Heppner gazette., January 07, 1909, Image 3

I
.1
c.
EARTHQUAKE HAS
1 00.000 VICTIMS
WOE IS IMMENSE.
Messina and Reoglo Almost Com
pletely Destroyed.
Sibilian Hotels Were Crowded With
Foreign Tourists and Many Have
Perished Italian King and Queen
Hasten to Scene of Disaster to
Direct Relief Measures.
Rome, Dec. HO. One hundred thou
sand dead: Messina, on the Island of
Sicily, and Reggio and a score of
towns in southern Italy, overwhelmed;
the entire Calabrian region laid waste
that is the earthquake's record so far
as at present known. Reports are
coming slowly into Rome on account
of the most complete destruction of
lines of communication to the stricken
)laces.
The death total in Messina ranges
from 12,000 to :0,0OU; that of Reggio,
which, with its adjacent villages num
bered 45.IHIO people, includes almost
the entire population; at I'all, 1000 are
reported (lead; at Cassano, 1000; at
Cosen.a, 500, and half the population
of Bagnara, about 4000. The Monte
leonc region has been devastated and
Kiposa. Seminara, San Giovanni, Scilla,
l.azzaro and Cannitello and all other
communes and villages on the straits
:tre in ruins.
The king and queen of Italy arc now
on their way to .Messina, having sailed
last night from Naples aboard the bat
tleship Vittorio F.minauuele. The pope
has shown the greatest distress at the
calamity, and he himself was the first
to contribute a sum amounting to
tfMoo.ono to the relief of the afflicted.
British, French and Russian warships
.are steaming toward the south, and
already several of the ships of Great
Britain and Russia have performed he
roic service in the work of rescue.
It is feared that many foreigners
have been killed, as a number of ho
tels at Messina and doubtless all
other places were crowded with tour
ists. Little is known of the fate of
the diplomatic representatives of the
powers stationed at these posts, al
though the Italian government is
using every effort to relieve the anx
iety felt on this account.
There is the gravest danger that a
pestilence will follow the destruction
of the towns. On account of the vast
havoc wrought, bodies will lie un
buried for days and weeks. Those
who escaped death, many of whom are
badly injured, are making their way
by the thousands to the nearest place
Earthquake Victims of Italy May Num
ber Over 150,000.
Results of Earthquake.
Killed, 100,000 to 200,000.
Injured, 300,000 to 500,000. i
Homeless, estimated at 1,000,000. i
Cities over 10,000 population de
stroyed, 15.
Smaller towns destroyed, estimat
ed, 50.
Warships sunk, (torpedo boats) 12.
Ships sunk by tidal wave, 600.
Many American tourists among
the dead.
Formation of Straits of Messina
changed.
Historic Scylla and Charybdis de
stroyed. Etna and Stromboli, volcanoes, in
eruption.
Second and third shocks felt in !
oieuy. i
Cable to Aeolian isles cut; disas
ter feared.
of refuge. Their sufferings even now
miht he intense, as they are without
food or clothing.
Stunned at the magnitude of the ca
lamity which has overtaken fellow
countrymcn, all Italy mourns tonight
for the stricken province of Calabria
and the Island of Sicily. Accus
tomed for centuries to earthquakes,
Italy stands ever in dread, but none
was prepared for the disaster which in
the fraction of a minute yesterday de
vastated cities and towns and caused
the death of thousands. "
San Francisco Remembers 1906.
Sau Francisco, Dec. 30. Mayor
Taylor issued a proclamation yester
day afternoon stating that the re
sponse for aid for the suffering people
-of Italy will doubtless be quick and
.generous in this city, and requesting
that all contributions be sent to Allen
Knight, treasurer of the California
branch of the American National Red
Cross, 502 California street, San Fran
cisco. Contributions will also be re
ceived by Benjamin Ide Wheeler,
president of the California branch of
the Red Cross, at Berkeley.
Tidal Wave Destructive.
Rome, Dec. :'.o. Many hundreds of
living persons are still beneath th
rums in Calabrian towns, but it is
unite impossible to relieve them. At
RipoMo the tidal wave was terrific.
