DISASTROUS EARTHQUAKE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2860, 6 January 1909, Page 22

DISASTROUS EARTHQUAKE.

APPALLING MORTALITY. ABOUT 200,000 LIVES LOST. WORST CATASTROPHE TN HISTORY. PROMPT AID FOR SUFFERERS. SOME HANDSOME DONATIONS. SLIGHT SHOCK CAUSES PANIC. A DEVOTED QUEEN. ROME, December 28. Through an earthquake in the province of Calabria three persons were killed and 60 injured, at Stefanaconi, two were killed at San Gregorio, and many were injured in other- Calabrian hamlete. , , •* There were also great destruction, acd loss of life- afc Caltanissetta and other Sicilian towns. December 29. Two-thirds of the town of Messina was destroyed, and thousands of people are reported to have been killed. Much pillaging followed, fch'e disaster. Hundreds of houses collapsed. The captain of the frigate Pa&sino was buried in the ruins. All the warships at Naples have been ordered to Messina with relief. King Victor Emmanuel is proceeding there. Extensive damage was done at Bagnara Calabra, Giora, Palmi, and other towns in. Italy, where the residents are encamping in the fields. The shock was of very long duration and of frightful intensity. , It is feared that the disaster will be a repetition of that of 1905, when ! a tidal wave overran most of' Messina, leaving a layer of mud, and rendering it very difficult to extricate,, those who were injured. Fires also occurred owing to a gas explosion. It is reported that Foro and Jazini, suburbs of Messina, have disappeared. Violent shocks occurred between halfpast 5 and 6 o'clock in the morning at Catanzaro and Reiggio (Galabria). j The terrified inhabitants, half-clothed, were arcrased from their sleep, and poured into the streets, where rain was falling. Thie prisoners in several of the gaols became panic-stricken, and smashed the doors and windows of their cells until the soldiers were summoned ~ and restored order. Terrible scenes -were witnessed at Catania (Sicily), where the inhabitants ■ w cx.c seized with panic. The majority of the villages bordering on Messina Strait ha-vre been destroyed. There are hundreds of victims in Calabria, and 500 in Palmi. Five hundred fishing boats and three steamers sank at Catania, and it is feared that Re'gg.k> di Calabria- has been destroyed, i It is officially reported that Messina is j practically destroyed. The Town Hall, churches, and other buildings collapsed. Tine Trinaoria Hotel (Messina), with its staff and 90 visitors, was destroyed. The building fell like a pack of cards. There are thousands of dead, including the general in command of the garrison and the archbishop. British warships have gone to Messina to take part in <he relief. The troops were compelled to shoot a gar.(g of pillagers. Signor Caruso, who is in New York, cabled £500 to Messina for the benefit of the sufferers. December 30. Details which are hourly arriving by wireless telegraphy show that the catastrophe is unprecedented. The lighthouses along the devastated coasts axe unworkable, and navigation is impossible at nijght and dangerous by day. The refugees declare that Reg^io, Villa San Giovanne. Scilla ; Cannibello, and all communes and villages along the- straits are heaps of ruins, burying innumerable victims. | Mr Ogston, British Consul at Messina, was rescued with his daughter, but his wife perished. Crowds of survivors are almost insane. They wander among the ruins. The panic throughout Calabria is almost indescribable. Palmi and Bagnara are practically destroyed, while around Monteleone, which was most affected, the dead are counted in. thousands. British, Russian, German, and French warships have been sent to Messina. The Lord Mayor of London has opened a relief fund. The refugee? give appalling accounts. They say that Dante's Inferno gives a very poor idea of the scenes at Messina in the early morning, when the town was almost uprooted, those who were not instantly killed riaag on undulating floors amidst falling beams and descending on unsafe stairs to find the street doors blocked by fallen houses, with balconies and chimneys thrown down in all directions. Everywhere there were streams of injured, half-mad, and neaxQy naked people, shivering in a torrential Tain. The lower part of the town was inundated, the tidal wave reaching heaps of fugitives. Signor Fulci, a member of the late Zenardelli Cabinet, and his wife were buried ia the ruins of their house.

