’QUAKE HORRORS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 July 1930, Page 7

’QUAKE HORRORS

LATEST FROM ITALY PITEOUS STORIES [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] ROME, July 25. Four hundred out of the two thousand six hundred inhabitants of Villa-Nova-Albanese are dead. The Mayor of the town and his family were all killed. A- pitiful spectacle was presented in the town by lines of bodies laid out awaiting rem'oval. One of the worst tragedies occurred at the local Orphanages, where eleven little children were killed. The Duchess of Aosta visited Villa-Nova-Albanese, and condoled with the survivors. The Duchess placed an ivory cross on the breast of a girl, still half buried, and knelt in prayer. The magnitude of the disaster was increased by the peculiar consti uction of the towns built on the hilltops. They were so .situated to protect them fiom marauders in the old days. The houses consequently were so close together that the collapse of one entailed the collapse of its neighbours. . The death roll-is at present 2200. It is feared that it may reach three thousand. STATE RELIEF WORKS ROME, July 25. Signor Mussolini has refused to accept subscriptions for the relief of the earthquake victims. He says that the State will help. The relief work continues. It is on an amazing scale. The King of Italy will visit the stricken districts to-night. The work of,relief is being facilitated by aeroplanes, which are flying low over the devastated countryside and. dropping parcels of food. VOLCANOES ACTIVE ROME, July 25. The volcano, Monte Ptfzzuola whjch -is the companion of Mount Vesuvius, is active. Mount Vesuvius is also erupting, causing fears of a further disaster. “BAD MEN” AS RESCUERS ROME, July 25.

The criminals at the Salerno prison and elsewhere, when they were released after the earthquake, assisted the soldiers, and they forced their way into the wrecked houses in order to rescue the imprisoned pelople, instead of attempting to escape. Curiously enough, the Italian Army Disciplinary Corps happened to be stationed at Melfi. They are the socalled, “bad boys of the Army,” but they redeemed themselves with their tireless work. They have had no sleep since midnight on Tuesday. Their Commander announces that he will recommend the King to pardon them all.

RAPID DESTRUCTION

LONDON, July 25.

“The Times’s” Rome correspondent states that the earthquake has assumed the proportions of a national catastrophe, as fuller details have been received from eight terrorstricken provinces, which were transformed within a minute from one of the most productive regions in Italy to a scene of ruin, desolation and horror. Miles of highways have been rendered impassable by huge fissures, or by masses of debris. The centre of the disastei’ is believed to be the supposed extinct volunco Monte Vultur, situated in the province of Avelline, which province has suffered thus from 1392 dead and 2072 injured. The survivors declare that during the ’quake great flames lit up the summit of Monte Vultur, accompanied by subterranean rumblings.

CYCLONE’S VICTIMS

ROME, July 25.

In Treviso and Venzia it is estimated that twenty were killed as the result of a cyclone which swept over the surrounding district for twenty-five miles. Many were injured and a number of houses collapsed.

BRITISH SYMPATHY. ' ' i. RUGBY, July 24.

A statement has-been issued m Rome by the Italian Under-Secretary, Signor Leoni, which says that in the Province of Avellino, where 1392 persons are reported to have been killed, damage has been caused m 30 communes. • , , , The Prime Minister has dispatched the following telegram to Signor Mussolini:—“Please accept this expression of my deep personal sympathy with yourself and with the Italian peopie, and particularly with the sufferers and bereaved.” _ The sympathy of the British Government was conveyed in a telegiam sent to the Italian Government by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs as follows: —“His Majesty’s. Government have learnt with horror of the earthquake in southern Italy, and desire to express their deep sympathy •with the Italian Government 'and people. They beg that this expression of their condolence may be conveyed to the relatives of the victims of this terrible calamity.” TREMORS AT GREYMOUTH. At 8.40 o’clock last evening, Greymouth residents were disturbed by an earth tremor, which was sufficient to arouse concern. Following 'the ’quake, came a. flash of lightning in the direction of the hills to the east. A number of people deserted their residences and the picture,theatre, for the streets, but fortunately the seismic disturbance did not. result.in any damage being caused. Slight tremors iollowed at 9.50 p.m.. 11.50 p.m. and again at midnight. The electric light in several houses, and also in the streets was affeffeted for a brief interval.

