ITALY IN MOURNING

———.« EARTHQUAKE HORROR IN SICILY, APPALLING CALAMITY AND DEATH ROLL. [ PATHETIC SCENES IN I ' THE RUINS. e . 0 g INSPIRING DEEDS OP TRUE HEROISM, By Telegraph—Press Aeaociation—Ceßyrißht v ~ .. Rome, May 10. JMirther particulars of the disastrous carthrniako which visited the villages in tlie wemity of Acireak l , show that tlw xirea of tlio disturbance was in the rioii'rhbourhood of Mount Etna., in Ri'Hlv, which island was visited bv an annalliiic earthquake in 1908, wliio?! completely destroyed n'nd T?oprc;io Uittor port lies Jicross t-lie Straits in Italy), and the neighbouring ° c 1 remors had boon felt in tlio vieinity 0 of Mount Etna for tlio past fortnight, a I here were severs shocks on Thursday, - reaching a maximum on Friday evening. ? Ihe tremors equalled in intensity s those which destroye/t Messfaa. Professor Paci. of tho Ktlia Observatory, 1 sa.\s that t intensity of tlie disturb--1 since exceeded flint during the Messina disaster. Warning shocks cruised the pomilaco of Catanm to abandon their dwn]Kn«s thus- minimising the nmnW of fatalities. Patients fled from tho .hospitals in a panic. The railway was torn up for a distnnco of seven Inuich'od; at I\laHgano. ' . t- ,T !, « .i-aHtt-fiv sms been repaired, and relief is heme; distributed nioro prornptIv. Bread is still urgently needed. . Manv are suffering frotn i:hi;'',^t ; All tho aqueduct" in Gnrdati. po<rciardo, and Linera districts are broken, Tli" disaster woii'd been freatnr but, for the fact tbft, the ™ of tho earthquake was so eireAfiiioOfili'ed, •Scvsfai Fresh Sivcshs, There several fresh shocks. Latest statistics sllow that six vilirsgc"; have, been razed. nnd a dozen Mf destroyed, while 1 f>o- persons have been killed and 500 ininrod. Thousands of families are homeless. Many of the roads are impassable owing to fissures, The survivors ar<s attacking tho ruins with their hrmds fn their eagerness to uiiearth relatives. Rescue work at Liticfa, ami etW villages on Friday fticcht tfas rendered . almost vain by tlio darkness and tho destruction of tolcgniphic cointniinications and lack of tools," but the sohh'"rs have since arrived, and are working like l'roians. Sixty bodies by Strn- ! day morning. Hundreds are Imwelesft find foodless. The survivors ara thronging tho military relief kltoVns. Many are camping itt the vineyards, [ Tliero are mai,Tv hundred* of deafl. ' and at least, a thousand injured in Catania. There n-ero no fatalities or damage at Aciroale. Fortv bodies liave been recovered in the village of Linera, which was campletelv destroyed. A hundred are still entombed in thm debris. King Vie.tor Emanuel has sent £4000 to tho sufferers, ami the Pnnfi has "also sent a Inrgc sum, Queeii T?lom. has contributed mediefnes and olnthinc. Four hundred troops have been sent to the sceno. RUMBLING WARNINGS. FIRST DREADFUL SIGNS OF THE vr.siT.vnox. (Rec. May 11, H. 20 p,m.) . _ Roms., May 11. The fugitives From tho slopes <jf Mount Etna brought tho first tidings of tho catastrophe. ' " Earth rumblings wares felt at Catania for several days before tho disaster, the tremors gaining in frcifttcney and strength, while the aspect of the volcano grow fiercer and more alarming. Suddenly a prolonged ronr front Mount. Etna was heard, followed by the blotting ont of the ijlpctrio lights, and the cutting off of the electric power. Pile hou-sesj slioek and swayed and a scono of terror and coiifttsion'Mlowcd. ' The tremors were distinguished by an undulatory and vertieal motiofi, ;nid were severest letween Catania and Mangano, of Acireale, although Linera. wlijeli was in the epicentre of the distu/ta.noe; was completely destroyed: The relative .fewness of its victims was due to tlio fact that the Majority tho inhabitants S'n rural districts, amongst the ilekls. Gro/it age is roported from Santa Vorins, Bongiardina, Pfsane, Passapomo, Trecastagni, aiul Zaffmna. Jfany of tho stilferers werfi conveyed to tlio hospitals, Acireale. which is in the zone most affected, i* thickly populated. The land is most fertile, vines growing spontaneously. PITEOUS SCENES, RESCUE WORIC AMONGST THE RUINS. (Rec. May U ; 11.20 p.m.) 