Thousands of people remained all day in the streets in a half-naked state, despite the torrential rains that were falling. The air was rent with lamentations, prayers, and imprecations. At Pinozo, Cafcrome, Sante Sev&rina, and Pisoopio the people entered the halfwrecked churches, and took the statues of the saints and o&nried them.' in processions to the open country, whese they invoked the mercy of God in a downpour of rain. In the mountainous regions, in the interior of grottoes, caves, and subter-. ranean cavities peasants, priests, soldiers, and gentlefolk are all living and sleeping together on the ground, with a fire burning in the centre of the groups for heat; The Queen of Italy insisted on accompanying King Victor Emmanuel to Reggio and Messina. The Pope on being' prevented from going telegraphed his profound sorrow and consternation, and ordered prayers to be offered. Liberal help has been offered — probably 1,000,000 Hie. The Pope, who is greatly distressed, wished to go to Messina, but his doctors forbade him leaving the Vatican on account of his healthy The fires resulting from the explosion of a gasometer increased the horrors. Hooligans and escaped prisoners looted! the town, and pillaged the dead, until the soldiers were directed to shoot them. Mount Etna showed considerable activity, thus increasing the panic, though scientists do not anticipate a great eruption after the violence of the earthquake. Large bodies of troops are assisting in rescue work. The heroism of the rescuers has been attended by some fatalities. • i Aill tlie furest palaces, churches, theatres, and villas are heaps of ruins, covering decomposing bodies. The officers of the warship Sapio declare that half the people of Messina have perished. About half-past 5 the sea became terribly rough, rocking ships violently. Suddenly an enormous wave swept down the strait, devastating the coast, damaging vessels, and destroying the quays and docks. The earthquake has altered the\ aspect of the Strait of Messina, and Has changed the coastline. King Victor Emmanuel has given* £8000 for the relief of the sufferers, and' also a large stock of provisions a<nd medical supplies. Some a«counts estimate the mortality in. Sicily and Calabria at 120,000. It is reported that 70 English and 43 German visitors were buried in the hotel ruins at Messina. It is reported that the whirlpool Cha,rybdis has shifted its position. ' The Strait of Messina is much obstructed. The first shook of earthquake lasted one minute.. The earth cracked lake a. Maxim. Others describe the scene as being like the prehistoric world. It is impossible, they say, to convey an idea ,of the Titanic grandeur of the tragedy. Refugees declare that Reggio (a city of 45,000 people) was not only ' wrecked by the shock, but that the lower parts were swallowed up oy the earth opening with a treme<ndt)us detonation like the firing of a hundred guns. Simultaneously the sea, with a terrific rroarr r rose to a- tremendous height, and, running in, swept away the most beautiful part of the town (including the Cathedral, the Prefect's Palace, and all the main thoroughfares.) A iiiaval officer who left Meesdna. for Reggio has telegraphed: "I cannot fmd» Reggio ; it . exists no longer where it was." There are 1000 dead at Bagnaxa. A serious- shock was felt at Palermo on Mo&diay evening. The consternation throughout Italy, especially afc Rome and- Naples, is indescribable. The death 7 of the Chief of Police at Messina and his five children was most tragic. His wife and boys escaped by standing under the framework of the largest door, while the walls and floors fell around her, burying the rest of the family. The towns of Cannitelli and Bazzara are destroyed. A captain of Carbineers, after visiting Reggio, reports that the number of dead is enormous. A hundred bodies have already beeri recovered from the ruins of Semmaco. British and Russian bluejackets performed wonders in the way of rescue work at Messina. Out of 200 Customs guards at Messina only 41 escaped, and out of 280 railway employees, only eight were saved. All Italy is in mourning, and the exchanges and theatres are closed. The train from Palermo was unable tocome within' 10 miles of Messina, all the buildings and bridges being broken. Out of 100 post office employees only six were saved, and the garrison has been reduced to a small number. Expressions of profound sympathy ar,e coming from all parts of the world. President Roosevelt has cabled King Victor Emmanuel expressing. America's horror. So also have President Fallieres, M. Clemenceau, M. Pichon, King Edward,, the Kaiser, Prince yon Bulow, who all express their grief and sympathy.. H.M. battleship Exmouth, at, Malta', conveys tents, mattresses, blankets, and beef to Messina. The military warehouses at Rome ax 6 emptied of clothing, blaukete, and provi-