At lust the sea receded or a great
distance from the shore and then it
swept forward with tremendous vio
lence. The water, advancing in a huge
wave, swept before it every house and
building for a thousand feet from the
hore line. The waters rushed through
the streets of Riposto to a depth of
from 10 to 20 feet.
Opera Company to Give Benefit.
I. os Angeles, Dec. 30. Arrange
ments are being made by the manage
ment of the I.ambardi grand opera
company, which is filling an engage
ment here, to give a series of perform
ances fnr the benefit of the Italian
earthquake sufferers. Several mem
bers df the I.ambardi company for
merly lived in the devastated districts.
Local Italians have already started a
relief fund for the aid of their suffer
ing countrymen.
Roosevelt Sends Message.
Washington, Dec. 30. President
Roosevelt sent a cable message of
condolence to King Victor Emmanuel
yesterday expressing the sympathy of
the American people in the misfor
tune that has befallen Italy. The
president said the American National
Red Cross society would issue an ap
peal for contributions, and would com
municate with the Italian Red Cross.
Rome, Jan. 2. The immensity of
the disaster in Southern Italy and Si
cily can be measured only by the fact
that it is now estimated that 110,000
persons perished in Messina and Reg-
gio alone. A score of other towns
have been devastated and thousands of
victims in these places must be added
to the roll. In the !face of these awful
totals all Italy stands appalled. Nor
has the full death list yet been reported.
Shiploads of fugetives have arrvived
at Naples and other ports and the vast
majority of these are sorely injured.
Qther thousands remain near the ruins
of their homes or wander half starved,
half naked over the land. The forces
that on Monday overwhelmed the cities
also destroyed the means of sustenance.
Telegraphic communication has been
established with Messina, the appara
tus having been set up in a railway
station. Messages that have come over
the line, though they have been meagre
in detail, show that hope is gone
Nothing remains of the city but a mass
of ruins that have been swept by fire
A mere handful of survivors is being
cared for by the rescuing forces, but
their distress is great and it has been
increased by the recent icy wind that
followed the deluge of rain. Destitu
tion is appalling. There is little food
and less water.
Of Messina's 90,000 population, it is
believed that fully 70,000 perished
Forty thousand people died in Reggio,
Catania, the largest city nearest the
scene of the disaster, is crowded with
refugees, and the continuous stream of
fugitives- coming in, the sight of the
wounded and the repetition of real or
imaginary earthquakes have so alarm
ed the population that they are becom
ing uncontrollable. There is no longer
any place where the refugees may find
snelter.
The government is finding difficulty
in ascertaining the fate of many for
eigners who were in the earthquake
zone at the time of the catastrophe, in
quiries concerning whom are coming
from all parts of the globe. The com
mander of the Russian battleship, Ad
miral Makharoff, which arrived with
fugitives at Naples today, confirms the
report of the death of the American
consul at Messina, Arthur S. Cheney,
and his wife, who were buried in the
ruins of the consulate.
Late dispatches state that the city
of Palmi contains 1,500 dead and twice
as many injured. Two-thirds of the
town was laid waste. All the villages
adjacent are destroyed.
The king has telegraphed Premier
Giolitti informing him that Reggio is
in the same awful condition as Messina
and announcing that a Russian steamer
with 500 injured will arrive at Naples
tomorrow. His Majesty asks that all
preparations be made for their recep
tion at the hospitals.
Dispatches from Catania describe
Messina as appearing like a huge in
candescent furnace. The fire spread
to the buildings, that had not yet fallen,
completing the work of destruction.
The strait of Messina is now choked
with corpses of men and animal.
General Marazi, commandant at Ca-
tanzaro. has telegraphed to the gov
ernment that he has tried vainly for
days to reach Keggio by land and sea
The roads are impassable and the shore
has been so torn and twisted, as far as
he traveled in Calabria, that it was im
possible to approach by water.
HAPPENINGS GATHERED IN AND
AROUND WASHINGTON. D. C.
HENEY AFTER CALHOUN.
New York Plans Aid.
