It is urgent to provide.
The damages of Boscotrecase are very grave and serious. It is
calculated, that two hundred and fifty houses have been surrounded by
lava or destroyed, almost the fourth part of the town, and with them
about a thousand acres of land are destroyed, each acre here is worth
two thousand francs. The lava has thus swallowed two million francs.
And the houses are worth perhaps another million, perhaps more.
And there is a suburb Tre Case which has remained cut out from all
communications, because the lava surrounds it on every side.
What is done for this country? Our courageous soldiers are working, it
is true, M. Acunzo's working men are also desperately working, and the
mayor, good M. Casella does what he can. But it is necessary to do much
and to give much. This poor devastated and blocated country must spring
up to life again, measures must be taken by those that can and must.
The population is all back, and those who have found the little houses
untouched by the fire, but emptied by thieves, have, gone back to it,
providing at best to all that had been stolen, and those who have not
found it any longer, have arranged themselves the best they could,
resigned, because they hope.
And the hopeful words on everybody's lips, the trusting words repeated
by all those who accompanied, me especially by M. Acunzo and Mayor
Casella, have greatly moved me for I felt that by encouraging them, I
was only an accomplice in a pitiful lie.
Our return has been discouraging, and while our little tram was rapidly
going down through the fields, I was looking at the great and silent
murderer still proudly showing its top all covered with ashes, almost
as an espiation.