fions, which have been sent to Sicily. Hundreds of injured from Messina have t>een brought to Naples. Tbe survivors describe the atity as a gigantic dust-heap ; only a few thousands ' escaped. The British steamer Drake rescued 2050 people, while the crew of a British merchantman rescued many from the burning houses. A great national effort is being made to send succour, including doctors and firemen. , Municipalities everywhere aTe organising relief. Scientists insist that the people must !be compelled to re-erect their -homes on spots hitherto spared by earthquake, instead of rebuilding them in places which are Tejgulariy devastated by earthquake shocks. ' December 31. Of the 44,000 lesddents of Reggdo 40,000 perished. The deaths at Messina number 135,000 including 200 visitors. Twothirds of tbe Palmi district is destroyed, the deaths there numbering 14,000. Of these 3000 were interred in a common Igrave. Twelve thousand perished at Bagnila. The town of Scylia has vanishedThere were 1500 deaths at Semanara. The German steamer Therapia when approaching Messina was met by boatloads of men and women craving food and water. The beach was .furrowed with/ enormous gaps whence sulphurous vapours •were issuing. The Tailway station at Reggio in falling crushed 400 and the , barracks 2000 soldiers. Immense fissures .were opened at Reggio. H.M.S. Eamoufch, from Malta, took 30,000 blankets and a ' field ambulance. H.M.S. Duncan conveyed 60 members of the Army Medical Corps and many nurses. H.M.S. Philomel took 14 doctors and many medical requirements, Malta being stripped of all available appliances. The outbreak of fire has been renewed at Messina. A great scarcity of water prevails, owing to the destruction of the aqueduct. The vast heaps of Wreckage render rescues slow. Two-thirds of the garrison are missing. The American Consulate collapsed, and it is feared that the Consul and his wife have been killed. King Victor Emmanuel declares that Britain's prompt response' shows the brotherhood existing between the two nations. King Victor Emmanuel is helping in the direct rescue work at Messina, and the Queen is visiting the injured aboard the ships in the harbour. She rescued a child from the ruins. I A few of the refugees report that the greater -part of Reggio is in ruins. Most of the public buildings, including the barracks, which in falling killed hundreds of the troops, are destroyed. The dead number at least 18,000. The worst 'damage on the west coast line has been done from .Monteleone to Reggio. I A slight further shock has been experienced at Palermo, and a more violent shock at San Marco Argentino, accom- • panied by ' prolonged subterranean thunder. A considerable amount of fresh damage resulted. j Early on Monday morning, when 30 J miles from Messina, the passengers on the steamer Orenogue felt several shocks. • They rushed on dedk, fearing that a collision had taken place. I When within -200 yards of the city they saw Messina in flames. Most of the city has been destroyed. j Over 300 vessels are adrift. i The Queen was accorded an ovation at Reggio yesterday. • j Renewed shocks at Catania caused a j panic among the inhabitants, who daily make religious processions with saints' > relics. j The Prefect reports that the centre of j Reggio settled down to the sea level, and ' only the villas situated on the highest points remain. ' Most of the pupils of the Lyceum ■ perished, also the Bishop' of Reggio. j The -earthquake swallowed the railway between Lazzaxo and Marino. I Suess, the celebrated Austrian j geologist, states that the theatre of the | catastrophe is a spot where the earth is sinking in a disc-like form. When the sinking process is complete the hills of j Scylla and a great part of the Peloritan Range, near -Messina, will be balow the } ■water- The Strait of Messina will be "widened, and only a fragment of the eastern Sicilian bills will project ironi the sea. Professor Suess adds .