New York. Dec. 30 Benefit per
formances for the earthquake victims
and survivors were planned today for
early dates by the Metropolitan opera
company, many of whose members
are from the devastated regions. Sig
nor Caruso reiterated his intention of
donating his week's salary of $2500 to
the fund. Other operatic stars sub
scribed generously.
France Goes to Rescue.
Paris. Dec. 30. France yesterday
ordered the battleships Justice and
Verite. together with three destroyers,
to proceed to Messina under forced
draught to aid in the work of rescue.
Consul's Family All Dead.
Washington, Jan. 1. The British
consul at Messina is reported injured
and his wife and children dead. The
ambassador says it is reported that
ninety Americans were in the Trinaeria
hotel at Messina, which is said to be
totally destroyed. It is known, how
ever, that some of the guests escaped.
The foreign office reported that several
foreign nations are hurrying warships
to the scene to offer assistance. The
anTbassador has dispatched consular
officers in quest of information con
cerning subjects.
Believes Americans Escaped.
Rome, Jan. 1 Ambassador Griscom
returned late this aft rnoon from the
foreign office, where he went to make
inquiry about Americans who may have
boen in Calabria and Sicily at the time
of tie disaster. It is' not believtd
there were any Americans at either
Messina or Reggio when these cities
were demolished, with the exception,
of course, of American Consul Cheney
and his wife at Taormina, but no cas
ualties have been reported.
Red Cross Devotes $50,000.
Washington, Jan. 1. The executive
committee of the National Red Cross
society at a meeting today decided to
send the Italian Red Crosd society $50,
000. This amount is the surplus on
hand from the contributions to the fund
for the relief of San Francisco follow
ing the earthquake of 1906.
Says He Will Stay in Fight on Higher
Ups if He Dies for It.
Washington, Dec. 29. " I am going
hack to San Francisco to finish Patrick
Calhoun, and I am going to stay with
the graft prosecution, even if they kill
inn, What's the difference whether one
dies at. 4!) or G9?"
Francis J. Ileney made this state
ment today when asked what his plans
were. Although weak trom the wound
inflicted by Morris Haas' bullet
Ileney professes to have' lost none of
his enthusiasm. Ho will not admit
that the possible dangers of his posl
tion rob him of either zest or determi
nation.
"My wife is very nervous about
me," he said with a smile. "She fears
some other fellow will do a better job
next time."
Ileney will call at the White House
this afternoon in response to a special
invitation sent, to him by President
Roosevelt. It is rumored that he will
give the president his views on the
utility of the secret service in eaten
ir.g criminals.
COLORADO BORDER TANGLE.
Congressman Cook Says Government
Was Misinformed.
Washington, Jan. 2. Representa
tive Cook, of Colorado, has been re
quested by President Roosevelt to sub
mit to him by next Tuesday morning,
in time for the cabinet meeting on that
day, a brief of his contentoins and ar
guments concerning the veto of the bill
fixing the boundary line of Colorado,
New Mexico and Oklahoma as the 37th
parallel of latitude. Mr. Cook saw
the president some time ago and said
that the facts had been misrepresented
to Attorney General Bonaparte, upon
whose recommendation President
Roosevelt vetoed the boundary line.
Mr. Cook alleges that the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company is opposed to the
border being located as fixed in the bill.
rest Murderous Reds.
Washington, Jan. 2. Three young
Navajo Iadians are in custody at the
Ship Rock agency in Northwest New
Mexico for complicity in the killing,
on Christmas eve, near Ameth, Utah,
of four members of their tribe and the
serious wounding of an Indian woman,
according to a dispatch received at the
Indian affairs bureau today from Su
perintendent W. T. Shelton. Mr. Shel
ton went to the scene of the trouble
last Saturday. One of the Indians, it
is said, has confessed to the killing.
Of the killed two are women. No
cause is assigned for the tragedy.
Winthrop Accepts Job.
Washington, Jan. 1. Beekman
Winthrop. of Massachusetts, assistant
secretary of the treasury, has been
offered and accepted the office of first
assistant secretary of state under the
incoming administration, succeeding
Robert Bacon, of New York who in
January next is expected to tem
porarily succeed Elihu Root upon the
latter's retirement. The tender was
made with the consent of President
elect I aft by Senator Knox, whose
selection as secretary of state was an
nounced several days ago.
