WORST ON RECORD

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17554, 8 November 1928, Page 8

WORST ON RECORD

j; ERUPTION OE ETNA. IUNPRECEDENTED VIOLENCE i MASCALI ENGULFED IN LAVA. ; OTHER TOWNS THREATENED. MAGNIFICENT ORGANISATION. |n*OT A SINGLE DEATH REPORTED. J (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) *; fAusii'ftiinn Frf«3 AKsocii/jon. > ■j; (Received Nov. 8, 1.35 p.m.) ROME, Nov. 7. Seismologist experts state that the « Etna eruption is unprecedented tooth in violence and in the quantity of lava erupted, which amounts to thousands of tons, and it is believed it will con- | tinue for some time. j"; The chief stream has now engulfed | Mascali; • I The position of the inhabitants is '" tragic. They were in process of celeSbratlng the feast day of their Patron ! Saint, when the disaster transformed into mourning and grief. Ij The lava at first'respected the $ facade ancf" belfry of the church, i which stood erect' amid smoke, ashes and Are, but at three o'clock .this afternoon they toppled over. Mascali . is thus virtually obliterated, together ;with the neighbouring village of j Annunziata. •' Confidence of the Faithful. |! The faithful, confident in the Alt mighty, transferred the image of Saint ;and Madonnas to an impromptu open »air altar, around which the kneeling and people sang litanies and ' prayers to heaven. There was a faint • hope that the lower part, of Mascali .'would be. spared owing to the deflection of lava to the bed of the. SerraJ bnano, torrent, where it would go toI ward the sea instead of spreading over 3 the plain. |j The lava at its widest point is over feet- It is" now 10 miles from "where it was first erupted from the i crater. J: Overcoming the first paralytic shock, J the inhabitants awakened to the need jof saving their possessions, making -the most pitiful struggles to carry to jj safety their furniture and everything - removable. A multitude of peasants from the I smaller villages on the mountain flanks ; [are grouped at Mascali, with bags and » bundles, waiting to leave should it be « necessary. *! The neighbourhood is iii With motor cars and lorries from 1 .Sicily to help in the removal of the inhabitants, while isolated groups are still descending the mountain. The lava destroyed an aquadoct, de--1 priving the township of Riposo of { .drinking water. I' There is grave danger of the molten j imass invading the flat lands adjacent « 'to the sea, The situation is more intolerable to.iiiight in the darkness owing to the jjciectric plants ceasing to function, and |*Uio evacuation is being carried on by ' torchlights, creating a fantastic scenes' The large town of Giarre, with oyer • 20,000 inhabitants, is now seriously Should the lava reach it, ;' it would be a great disaster, in view • ; of its commerce and flourishing indus- \ tries. X Gigantic Smoko Pillar. There is further danger in the fact : that the lava is only half a mile from .:lhe Miessina-Catania railway, and it is \ threatening to isolate the rescue centre of Catania from the remainder of Ifthe island and mainland. *»' The gigantic smoke pillar from Etna '■ is visible for miles. The sky is darkly clouded, but t through it can be seen vivid flames and ' Hashes from the different craters, and ' the lava flow can be followed by the ; trail of smoke and burning woods and ' orchards. To the calm-headedness of the ini habitants and the splendid organisaUon ; of the authorities is due the fact that " (here has not been a single death in *;the whole area, though the property 'damage is inestimable.