- "We are witnessing a collapse of tbe terrestrial globe that began long ago. The shortness of human life allows us to be of good cheer." The Emperor Francis Joseph contributed £2000 to the relief fund. Mr Ogston relates that he and his wife, carrying their little daughter, .escaped from the Consulate through a window. The balcony fell into the street, killing his wife. He eeized the child, which was uninjured, and joined 50 others who were fleeing to tbe country. Falling balconies columns, and chimneys killed half a Idozen of the party at a time, and -ultimately only four reached the open country. The Consul was injured. I It iB reported at Naples that the sailors ' OH tie Russian warship Admiral Makaroff i in the ruins of Messina ! 2j),000,000 francs supposed to belong to the ruined branch of the Bank of Italy. [ sailors took "the treasure to the com- ! &anders of their ships. j The people are frantic to go in search j for their relatives, •

| Steamer captains are refusing £50 for a passage from Naples to Sicilian ports. Hundreds of doctors and nurses are hurrying to the spot. i The steamer Sutlej made several johr- ! neys with refugees from Messina to Syracuse. Prior to the earthquake a brilliant Aurora Borealis was noticed. Then the sea withdrew from both coasts, and gathered in an enormous wave in the centre of the straits, which swept both coasts. , January 1. j Two severe shocks were experienced yesterday. The crew of the Russian warship Admiral Makaroff saved 1000 lives at Messina. I Thousands of half -naked men. women, ; and children wandering in deep mud ' along the shore. Many little children have been frozen to death. ; One thousand men are needed to extricate victims who are still living amongst the ruins. A few dozen survivors fought with knives in the Tuins of the Custom-house ■at Messina for provisions, and several throats were cut for a few handfuls of beans. The extraordinary boldmsss and effrontery of £he lowest roughs causes alarm. There, is still a terrible lack of food supply, medical necessaries, and wood for building shelters. , Tlie docks and harbour works at Messina have sunk to sea, level. I The effects of the seismic wave were Jelt from Termini to Syracuse. For 11 miles south of Reggio the face of the country has been completely altered. There are large tracks under the water, and everywhere there is havoc and destruction. The Italian Government is sending emigrant vessels to Reggio and Messina to serve as temporary hospitals or to remove survivors elsewhere. The Princess and noble ladies are. volunteering to nurse the injured, and are also adopting orphans. Eighteen districts in Calabria have been completely destroyed. The Director of the Observatory at Catania estimates that the number of killed is 200,000. The Italian Parliament will shortly be convoked to vote extraordinary taxation for the next five years and to increase the railway rates. It will exempt the afflicted districts from taxation. The drinking water in many places has become contaminated. I Clouds of carrion birds are devouring the corpses in the streets of Reggio and the neighbouring villages. No damage was done at Taomina, a popular health resort. Two priests were the only survivors at Scylia. They took refuge in a vault of the church, which alone .withstood the shocks. I After being at Reggio King Emmanuel revisited Meesina, acd in the latter city a building of five storeys fell at his feet. The British miMfcary attache at Rome has gone to Messina to intercept the steamer Bremen, and to requeet^ her to i give assistance from her stores. J The U.S. Celtic brings 32,000d0l worth of clothing, shoes, tents, and food. j The Italian and other naval authorities are " organising relief. 