Stamp Slot Machines.
Washington, Dec. 30. If one can
Iron a penny in a vending machine
and obtain a niece1 ol chewing gum or
l handful of peanuts, why not be able
i drop m a coin and secure a postage
stain).- I his is what the postoltice
epartment wants to make a popular
eatnre o! its service, and it today an
nounced That it is now prepared to
ue limited quantities of postage
stamps in rolls mi ,no or looo tor use
in stamp-vending and stamp-affixing
machines.
NEW BOSSES LIKE OLD.
Professor Ford, of Princeton, Draws
Parallels in History.
Washington,-Dec. -31. With James
Hrycc, British ambassador, presiding,
the American Political Science Society
met Here this week in its first annual
gathering. The general topic for con
sideration was "The Increase of Fed
eral Force and Power iri the United
States." One of the principal papers
was by Stephen Leacock, Magill Uni
versity, Canada, on "The Limitations
of the Federal Government."
In the course of the discussion Pro
fessor Henry Jones Ford, of Prince
ton University, declared that neither
the power nor the responsibility essen
tial to democratic rule was embodied
in the American state. "The resem
bl ances, he said, "that historians are
now noting between ancient and mod
ern bosses, grafters and spoilsmen rest
upon substantial identities, affording
fine demonstration of the universal
principle that like causes produce like
effects, irrespective of the intentions
with which the causes are put in
operation. .
He asserted that efforts of reform
ers were directed against conditions
irom which the power was trained
rather than against conditions under
which power was exercised.
RUEF IS SENTENCED.
May Condemn Site.
Washington, Dec. 30 Dissatisfied
with the high figures placed upon real
estate offered to the government by
agents for a site for a subtreasury
building, the government, through As
sistant Secretary of the Treasury
Beck-man Winthrop, has threatened to
secure property in San hrancisco bv
condemnation. Secretary Winthrop
has notified Baldwin & Howell, real
estate agents for property bounded by
Sansome. Clay, Merchant and Batterv
treets, partly owned bv the Kohl es
tate, that it must be placed at a lower
price than $.135,000 demanded for the
site. Winthrop declares that if
ower price is not set. the government
will secure other property in the block
nu will begin condemnation proceed
nigs, as the treasury department wants
the property in that section.
Harriman Money in Salton Sea.
Washington, Dec. 31. The attor
neys dt -,. it. Harriman are alarmed
at the possibility of failure on the
art of the congressional committee
on claims to allow even a portion of
the remuneration asked by the rail
road king for work done by his road
in curbing the Colorado river, where
it broke its banks and threatened Im
perial valiey. the claim has been re
need to $1.08.1, 073.97. but there is no
indication of desire on the part of the
fgislators to take up the matter.
Epoch in Canal Building.
Washington. Dec. 30 With the
early arrival m Washington from
Paris of I.eroy Parks, the isthmian
canal commissioner, will be signalized
an epoch in the building of the canal.
The time has arrived, it is said, when
the maxmum force has been em
p'oyed. Henceforth the work in the
canal zone will be confined to excava
tion and dam and lock construction.
Revenue Cutter on Trial.
Washington, Jan. 1. The new rev-
nue cutter Yamacrow. recently com
pleted by the New York Shipbuilding
omprmv of Camden, N. 1.. is to have
er official acceptance trial tomorrow
on the Delaware river I he i aim
crow is of the Seminole type and is
intended for service on the South At-
antie coast, with headquarters at Sa-
innah.
Diplomats Are Uneasy.
Washington. Dec. 31. The stir in
diplomatic circles caused by the resig
nation of Ambassador Griscom has
led to much speculation as to the fu
ture of all of America's representa
tives abroad. Although no statement
has come from Mr. Taft, it is not im
probable that, a number of the diplo
matic officers abroad will be asked to
retain their positions.
Used 4,000.000 Trees.
