Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Book: Centennial of the Messina Earthquake of 1908, Worst in Europe

The ANNOTICO Report

 

We in the US, know all about the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 with 3,000 casualties.Yet, little thought is given the Messina Straits Earthquake of 1908, that claimed over 200,000 victims.Seventy Times greater!

 

The San Francisco Earthquake was the most destructive quake and one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history occurred at 5:12 A.M. April 17 at a 7.8 magnitude.and is compared with the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

 

On December 28, 1908, at approximately 5:20am, Europe's most powerful earthquake shook southern Italy. Centered in the Messina Strait, which separates Sicily from Calabria, the quake's magnitude equaled a 7.5 by today's Richter scale. Moments after the quake's first jolt, a devastating tsunami formed, causing forty-foot waves to crash down on dozens of coastal cities.

The Messina quake was undeniably the most destructive to ever hit Europe. Most of southern Italy's cities lost as many as half their residents that morning. The population of the city of Messina alone -- 150,000 -- was reduced to only hundreds; Accounts of shaking and aftershocks were reported throughout Sicily. Signs of the jolt even appeared in Washington, D.C., where the day's crude technology picked up signals of the disaster.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rescue/peopleevents/pandeAMEX99.html

 

 Salvatore LaGumina spotlights the generous help of the US, and reflects an Idealistic America, not the Colonialistic, Imperialistic country we have become under Geo Bush.

 

 

The Great Earthquake

America Comes to Messina's Rescue

Salvatore J. LaGumina

 

 

OUTSTANDING REVIEW "One hundred years after the earthquake, Salvatore LaGumina tells a story that has un-fortunately been forgotten. Using first-hand accounts, from survivors and witnesses, including American

sailors, Italian peasants, priests, and journalists, he vividly recounts the utter destruction caused by the earth-quake and tidal wave and the subsequent aid rendered by the U.S. Navy. At the same time, his narrative is

gripping, disturbing, and inspiring. We owe an immense debt of gratitude to him for helping us remind our-selves of the force for good that our nation is, has always been, and always will be."  The Honorable Richard Greco

Jr.,The Assistant Secretary of the NavyFinancial Management and Comptroller20042006 History / Italian American Studies

 

 

6 x 9" Softcover Level: College & General Readership

256 pages October 2008    US$29.00

ISBN: 9781934844069

 

* Includes several rare photos

 

Description

 

The earthquake that struck the Messina Straits on December 28, 1908, was Europe's most powerful catastrophe in modern times. It claimed the lives of approximately 200,000 people, including some American diplomats and tourists.

 

This book provides important insight into many aspects of the calamity and its subsequent impact. It also lends us some perspective on more recent natural disasters, such as the Indonesian tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina of 2005.

 

In "The Great Earthquake: American Comes to Messina's Rescue", historian Salvatore LaGumina describes the remarkable responses of various nations and people that was an impressive display of cooperation and brotherhood among competing nations. Huge natural disasters frequently result in instances where assistance is rendered by nations that have extremely hostile relations, for example, the aid offered by the United States to Iran in 2003. LaGumina details how such kinship of nations and the brotherhood of mankind were convincingly

and practically demonstrated.

 

This book also illustrates a valuable example of the use of military might that that saw navy fighting vessels converted into instruments of compassionthe equivalent of the biblical expression, "turning swords into plowshares." (Micah, 4:3) It constituted a unique instance of employing instruments of war not as means of destruction but as creative tools for mankind.

 

This volume shows that Italian American response to the Italian ordeal was unparalleled in that notwithstanding traditional regional provincialism, as well as disparate political and social class views, this disaster witnessed an early if infrequent example of cohesiona rare instance in which Italian immigrants coalesced and worked together to alleviate the pain and distress in the Italian homeland. In doing so, they were able to influence American political and business leadership to play a large and meaningful role in assisting Italy. Banding together for the purpose of aiding fellow Italians against the horrendous natural disaster constituted one of the first effective instances of moving outside of their traditional, provincial circles for a universal goal.

 

The religious dimension of the Messina earthquake is also examined. In Italy where the Catholic Church represented the over-whelming portion of the population, the Church's response was particularly noteworthy. The institutional Church, although battered, placed all of its resources at the disposal of the sufferers, providing hospitalization, shelter, and encouragement through prayer. Religious organizations in America from Christian to

Jewish responded generously to appeals for aid.

 

The humanitarian role played by the United States in aiding Italy during this crisis deserves to be better known, which LaGumina has documented well in this book. The United States Navy, in particular, is to be credited for providing large quantities of desperately needed food, medical personnel, cots, and blankets.

 

It was soon realized that recovery from the horrific devastation would require much more assistance, and thus began a little known but important chapter in Italian/American relations in the form of extensive house-building projects that were critically needed. American naval personnel became vigorously engaged in erecting the homes that became known as "the American village." The operation that lasted for weeks elicited genuine appreciation from Italian officials. It also required a delicate temporary relinquishment of national sovereignty by the Italian government to an American camp within Italy.

 

This study constitutes the first comprehensive volume that specifically explores the extensive and admirable role played by the United States in aiding Italy in the wake of the distressful time. It is an important book that should be of interest and value to people in many fields, including philanthropy, Italian American studies, military/naval history, Italian history, disaster studies, gilded age history, twentieth-century America.

 

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: America and Italy

Chapter 2: An Appalling Upheaval

Chapter 3: Initial Response

Chapter 4: Answering the Need

Chapter 5: America's Historic Role

Chapter 6: The United States in Action

Chapter 7: Recovery on the Horizon

Chapter 8: The Legacy

Chapter 9: Conclusion

Index

 

About the Author : Dr. Salvatore J. LaGumina, Director of the Center for Italian American Studies at Nassau Community College, has written and edited eighteen books and dozens of articles, most of which deal with the Italian American experience.

 

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