1 Tie first great shock of earthquake lasted 37sec, and was followed by four tidal waves. j Deputy Fulci lay for 15 hours injured jin a ruined cellar, and was then suffocated. His brothair heaid has cries, but j could do nothing to relieve him. ' The captain of the steamer Umbrae ' reports that he saw some famished suti vivors at Reggio killing and eating their j dogs. j January 2. ' A tidal wave on Monday engulfed two trainfuls of passengers who were leaving j Reggio. , ! A girl, aged 12 years, who was a boarder at a convent at Monteleone, - repeatedly returned to the tottering buildI ing and rescued three nuns and four girl ! companions:. | The Duke of Aosta, while exploring at Palmi, stumbled against a corpse, which was still clutching money and bank notes. j He attempted to raise a moribund survivor, who died in has arms. j King Emmanuel telegraphed to Signer Giolliti (the Premier) : " Send ships, still more ships, and, above all, ships laden Trifh quicklime." Correspondents emphasise the fact that a pestilence is threatened unless the survivors sp&edily remove from the scene of the disaster. The Ocean liners aie assisting the people to remove. j It is believed that most of those who ao-«. buried in the ruins are now dead. j It will be necessary to cover the ruins with quicklime in order to prevent pesti- ' lence. j Provisions are abundant. The Marquis of Semnola is still un- j rescued in a cellar at Messina, but he. posseses provisions. The newspaper Tribune states that out of 20,000 survivors in Messina one- ( fourth are the dregs of the population, ' requiring to be restrained by armed force. ! i Many suicides and. cases of madness are ' reported. j Rain is falling in torrents. j As a measure of precaution against ' rna-drhess all dogs and cats are beiixg killed , ' and many famished people are eating ( them. " j I The military overpowered 80 dangerous

' criminals, who were indulging in whole- , sale robbery. '■ Reggio and Messina have been placed under martial law. The troops shot two of a famished mob who were attempting to plunder a bank ' safe. Father Albani, of the Florence Observa- : tory, predicts a continued seismic disturbance for sev&ral years. : The survivors at Sante Aeufemia were without food for 48 hours. The Princess JLevalle was viewing the sunrise . at Taorinrma when the earthquake ' occurred. She hastily returned to Messina and found the Lusco Palace in ruins. Fancying that she heard the voices of her daughters under the ruins, the . Princess commenced scraping away with her hands and nails,, and rescued two unknown children. Then her husband apj peared and told hea- that her daughters had safely lowered themselves by a rope !of sheets. They had also rescued two babies, whom the Princess will adopt. j It is estimated that £40,000,000 worth jof property at Reggio, £12,000,000 worth of fortifications in the Strait of Messina, \ and £9,000,000 worth of docks and harbour works are ruined. 1 The Admiralty intercepted the steamer OpMr and diverted her to Reggio, whence she conveyed 750 -refugees and wounded to Naples. 1 The Orient Company's Messina agent perished in the disaster. J January 3. j King Victor Emmanuel telegraphed to i King Edward his whole-hearted thanks' for the British officers' and sailors' great , work of charity. ' It is officially stated that much more than Half the population on both sides ' of the Straits of Messina perished. J The British Admirals report that the i topography of the straits has not been altered. ! All Italy is co-operating with the Sovereigns, Princes, and Ministers, and | splendid arrangements are being made to afford relief. | Thousands of beds have been offered ito the authorities, and the Neapolitan aristocracy have lent hundreds of motors. j Queen Helena personally attended to the wants of patients at Messina, and yesterday she served garments. ) The Pope has contributed £4000 to the relief fund, the College of Cardinals £800, Queen Margherita £800, and Lord Rosebery £400. New York's subscriptions on Friday totalled £40,000, and those of San Francisco £12,000. Chicago proposes to send £20,000, and Boston £10,000. Besides the Steel Corporation, the J. P. Moran Company gave £6000, Mr Busch (a brewer at Saint Louis), | £5000 ; the Christian Herald, New York, 1 £4000;- tne Board of Aldermen of New j York, £20,000. The Lord Mayor's fund j in London amounts to over £20,000. j The Queen is -working devotedly in "the Messina Hospital, wbere a panic occurred I yesteacday in consequence of a sijjg'ht shock of earthquake. The Queen was slightly hurt