Washington, Dee. 29. The native
forests this year supplied 4,(100,000
Christinas trees, the forestry service es
timating that one out of every four fam
ilies observed the tree custom at Yule
tide. Clifford Pinehot, United States
forester, upholds the Christmas tree cus
tom and believes that it should be maintained.
Maximum Term of 14 Yiars Given
Deposed Boss.
Sau Francisco, Dec. 31. Fourteen
years in the penitentiary, thc maxi
mum,- is the sentence meted out to
Abraham Rucf, Who for four years- di
rectcd the political destinies of San
Francisco as adviser of thc adminis
tration of Fugene E. Schmitz, mayor
of the city.
Judgment was pronounced at the
close of a day devoted to legal battle
wherein the defense sought to intro
duce many reasons for a new trial
When Judge William P. Lawlor had
denied this and other motions involv
ing delay, the defendant arose at the
court's command and stood unmoved
through the recital of judgment
There was no demonstration on the
part of the spectators during the pro
ceedings in the court room, nor ater
when Ruef, having entered the prison
van in the custody of a deputy sheriff,
started in the dusk on his long ride to
the county jail.
Before the adjournment of court no
tice of appeal had been filed on behalf
ot me detendant and thc court had
signed a writ of probable cause, which
win act as a stay ot execution.
In a trial that was prolonged
through a period of nearly four
months Rucf was convicted, Decem
ber 10, of bribing John J. Furey. an
ex-supervisor, to favor the award of
an overhead trolley franchise to the
L nited Railroads.- I his was one of
1!4 indictments returned against Ruef
by the Oliver grand jury, which heard
li) -supervisors contess the acceptance
of bribes in several matters involving
puunc service corporations.
One of the many incidents that
tended to make the trial of Ruef re
markable was the shooting of Assist
ant District Attorney I'. J. Henev bv
.Morris Haas, an ex-convict, whose
past record was exposed by the prose
cutor after the would-be slayer had
been accepted as a member of the
jury. Haas subsequently committed
suicide m the county jail.
WAR CLOUD AGAIN.
'Banzai" and "Hoorav" Can't Keep
Peace in Far East.
Tokio, Dec. 31. Although the re
ception given the United States bat
tleship fleet by the Japanese was pro
nounced one of the most pleasant and
interesting incidents of the world
cruise and went far toward easing the
strained relations between the two
ountries, and although much eood
feeling has followed the recent puli
ation of the agreement between Sec
retary of State Root and Ambassador
Takahira. the consensus of opinion
among Americans in the orient is that
unless the temporary good will is im
mediately Strengthened little of politi-
al value will result.
While no diplomatic crisis is ex
pected to develop between the two
ountries in the near future, owine to
the condition of the finances of Japan,
et the fear is being generally ex
pressed among Americans here that
the apparent sincerity of the welcome
to the fleet and the sympathetic tone
of the five articles recently exchanged
between the two powers may deceive
he people of the United States into
elieving that no danger to the na
tion s interests now exists in the far
east, any failure at this time to build
up the position of America on the Pa
nic, the naval strategists declare, will
ultimately result in national disaster.
that a compelled peace is the only
ertain peace which will come to the
east, despite the protestations of
friendship by Japan, is the universal
iclief of those men who are experi-
nced in oriental politics and who. in
ise of trouble, will be entrusted with
the defense of the national interests.
SOUTHERN ITALY
15 DEVASTATED
Series of Earthquakes Lay Waste to
Sicily and Calabria.
Tidal Waves Swamp Cities and Cover
Dead With Mud Thousands ot
People Perish and Survivors Are
Panic Stricken Many Hundreds
of Boats Are Lost.
DISASTER IN COAL MINE.
Dead Letter Sale.
Washington, Dee. 29. Over $2,000
more was realized bv the postonice de-
artment bv the Christmas sale of dead
tter packages this year than last.
This vear's proceeds were $11,300.
inler the law the money must be held
for three years, during which time the
sender of any dead letter package sold
may claim the amount at which it was
knocked down.
Engineers Go With Taft.
Washington, Jan. 2. President
Roosevelt has invited a number of en
gineers to accompany President-elect
Taft on his trip to Panama this winter.
