ITALY’S AWFUL VISITATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18629, 26 July 1930, Page 17

ITALY’S AWFUL VISITATION.

Regarded As National Disaster. WIDE AREA DEVASTATED. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received July 25, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 25. 1 The Rome correspondent of the i ‘Times” states that the earthquake has assumed the proportions of a national catastrophe, as fuller details are received from eight terror-stricken 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 ’iy huge fissures or masses of debris. The centre of disaster is believed to be the supposed extinct volcano Monte Vultur, situated at Avellino, which province has suffered. Thus far there are 1392 dead and 2072 injured. Survivors declare that during the r quake, great flames lit up the- summit, accompanied by subterranean rumblings. Four hundred of 2600 inhabitants of Villa Nova are dead. The mayor and his family were killed. A pitiful spectacle was presented in the lines of bodies laid out awaiting removal. One of the worst tragedies occurred at the local orphanage, where eleven little children are dead. The Duchess of Aosta visited Vill% Nova, and condoled with the survivors. She placed an ivory cross on the breast of a girl still half buried, and knelt in prayer. MAGNIFICENT RELIEF WORK. FEARS OF VOLCANIC ERUPTION. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received July 25, 9.35 p.m.) ROME, July 25. The death roll is at present 2200. It is feared it may reach 3000 in Trevise and Venezia. 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. Rose to the Occasion. The criminals at Salerno Prison and elsewhere, when released, assisted the soldiers and forced their way into Wrecked houses, in order to rescue the imprisoned, instead of attempting to escape. Curiously enough, the Army disciplinary corps happened to be stationed at Melfi, but the so-called “bad boys” of the army redeemed themselves with their tireless work, and have had no sleep since midnight on Tuesday.

The commander announces that he will recommend the King to pardon them.

All the work of relief is being facilitated. Aeroplanes are flying low over the devastated countryside, dropping parcels of food. Magnitude of Disaster.

The magnitude of the disaster was ’increased by the peculiar construction of towns built on the hilltops to protect them from marauders in the old days. The houses, subsequently, were so close together that the collapse of one entailed the collapse of the Neighbour's.' Signor Mussolini has refused to Accept subscriptions, saying that the S.tate will help. Relief work continues on an amazing scale. The King will visits the districts tofaight. The Pozzola volcano, the companion of Vesuvius, is active. Vesuvius is also erupting, and is causing fears of further disaster. ONE MILLION HOMELESS. MANY TOWNS DAMAGED. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, July 25. ; The British United Press correspond - . fint at Benevento estimates, after a personal survey, that 1,000,000 are homeless in the stricken area. The towns of Villanova, Albanese, Ariano, and Montecalvo are completely destroyed, while Zungoli and San Sosslo have been evacuated by the entire surviving population. .. The towns of Lacedonia, Azuilonia, and Bisasscia are almost completely destroyed. Hardly a single Inhabitant escaped Injury. Perhaps the most curious fact Is that none was killed at Candela, despite the , fact that .90 per cent, of the buildings r@re uninhabitable. Relief in the shape of tents, food and blankets is being brought in rapidly. The search is continuing for bodies. Coffins are being hastily constructed from packing cases, and funerals are being hurried on, as the town authorities fear an epidemic. The majority of the children at Melfl lost their parent . . The whole population of the little hill town are living out of doors. TWO MORE SHOCKS. RIVERS IN HIGH FLOOD. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright ROME July 24. Two further earthquakes to-day were not violent, but caused many tottering houses to collapse. The rivers have risen to flood height, though no rain has fallen. An official statement of the dead as a result of the earthquake gives the

number at 1778, and the injured at 4624. The houses completely destroyed total 3188, partially destroyed 2757. Two hundred bodies have been recovered at Melfl.

Aeroplanes are sweeping the devastated areas and directing searchers. A terrible hurricane at Naples added to the terrors; trees and cottages were blown down, and gigantic waves pounded over the promenades. ITALY’S BAD RECORD. HUNDREDS OP SHOCKS YEARLY. On the average Italy has 450 shocks each year. Their occurrence is not, of course, evenly distributed in time. Naturally they are most frequent as aftershocks following big shakes such as has just been reported, according to information supplied by the Christchurch Observatory. The American geologist Daly, in commenting on the seismic activity of Italy, shows how luck of locality has been with such places as Ravenna, Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and even Naples, within sight of Vesuvius. Venice, on deep alluvium, seems to escape; it would have been otherwise if the alluvium had been shallow. Rlggia and Scilla were annihilated in 1908.

If we consider Italy as having the shape of a leg, then, the leg bones, and especially the toe, of Italy are often severely shaken, while the shocks administered to the shin, calf and heel tend to be relatively feeble.’ ’ A careful examination of the seismologist charts from the local seismograph has been made, but there is no trace of the Italian ’quake. EARTH’S SEISMIC FEVER. LONG LIST OP DISASTERS. The principal earthquake disasters of the world of which there are reliable records, together with the approximate loss of life, are as follow:

1693 (September): Earthquake and eruption of Mount Etna, in Sicily, 60,000 killed.

1755 (November 1): Earthquake in Portugal, 50,000 killed as Lisbon. 1783 (February 4): Earthquake in Calabria, Italy, 60,000 killed. 1797 (February 4) : Earthquake on west coast of South America, 41,000 killed at Quito. 1839: Earthquakes at Martinique, 700 killed.

1883 (August 25-28): Earthquakes and eruptions of the volcano, Krakatoa, on the Island of Java, followed by most of the forty-five other volcanoes; many thousands of lives lost and places destroyed. 1905: Earthquake killed 1500 at Valparaiso, Chile; property loss 100,000,000 dollars.

1906 (April 18-19): San Francisco earthquake and conflagration; over 500 lives were lost; property loss 400,000,000 dollars. April 17): Earthquake in Formosa killed many thousands. (August 16): ’Quakes tore down the city of Valparaiso, Chile. 1907 (January): Earthquake killed 1400 at Kingston, Jamacia. In that month the Italian volcanoes, Etna and Vesuvius, were destructively active, also the volcano of Mauna Loa, Hawaii.

1908 (December 28): Earthquake in Sicily and Calabria killed 6000, Messina partly destroyed. 1920: Earthquake and landslides in Kansu Province, Western China, bordering Tibet, killed over 100,000 persons.

1923 (September 1): Earthquake, followed by fires and tidal waves, destroyed part of Tokio and Yokohama, over 100,000 were killed.

1925 (May 23): Earthquake in Japan killed 381, and caused 40,000,000 dollars property loss. 1927 (March 7): Earthquakes in Central Japan killed 2500. (July 11):: Earthquake in Palestine Transjordinia killed several hundred. 1928 April 14-28): Earthquake in Bulgaria killed 103 and destroyed 14,000 houses. (December 1): Earth-: quake in Chile kilted 300. Loss 20,000,000 dollars.

1929 (June 17): Earthquake in Nelson and Westland, New Zealand, 17 lives lost.

1930 (May 6): One thousand killed and 30,000 homeless in Burma. (May: 11): More than 200 killed : and 500 injured in Persia. (July 6):, Six hundred, killed and thousands injured in China.