in trying to prevent a stampede of some of those in ' the building. The dozens of Rome have decided to i present the officers and men of the foreign ' J warships with medals commemorative of ! : their heroism in the wort of rescue and \ j relief. I January 4. j Sixteen looters at Messina were shot, ; and 600 arrested yesterday. Some were ; attacking the survivors, and others killed | an Indian sailor and wounded a cara- : bineer. * j The sea as easting ashore hundreds of corpses terribly mutilated. On the other , hand, the corpses among the ruins are so numerous that it is impassable to bury them, and therefore they are covered with lime and buried in the sea. An Italian engineer states that new bouses, 30ft in height, erected at Reggio and Terruzzano after the earthquake in i 1905 resisted the shocks successfully. C. Cadger, a naval architect, and Mr Doresa, a ship-owner, both of London, , -were • the only British survivors at the • Trinacari Hotel at Messina, They give a { thrilling account of how in the darkness they lowered wifcb «n imjHxmeed rope a t Swede's wife and child from rooms ad- ! joining their own on tbe thdrd floor, which J alone were temporarily spared. They then ' desoended themselves, and all took refuge aboard the Afonwen. King Victor Emmanuel and Queen Helena have returned home, where they received an ovation. The Sultan of Turkey has sent £1000, and the Russian Red Cross Society £400. The Vienna Volunteer Life-saving Society has sent to Sicily three camp kitchens capable of feeding 24,000 people daily. j LONDON, December 29. The Roman newspapers state that the deaths by the earthquake total 60,000. | * December 30. Router's latest report shows that the deaths number 100,000, and the number of people injured is even greater. Three provinces of Calabria were all devastated. Messina has been practically destroyed, and thecre is a*uin everywhere in the surrounding provinces, since the area of the disturbance is larger than it was in ISOS and the violence of the shocks more intense. j The survivors dread an upheaval simrlar j to that which befel Pompeii and Hercu- ' laneum. j A tidal wave 35ft high overwhelmed J everything for over 600 yaTds inland at i Messina and Andriposto, causing greater destruction than the earthquake. *

j The troops and Volunteers succeeded in j extinguishing the fires at Messina, and restoring comparative order, {_ Fire destroyed the prisons^ and tbe prisoners escaped. * j Several of the soldiers' barracks collapsed. Four thousand troops from Rome have started for Messina* December 31. - Reuter reports that the latest estfniatas are to the effect that 106,700 people , perished in Messina, including all the prominent citizens. The Italian Deputy telegraphs that many people are starving in Messina and Iteggio owing to the difficulty of approach" by sea and land. £i umbers are still pinned beneath the ruins, and axe groaning piteously. There are- 1500 people dead at Santreu Feraia. An English sailor with a rope rescued 20 people from the fifth storey of a house dn Messina, which then fell, severely in- ; juring him. Thirty people- were suffocated in an hotel at Trinicaria while attempting to escape. Some were suspended by the feet from the window bars. Most of the. members /of an operatic , company escaped at Messina owing to the j leading soprano throwing mattresses out j of a window and jumping from the third floor, the iest following. January 1. King Edward has sent 500 guineas to the Lord Mayor's fund, and the Prince of Wales and Queen Alexandra 250 guineas each. The English fund amounts to £10,000. I The Barings and Lord Rothschild have subscribed £1000 each to the Lord ! Mayor's fund. January 4. The Mansion House fund amounts to £30,000. The Duke of Conriaught gave 100 guineas. Lord. Minto is organising a fund. The Italian l^aTliamenit ™& meet on. the Bth inst, and will vote 30,000,000 lire immediately for the succour. The Chronicle hopes that Mr Asquith will follow the example of the American Congress in voitdng relief. PARIS, January 1. The French Government has opened a i national subscription for "the sufferers, President Fallieres subscribing £1000. i Lloyds ask the Admiralty to warn merchantmen if the earthquake has caused new risks to navigation in the vicinity