'Home, May 10, i ltcous scenes wet tl-jo eyes oE the rescuers. Dozens of .extricated bodk'3 were scon at intervals along the roads. Bomo were unrecognisable, and badiv crushed. Many of tho ntattgled victitns wore groaning pitcously. "Victims who had been buried nKy'te inv-okod aid tmtil their voices grow fainter, and then ceased. Tho rescuers found on® old woman, terribly injured, clasping the hand of her only son, who Was dead, pinned in tho debris, M*vny of survivors wero dumbfounded, ami wept, 'shouted, and prayed, haiitperiiig t-hfei coura.geQiis men who wero 'attempting to organise resctio parties. The maimed fugitives wero chiefly old people.. Tho women and children wero hurriedly entrained for (.'ataihft, but wore brought to a standstill mv> tng to tho damage to the track. One railway tunnel in another district collapsed. Tho railway bridge connective Linera and Santa Verina was preripitated into an abyss. Several of tlio hospitals, including that at Zerbati, v,x're wrecked. Convicts Mad with fear. Troops wore sent to reassure the inmates of a convict ptison, who were mad with despair, <ind had tried to wrench the barred windows, and hatter the doors of their cells. Many of the I'upritivos from the cafes mid picture' shows rushed to the seashore and soi/orl boats, in which, io pass the night. Meanwnile, m tlio strickcn districts a characteristic sj'-'Cf-tacle was tlio nuns hurrying to and fro, never shrinking Ironi the most revolting sights, soothing the children, comforting the women, binding wounds, and helping the dying in their hast moment s. Priests were busy hearing confessions, and assisting l tiie" rescuer:;". .Soldiers, firemen, police, private citiI'.ens, women/ mscl oven chiWrsu. ato Lco-opcra.tmg iu every way possibie, Vliila.

tho monasteries and court-sits opened 01 1" doors to tljc- orphaned and other distressed survivors. Heroic Old V/oiitsn, Tho rescuers found an old woman of I- m""' 10 , Ji'* s tl,c wle survivor of a taimlv of thirteen, at Nongiardo. NotwiliUstanding the sokliors' advice, sdie insisted on rc-cnleritig the totterinK uonio to search for j lol . jolsilives, and returned, bearing « babv who was still nlive. She then re-entered, saving l : "It is worth risking my ohl life ii 1 I"<,„!>■ "! sc ! l ®. ,n .V fii'nadchikiren." The eia.uit oi iailing masonry iinmcdi«teiv ontomfjed her. . iuai), wllo wag severely iniure<i • at. flimta Maria VeVginp, clung t (s ] liti v.-jfo's dead body, and was wnv separated from her when {muting trow loss of blood. Signal-Woman's Bravery. A flag-wom # u w'iio had been entrustcii with signalling work on. tlw railway near Acirealo was severely injured by the fall of th© signal-box, Her two sons obeyed her injunctions, and rushed along the metals shouting and waving the signal-flags, stopping two trains and avortiug disaster. An old parish priest at Lincra was scon sitting with bowed head outside the ruins of his domicile, bereft of his entire Sock, An aged grandfather, searching for his wife and two grandchildren, 'aged two and five, found tho three clinging together, as if asleep. The children were held tightly in their grandmother's arms. All were dead. MESSINA REVISITED. DISASTER iOF 19(18'BECALMED. In tile last days of the year 1008 Italy Wis visited by a calamity which .stirred the whole world to pity find to sympathy. At 4.20 a.m. oh Monday, Docembor 28, the shores of the Hiraits of Messiiio. were shaken by ai s - earthquake, the most awful in tho history of Italy, if not of Europe. The cities of Messina and Iteggio, on opposite sides of the Straits,, were reduced to shapeless masses of masonry, and from SO,OOO to Kit),ooo persons were kilted in the ruins. Prompt steps were