One side effect of an earthquake in a coastal region is a tsunami that rips through the sea around it. Malta is close to a major earthquake fault line. In 1908, a major earthquake hit Sicily causing a tsunami in Malta.

At 05:20 on Monday 28 December 1908, an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale hit Sicily¹. Its epicentre was the Straits of Messina which is the channel between Sicily and the Italian mainland. The earth rippled from east to west². The sea rose thirty feet (9 metres) and ploughed into Messina and Reggio Calabria destroying everything in its way³. Buildings were razed to the ground. In total, 200,000 people died.

Two officers on board the s.s. L’Avvenire which was in Messina’s port provided an eyewitness account:

“At 5:25 am we were awakened by a violent and prolonged shock, which made the ship shake and tremble as though an explosion had occurred. […] But what was our grief and horror when we looked towards the land? The wharf had sunk 10 feet; the whole of the Palazzata facing the Marina was half-tottering: then a dense cloud of dust arose as the mass went crumbling to pieces! In an instant the port was full of corpses and wreckage. […] In the streets, persons were to be seen half-naked, semi-conscious, as though they had lost their senses⁴.”

Malta is only 150 km (90 miles) away and it suffered from the earthquake too. I’ve read many accounts of the earthquake’s effects in Sicily but there is little about the effect on Malta.

I went to Malta’s National Library to find out more.

The two main newspapers of the day reflected the main split in society. ‘The Daily Chronicle’ was in English, written for the British community in Malta. It presented a pro-United Kingdom view of the world. It was the most popular paper with a daily print run of 1,000 copies⁵.

‘Malta e sue dipendenze’ (Malta and its dependencies) was an Italian-language newspaper. It was written for those Maltese whose main language was Italian. It was pro-Italy, but not anti-UK. Even so, it’s possible to discern a slight resentment towards the British rulers of the islands. (Yet, most international news in this paper is from British newspaper sources.) They had a daily print run of 800 copies⁶.

I refer to these two newspapers as ‘The Chronicle’ and ‘MESD’ for short.

The following is an account of how the earthquake affected Malta, and how the Maltese learnt about things.

Monday, December 28, 1908

People reported a preliminary tremor at about 01:00⁷. At 05:21:50, the main earthquake hit the Maltese islands^{8 9} which was the same time this was recorded in Sicily¹⁰. This and seven 30-second aftershocks hit over a span of an hour – at 05:23, 05:31, 05:37, 05:48, 05:55, 06:05, 06:15:50^{11 12 13}. The University of Malta’s seismograph was, ‘thrown out of gear by the violence of its own action’ ^{14 15}.

Luckily there was no damage to buildings or construction in Malta^{16 17}.

People awoke in Malta to find rain and hail beating down on them. A cyclone rushed from the sea making everything miserable¹⁸. (A cyclone travels at 38–54 knots which is 44–62 mph or 70–100 km/h.) I’ve experienced this kind of weather in Malta and its safe to guess that most people stayed inside. Such was the intensity of the rain that by the end of the day, 25.4 centimetres of rain (10 inches) had fallen¹⁹.

At 07:45, the sea around Malta became agitated²⁰. The seabed appeared to be pushing the water inland to the shore. Valletta’s breakwater protects the Grand Harbour²¹. Marsamxett harbour, and the creeks that it feeds, were not as lucky²². In Msida, water rushed up across the barriers and into all shops and houses that lined the shore^{23 24}.

I wrote about these houses as part of Sir Alexander Ball’s infrastructure project.

Water kept on ploughing through till after 16:00 – more than eight hours of continuous flooding. After this, the waters receded leaving the seabed bare with fish ‘wriggling in the sand seeking to get back to their element’ ²⁵.

In the south of Malta, shielded from the worst of this tsunami, three fishermen in Marsaxlokk lost their nets and the catch²⁶. The tsunami smashed other boats against the quay²⁷.