of the Straits of Messina. j The R.M.S. Mooltan, bound from 1 Australia to London, cleared the straits 21 hours before the disaster. January 3. The -Temps announces thai the Pope has opened a credit of one million lire (£40,000), in addition to his other gift, and also that be is establishing a hospital of 500 beds at San Marico. January 4. The French national subscription ' amounts to £25,000. I BERLIN, January 4. The German subscription has just started, but .it amounts to £10,000. I ST. PETERSBURG, December 30. | A shock ' was felt at Ekaterinburg (Russia) which coincided with that at. Messina. , ! NEW YORK, December 30. ! The public of New York has subscribed £4000 to the earthquake relief fund, and the Italian colony cabled £2000. January 1. The American public is subscribing most generously. The Steel Trust has given £5000, and the Standard Oil Trust £2000. The Red Cross Society has remitted to Italy £10,000 remaining from the San Francisco Relief Fund. The United States supply ship Celtic, with a million and a-half pounds of navy

rations intended for the battle fleet, i sailing from New York for Messina. President Roosevelt is expected to as? Congress to pass a liberal ,relief vote. January 3. Congress meets on Monday to pas* President Roosevelt's suggested appropriation of 500,000d0l (£100,000) in aid o' the -.sufferers T>y tbe earthquake. OTTAWA, January 3. The Governments of Ontario and Quebec will give • £5000 each, othel Canadian provinces less, and the city of -Ottawa £1000. MELBOURNE, December 30. Mr Fisher (Federal Prime Minister) and Sir- T. .JJent (Premier of Victoria) hay* forwarded messages of .condolence to th» Italian Consul. December 31. Some of the Italian residents' in Mcl- ' bourne fear that they have lost relatives by tiie earthquake. The seismograph records "at the Observatory show that the first tremor was felt at Melbourne at 2.54, equivalent to 5.54 Italian, time. The shocks continued .untdl 3.8, and were followed by a. group of waves, each representing a fresh shock, -which reached the maximumat 3.12. -Another group of seven quakes, occurred at 3.49, and another at 3.52. Subsequently the disturbance took the sliape of a succession of quakes, about eight in number, but of more amplitude, until 4.24. Then thejr changed into minute earth, tremors, terminating at 4.34. having lasted a-ltoigether an hour and 40 minutes. T-he records are not nearly so pronounced as those of the San Francisco earthquake were. * Professor Barrachi says that probably the centre of the Italian quake was nearer the surface than the San Francisco quake ,was. If so the effect would be felt more severely locally and the waves would be projected through tbe earth with smallet amplitude. ' January 4. The Italian Consul nas received a cabU message of sympathy from the Governor of New Caledonia. SYDNEY, December 30. The seismographic records at the Obser* vatory disclose no traces of the Italian earthquake. The Italian residents of Melbourne have* opened a fund to assist the sufferers by the earthquake, and funds are being opened in other cities. January 1. The civic heads in the various cities of the Commonwealth have opened relief funds. PERTH, December 30. The first preliminary tremors of th« earthquake reached the seismograph at the Perth Observatory at four minutes past 12 ' on the 28th. The vibration continued to affect the instrument for 47 minutes, when a eecond and more intense series arrived. There ■appears to have been two periods, the maximum intensity of which reached ' Perth at 12.52 and 1.10 p.m., corresponding to 5.52 and 6.10 a.m. European time. The last trace occurred at 2.18, correi sponding to 7.18 Italian time. ASSISTANCE FROM NEW ZEALAND. AUCKLAND, January 1. ' Subscription lists in aid of the sufferer* by the Italian earthquakes have beeo opened in Auckland by tbe Mayor. . " January 4. Over £200 has been received l>y tfoa Mayor for the Italian disaster relief fund. WELLINGTON, January 4. The Italian residents of Wellington met to-nißfct to arrange to telp their compatriots -who have suffered in Italy. TJiA' sum of £41 11b was subscribed in the room, and arrangements were made to get up a concert to augment the relief fund. Mr Ronald T. Robertson, Consular Agent for Italy, has opened a fund for