Kumara also felt the disturbance, but as iu Greymouth, did not suffey damage.

“BOOM” AT WESTPORT

WESTPORT, July 25

Preceded by a terrific boom, Westport experienced at 5.42 p.m., the biggest ’quake since last Christmas, bringing people in their homes into the streets. As far as can bo gathered, no damage of consequence occurred.

WELLINGTON. July 25

The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr G. McNamara,

has received the following messagefrom the Chief Postmaster at Westport; —“A very sharp, earthquake occurred here at 8.40 o’clock to-night, lasting about one minute. The shock was preceded by a. loud rumble. The intensity of the earthquake, was six of the'Rossi Forel scale. It was felt at Karamea with the same intensity. No damage was reported anywhere.”

CENTRAL COMMITTEE.,

INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE

On June 21, before leaving Westport, Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., wrote to the Prime Minister urging that an early meeting >, of the Central Earthquake. Committee be held, and pointing out that the work of the Buller District Earthquake Committee was being held up because the cases sent forward to the Central Committee had remained unattended. Up to the date of the opening of the session no reply had been received to . this letter, and a. quest-ion was asked from the Government benches, as to when the Central Committee would meet.

On July 3, Mi’ Holland received the following letter (dated June 30) .from the Prime Minister: “I am in receipt of your letter of the 21st instant in reference to claims and recommendations for grants for earthquake relief. I note your request that a meeting of the Central Committee be held at the earliest possible date after. the opening of the session.. You will have observed from the reply which I made’ to a question in the House recently that it is proposed to convene a meeting of the Committee at an early date.”

On July 3, Mi- Holland made the following reply: “Your letter of June 30, in reply to mine of June 21, in which I urged that fin early meeting of the Central Earthquake Committee should be held, did not reach me until the 3rd instant; and I "would respectfully protest that I was entitled to a -reply within a reasonable period. At the very least, when- the question was asked in the House relating to the same subject, mention might have been made of the fact that I had written urging that the Central Committee should meet as soon as possible after the session’s opening. I want once again to press for a meeting of the Central Committee. As I have already pointed out, the Buller District Earthquake Relief Committee is quite unable to proceed with its work because the Central Committee has not dealt with the cases sent forward. Besides, it is now more than twelve months since the earthquake disaster, and it is advisable from every viewpoint that all the cases in hand should be finalised.”

■ The next communication from, the Prime Minister was dated July 7, and was as follows:- —“I am directed, to advise that a meeting of the Central Earthquake Committee will be held on Monday next, July 14, at 3 p.m. in the office of the Hon. the Prime Minister. An agenda paper will follow.” Sir Joseph Ward’s death took place, and a postponement of the meeting was rendered necessary. The Prime Minitser wrote on July 8: “I have to advise that on account of the death of the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, it has been necessary to postpone the meeting of the Central ■Earthquake Committee, which was to have been held on the 14th inst. I shall communicate with you again as soon as a definite date for the meeting of the Committee has been decided upon.” The Prime Minister wrote again on July 11: —“I am in . receipt of your letter of the 7th inst. in reference to your request for an early meeting of the Central Earthquake Committee, and I desire to express my regret for the delay in replying to your previous letter on the same subject. When I made the statement in the House that the Central Committee would meet at an early date I am sorry to say I quite overlooked the fact that you .had made representations on this question, otherwise I would have made mention of it. I mad add ’for your information that a date had actually been fixed for a meeting to be .held on Monday, the 14th, but owing to the death of Sir Joseph Ward this had necessarily to be postponed in view of the fact that we do not get back to Wellington until Tuesday next. A meeting will, however, be held at the earliest posisble date, of which you will be duly advised.’

The, following letter, dated July. 21, is from the secretary of the •Central Committee to Mr Holland: —“I am directed to advise that , a meeting of the Central Earthquake Committee will be'held on Monday next; the 28th inst., at 3 p.m., in the office of 'the Hon. the Prime Minister. An agenda paper will follow.”