taken to rescue and succour the survivors :uul to bmy tile dead. The sailors of' British and other ves-i'ls, naval and mercantile, which, happened to be in HiciSiiin waters, lent ready helps ami_ warships were dispatched in aid by Britain, Russia, I'raftee, and Germany. King Victor EMamiel and Quocn Elena. were upon the'-seeno of Use disaster within Ji? hours of its occurrence, awl (heir presence did much' to consoio the surviving victims and to Btiinii-1-ata the work of l'eaoue and relief. The Queoii, in staying n panic caused by one o£ imuiy slight .shocks .of earthquake which followed, .suffered an injury, the effects ef which were felt for some months aiterwards, enc of hrr ribs lining broken. Her Majesty's bravery and demotion in the midst ef scenes nf indescribable horror and misery l excited admiration thiUHghont tho worl 1. Meanwhile tJis peoples of other lands were shoving practical sympathy with stricken Itpjy. 11l mum countries (trants-in-aid were voted by the Governments; in others, as in England and the colonies, immense sums wens raised by voluntary contributions. On tho reassembling: of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, on January 8, tho members rose in a bodjr and remained standing white tho President, amid sympathetic cbcers, thanked the Kins and Queen, the fciv ''cipi squadrons. the Italian seamen nn<l soldiers, 4kiM| s the countries of the world who had join«tl in the grief of Italy, trash applause sieeted his declaration that Messina and Reggie would rise again, fiianqr Uio'iiUi, the Pretuiw, tlion introduced a Bill embodying measures for tho boiielit <>f the stricken areas. Tho Bill authorised the Government to take JE1,200,€00 from tho Bridge!; surplus realised during tho financial year 1908.9, in order to provide for urgent needs and 1 for the repair or reconstruction of public buildin,:;®, Jt imposed a snrtax oi" oiifrlwesttieih o« direct■ tascs on the yield of a<r-> multural property iuul on rpsi tfSlijiV, on a, certain class of income-! ax payments, find ou the stamp duties imposed on cortaiii kinds of .commercial transactions.. The Kins and Queen paid a second visit to tho ruined cities in April, and His Majesty expressed his approval of the progress made in rebuilding. The nlieprrd dilatorincss and uiisnialmgeuieut of tho Government in Hip work of recosstrttcflon were, hmwef. the .subject of vigowus criticism in tlie Chnaihor. fterioatod cnrti:n|Hako shocks were felt in Cola-bria and Sicily for many sionMiS .'iftsr i'lio disaster. The "Daily ChronicloV" corrcspoiidsn't. ; at Slessina Wrote iu Octobel Ifts't a vivid j description of the desolation he «iw there. Tlte Italian Government, twelve months before, voted .£t! 0.fi.00 ta retoair tho ravages of the earthquske, but, state! tho writer, the contractors bad not tluvi started the repair work. The wibarves were, still sunken, the sides of the .uu.ftys still shattered, and the parade' still oncumlvwwl with riiblvish duo to the 350 fefct tidal ware. Tlift Cathsdrali e'f which the gem-laden altar alone cost JCIGO.iIOS, lay in ruins, aiul She tweuH'.tvVa piUivrs of the Tempk of Nsptune CliWybodis lay sriiijshfti on the pixvement. "Kightwatchmen, <irmoil with revolvers.. guard the ruins, but many of tho ■mosaics and statues have been plundered," ho wrote. ".£2i.ROfi,OOQ worth of treasure has already fceeri reeov-ared from the ruins, including 450.000 in CviSh Irorii the wemises <jf otic small firm. Jew of the Sicilians invest their wealth iw banks, preferring to conceal their 'hoards; sacksful of rajitiS, Oriental boflds. csr}fiisitc jewel's, aiid pearls have been found. '"Thirty thousand bodies have not yet been recovered, Maiif of those disinterred were sliockiufrlt enrbfiniscd. In Otjier cases thcro 1 arc tsnmistiikaljle siins that til? victims survival oil cliauce food Todays anil, weeks. Oiic thousand three hnn- ■ tli-ofl badies wore btirisd i-n a tomb ICfi. by 30ft. .