Late at night, Malta received first news by telegram of the earthquake in Sicily²⁸. The Admiralty ordered HMS Sutlej to change course and go to Messina to help the survivors^{29 30}. Sutlej was en route to Malta from Syracuse³¹.

HMS Albatross, HMS Dragon, HMS Mallard and HMS Boxer left Malta for Syracuse, due back on January 4³².

Tuesday, December 29, 1908

No one knew where the main earthquake had taken place. The Chronicle suggested it could have taken place “half the circumference of the globe away³³.”

The daily ship from Italy did not arrive in Malta in the morning which led to a lack of first-hand information³⁴.

People expected information from the Giornale di Sicilia (The Sicily Journal). It couldn’t because of the ‘interruption in telegraphic, telephonic and railway communication’. Eyewitnesses who arrived at Rometta spoke of Messina as ‘simply a vast cemetery³⁵.’

Even though Malta didn’t have much news about the disaster it knew the situation was catastrophic. The Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Malta at the time was Admiral the Hon. Sir A. G. Curzon-Howe. He gave orders to equip ships with everything necessary to aid the Italians³⁶. HMS Exmouth, HMS Euryalus and HMS Minerva were ready to sail by noon³⁷. They planned to rendezvous with HMS Sutlej which was shuttling ‘suffering freight of human beings‘ down the coast to Syracuse³⁸. By evening, HMS Minerva left alone, speeding to the Italy with ‘generously and spontaneously offered‘ help^{39 40}.

Italian King Victor Emmanuele and Queen Elena arrived to find Messina ‘absolutely destroyed‘⁴¹. The King was greatly moved by the sight and Queen Elena, ‘pallid with emotion‘ could not control her tears⁴². As they toured the city of ruins and spoke to survivors, the King commented on the horror of the situation⁴³. Reuters reported that ‘the lower part of Reggio has disappeared. The rest is in ruins‘⁴⁴.

At 17:15, the Prefect of Messina telegraphed Palermo:

“The disaster is inconceivable; it surpasses any supposition one could make. […] The heaps of corpses can be counted in the tens of thousands. […] Assistance of every description is wanted at once!⁴⁵“

The Italian vice-consul in Malta, Chevalier Mazzone, opened a subscription at the Consulate. He invited the ‘Italian colony in this Island – second to none in patriotism‘ to donate whatever they could to help^{46 47}. He donated 5 pounds himself^{48 49} which is about EUR 650 (USD 760) in today’s money.

By late on Tuesday, reports emerged that about 50,000 people were buried under the ruins of Messina. A further 30,000 were buried in Reggio Calabria. The town of Messina, 36 hours after the earthquake, was still on fire^{50 51}.

Various navies ordered their ships to Messina. The entire Italian navy, several French ships and two German training ships headed for the straits. They were mindful to be wary of their charts because, ‘the coastline is altered‘⁵².

MESD quoted a Reuters telegram identifying Messina as the epicentre of the earthquake⁵³.

The total casualties at the end of Tuesday were 75,000.

Wednesday, December 30^th, 1908

MESD carried a detailed report from the abservatory in Sicily about the events of Monday 28th⁵⁴, and reported in detail on the amount of destruction and number of deaths in every village and town in Sicily and Calabria.

The Royal Theatre announced a charity performance of La Boehme would take place on Wednesday 06 January 1909 in aid of the ‘sufferers at Messina and Calabria’⁵⁵.

HMS Sutlej and the Russian Admiral were in continuous communication. Sutlej reported 2,000 beds available near Syracuse⁵⁶. Together the battleships continued their shuttle service for the wounded⁵⁷. In a brief communication with Malta, HMS Sutlej reported, “Messina is absolutely destroyed⁵⁸.”

HMS Exmouth set sail from Malta⁵⁹ at 9:30 am⁶⁰ with Admiral Curzon-Howe on board. It carried ‘tents in greatest number, countless mattresses, 30,000 blankets, food and medicine‘^{61 62}.

