN DISASTER.

.EARTHQUAKE WAIFS. .A GENEROUS PROPOSAL. 'Received January 11, 8 45 a.m. ROME, January 10. It is probable that Italy will call -all the pnor orphans of the earthquake "Ch Iriren of the Nation," and -that they -ill'oe provided for until they come :■'' age. PUBLIC RECORDS DISCOVERED. PRESSURE ON REFUGEES. January 11. 8.30 a.m. ROME, Januury 10. There are 11,500 troops at Messina, and 7,000 at Reggio, "where public moneys and documents are being recovered from the ruins. Stores ara being withheld from .-rafugeas, in o:'I?r to compal tham to quit unsafe places. STRAITS SAtE FOR NAVIGATION. Received January 11, 5.15 a.m. BERLIN, January 10. It is officially stated in Berlin that the Straits of Messina are again safe for the Norddeutscher-Lloyd steamers, which ktely were ordered to steam west of Sicily. -40.00U CORPSES STILL UNDER THE RUINS. Received January 11, 9.50 p.m. ROME, January 11. 'General Mazza, General Commissary at Messina, admits that the rescue work at first suffered from confusion, but the soldiers and sailors deserved the greatest praise. The •severest task confronting the authorities now is to prevent an epidemic from putrefaction. Forty thousand corpses are still under the ruins. Six more persons have been rescued at Messina. A butcher was extricated comparatively well, though he had been foodless for fourteen days, and compelled to see his wife and -children die in slow agony without being able to help them. Troops recovered valuables worth ■ £200,000. Sigi'or Felice, Deputy at Catania, declared in the Italian Chamber, that if assistance had been sent, and the place put under more intelligent direction than that of the military, it would have been possible to save another 20,000 victims.'' The Sicilian Deputy confirmed this statement. The Premier (Signor Gioloiti) replied that martial law had bee-i applied at the Prefect's request in order to prevent pillaging on a large scale.