Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 January 1909 — Quake Disaster Grows in Horror [ARTICLE]

Quake Disaster Grows in Horror

Late reports from Italy and Sicily show the earthquake disaster to have been much worse than was at first believed. It is now thought that 125,000 people perished in the disastrous cataclysm. It is said that Reggio, a city of 50,000 people was so completely wiped out that only five people escaped with their lives. The area over which the quake extended is said to be about 4,400 miles. Fire, cloud burst, tidal waves and crashing ruins caused the deaths of the many thousands and the disaster is thought to be the worst in history.