James Dix Schuyler, of Los Angeles,
and Arthur P. Davies, chief engineer
of the reclamation service, Washing
ton, are among those honored by Roosevelt.
President Requests Trip.
Washington, Dec. 30. Representa
tives Cushman and Humphreys, of
Washington, left today with thc house
committee on interstate commerce for
a trip to Panama. They will sail from
Charleston. S. C, and the trip will
consume about 15 days. The commit
tee goes at the special request of
President Roosevelt.
Pinchot Starts on Mission. ,
Washington. Dec. 31. Hearing invi
tations from President Roosevelt to
President Diaz of Mexico and Premier
I .itirier and Lord Grev of Camilla to
appoint delegates to the National Con
servation Congress to be held here
February is, Gilford Pinehot left
Monday for Canada and Mexico.
Squaring Away for Venezuela.
Washington. Jan. 1. The arrival of
Special Commissioner W. I. r.uchanan
to treat on behalf of the United States
with the officials of Venezuela, and
the arrival of Admiral Arnold at I. a
Guavra, is announced in messages to
the navy and state departments here
Barrios Recovers From Injury.
Washington, Dec. 31. Scnor Bar
rios. the Guatemalan minister of for
eign affairs, who recently was serious
ly injured in an automobile accident,
called at the White House Monday
and sailed for home on December 30.
A bandage across the face was the
only trace of his injury.
Treasury Buys Silver.
Washington, Dee. 20. The treasury
today purchased 100.000 ounces of sil
ver for delivery at ew 1 ork, 7d.om
ounces for delivery at New Orleans and
50,000 ounces for delivery at Denver,
at 49.n8c per. fine ounce.
Advance Oregon Postmasters.
Washington. Dec. 30. Among the
220 fourth-class postoft'ices which will
be advanced to the presidential class
January 1 are the following in Oregon:
Canyon C.itv. $1000; Central Point,
$1100; Oakland, $1200.
Four Men Dead and 25 Entombed in
Prcahontas District.
Bluetield. W. Va.. Dec. 31. Four
mci are known to be 'lead and prob
ably -.1 more were entombed as the
result of an explosion which occurred
in the Pick branch colliery, owned by
the Pocahontas Coal company, tin
largest coal mining concern in south
western Virginia. It is not known ex
actly how many men were in the mine
at the time.
Thc men leave the mine after what
i known as the "running" and many
of the "'? at work were not in the mine
when the explosion occurred. Eigh
teen of the entombed men have been
taken out of the colliery alive.
The rescuing parties have been tm
'h'e to get into the shaft because of
the fire and smoke.
Rome, Dec. 29. The three prov
inces of Cosensa, Catansaro and Reg
gio di Ualabna, comprising the de
partment of Calabria, which forms the
southwestern extremity of Italy, or
the "toe of the boot," were devastated
yesterday by an earthquake, the far
reaching effects of which were felt
almost throughout the entire country.
The town of Messini, in Sicily, was
partly destroyed, and Catania was in
undated. In Messini hundreds of
houses have fallen, and many persons
have been killed.
Owing, however, to the fact that
telegraphic and telephonic communi
cation was almost completely de
stroyed, it is impossible to obtain
even an approximate estimate df the
damage, but reports received here up
to a late hour last night indicate that
the havoc has been great, and the de
struction of life and property more
terrible than Italy has experienced in
many years.
I he City of Messina has suffered
probably more than any other place,
the latest information coming direct
ly from that quarter stating that two-
thirds of the town was destroyed and
several thousand persons killed.
The stearuers Washington and
Montebello, which were in the har
bor, later proceeded to Catania, load
ed with injured, who were so stupe
fied by terror that they seemed un
able to realize what had happened,
simply saying that it looked as though
the end of the world had come. P'ive
steamers left Catania for Messina to
assist in removing the injured from
that place, who are reported to num
ber thousands.
At Catania the panic-stricken peo
ple, fearing new shocks, absolutely
refused to enter their houses, and are
camping on the squares.
The tidal wave sank 500 boats there
and did great damage to several large
essels and steamers, including the
Austrian steamer Buda.
