On December 28, 1908 from about 05:20 to 05:21 an earthquake
of 7.1 on the moment
magnitude scale occurred centered on the of city Messina, in Sicily. Reggio on the Italian
mainland also suffered heavy damage. The ground shook for some 30 to 40
seconds, and the destruction was felt within a 300-kilometer (186-mile) radius.
Moments after the earthquake, a 12-meter (39-foot) tsunami struck nearby
coasts, causing even more devastation; 91% of structures in Messina were destroyed
and some 70,000 residents were killed. Rescuers searched through the rubble for
weeks, and whole families were still being pulled out alive days later, but
thousands remained buried there. Buildings in the area had not been constructed
for earthquake resistance, having heavy roofs and vulnerable foundations.
In the years following 1908, precautions were taken when
reconstruction began, building architecture that would be able to withstand
earthquakes of variable magnitude, if one should strike again. In the midst of
reconstruction many of the Italian residents were relocated to various parts of
Italy. Others were forced to emigrate to America. In 1909 the cargo
ship Florida
carried 850 such passengers away from Naples. Lost in a dense fog, the Florida
collided with the Republic,
a luxury passenger liner. Three people aboard the Florida were killed
instantly. Within minutes, pandemonium broke out on the ship. The captain of
the Florida, Angelo Ruspini, used extreme measures to regain control of the
desperate passengers, including firing gunshots into the air. Eventually the
survivors were rescued at sea and brought into the New York harbor where they
would start a new life.
Photo Legacy: Making your memories last forever http://www.photolegacy.com
Research courtesy of Wikipedia
Images courtesy of Wikimedia under The Commons Agreement on
Flickr
No comments:
Post a Comment