Not only did Catania suffer from
the effects of a tidal wave, but a sim
ilar body of water inundated the hand
some streets of Messina which flank
the harbor, covering them with a
thick layer of mud, which rendered
more difficult the succoring of the
wounded, many of whom could be
seen lying under the wreckage.
It is reported that the villages of
Faro and Ganzirri, adjoining Messina,
have disappeared. The effects of the
earthquake were aggravated through
an explosion of gas. The flames
swept along several streets, adding
terror upon terror.
In Calabria, the region around Mon-
teleone was most affected. The vil-
ige of Stefanianiconi, the inhabitants
of which number 23,000, was virtually
destroyed. Only five persons were
killed, but many were injured.
MANY VILLAGES RUINED.
Quake Centers at Etna Thieves Rob
Dead and Start Fires.
Anti-Semites Rage in Finland.
St. Petersburg. Dec. 31 Having
their action on ancient and obsolete
anti-Semitic statutes, the Russian
authorities in Finland have inaugu
rated a wholesale persecution of He
brews and are drivinsr them from their
homes into the fields to starve and
freeze. Reports of terrible suffering
and appalling loss of life come from
all parts of the dependency. The
weather is extremely severe and the
hunted Hebrews, stripped of their
household goods and unable to secure
iin, herd together on the snow cov
ered fields and die.
Palermo, Dec. 20. Reports from all
the towns and villages around Mes
sina state that serious damage has
been done by the earthquake. 'and that
the number of victims is large. The
gravest damage was done to public
buildings and churches at Floridia.
Xoto Chiaramonto, Vittoria, Paterno,
Terranova. Marianopoli and Narro. At
Mimo there were a number of shocks.
At Augusta, winch once before was
destroyed by an earthquake, the tidal
wave destroyed the government salt
works. The prisoners employed there
mutinied, but were eventually sup
pressed. At Patti the shock was accompanied
bv a blinding flash of lig! r. while se
rious havoc was wrought at Barcelona
and ten persons were killed at Cas
troreal and Montagamo.
The Santa Maria college at .Mix. be
tween Messina and Catania, was over
thrown, several of the girl students
being buried in the ruins.
There is no doubt that a large por
tion of Messina has been destroyed.
To add to the disaster thieves were
soon setting tires at various points
and stealing everything they could lay
their hands on, even robbing the in
jured as they lay hopeless, and the
dead. The stores were broken into
and great disorder and even terrorism
prevailed for a time. The authorities,
however, promptly took the most
stringent measures to maintain order,
and those who were caught in acts of
incendiarism i.r robbery were severely
dealt with.
China Wants Loan.
developing the Canton-Hankow rail-!1" George Gross yesterday morning
One Year for Each Cent.
Oakland. Cal.. Dec. 2H. One year in
prison for each copper penny he had
stolen was the punishment meted out
road, the Chinese government has di
rectcd its foreign agent to attempt to
I'.ice a loan with British, French. Ger
man ami i.ipanesc bank-!, the action
follows the failure of the government
to float a domestic loan of $.V0on 00 n
to pay shareholders of the national
telegraph system. Fearing a second
failure to secure money for the road,
the government has deemed it pru
dent to raise money outside China.
No News From Consul.
New Haven. Conn.. Dec. 30
Friends here have received no word
from Dr. Arthur Cheney, of Yale,
class of l"sfi American consul at Mes
sina It is feared that he may have
been killed.
bv Superior Judge Brown. He plead
ed guiltv to the burglary of the store
of G. W. Wetmore. at Thirty-fourth
street and Sin Pablo avenue, about
a month ago. Thomas Driscoll was
the companion in the robbery, and the
two of them secured some tobacco
and eleven pennies.
San Francisco's Big Tax.
San Francisco, Dec. 29 City Treas
urer McDougald yesterday sent to
the state treasurer's office at Sacra
mento $t.0.;0..".24 2'.i in gold, that sum
being the city's share of state taxes.
The money was sent through the
Wells-Fargo express, and is one of the
biggest consignments of coin ever
sent out of San Francisco.