All maritime traffic was warned that navigation in the Straits was impeded because no lighthouses were working. Reuters reported that, ‘the earth is opened and detonations like simultaneous gun-batteries are heard swallowing up a portion of Reggio‘⁶³.

The total casualties by the end of Wednesday was 70,000 in Sicily and 30,000 in Reggio (out of a population of 40,000) ⁶⁴.

Thursday, December 31, 1908

The newspapers spoke of the earthquake in biblical terms.

Up till this point, the worst earthquake in history was the Great Earthquake of Lisbon.

People started talking about the Messina ‘quake as larger than Lisbon’s.

HMS Exmouth arrived at dawn⁶⁵. All the men on board pitched tents and went to search for survivors in the vicinity. They barely stopped for food and worked till late in the day⁶⁶.

Italian King Victor Emmanuele and Queen Elena were busy attending to the wounded and disabled on board the battleship Regina Elena⁶⁷. The Queen was also caring for orphans she had found in the city whilst touring it on Tuesday with her husband⁶⁸.

British armed forces and Maltese doctors and nurses rushed to Sicily to help the earthquake survivors

By 1:30pm in Malta, HMS Duncan was equipped with armed forces medical personnel Major Crawford, Captain Anderson, Captain Winckworth, Captain R Randon, Lieutenant Morrison, and Captain Lloyd Jones^{69 70}. A further 55 men from the Royal Ambulance Corps were also on board. Ten nursing sisters, civil and military, joined them⁷¹. The Duncan was also loaded with a field bakery and 5,000 bags of flour⁷² and left for Reggio⁷³.

Civilian medical personnel volunteered too^{74 75 76 77}:

• Dr R Samut
• Dr S Ellul Grech
• Dr M Asphar
• Dr E Ferro
• Dr A W Bernard
• Dr F Jaccarini
• Dr S Muscat
• Dr C Zanghi
• Dr G Wirth
• Dr P Biasini
• Dr E Said
• Dr S Borg
• Dr P Grech
• Pharmacist Mr A Charbon

They boarded the HMS Philomel together with the Army’s Field Ambulance Corps and a Field Bakery Section⁷⁸ and left in the evening^{79 80}. They arrived at night and could only see Messina by the flare of the fires that still raged in the city. Upon arrival some doctors went to Scylla, and some to Calabria⁸¹.

The Red Cross erected shelters in Piazza San Martino. They treated as many injured as they could, performing miracles under torrential rain⁸². Survivors, much the worse for wear, were still being extracted from the rubble.

Huge ditches were excavated at Maregrosso to bury the dead in. Soldiers carried the dead there; there was no other way to transport the bodies⁸³.

Wireless messages began arriving in Malta asking for food, medicines and clothing in large quantities⁸⁴. HMS Euryalus left carrying “hundreds of thousands of pounds of flour, beef and biscuits^85 86.”

Telegrams received in London declared the straits of Messina “unrecognisable and must be entirely re-charted⁸⁷.”

King Emanuele visited Reggio on the Italian mainland. He requested his government to dismiss the Mayor and other civil authorities of Messina. After surviving the earthquake, they abandoned Messina and escaped to the countryside⁸⁸.

Due to the congestion in Messina harbour, the HMS Duncan docked further south in Catona⁸⁹.

Friday, January 1, 1909

Medical personnel arrived in Messina early in the morning⁹⁰, despite the rumour circulating in Valletta that the HMS Philomel had run aground^{91 92 93}.

The HMS Sutlej continued shuttling the wounded from Messina to Syracuse. The hospitals in Syracuse were “overflowing” so people were put on board trains heading to other parts of Sicily to be treated. Meanwhile, Admiral Curzon-Howe was on the Exmouth helping people on the coast of the Italian mainland⁹⁴.

On board the Sutlej, Giovanni Vallone asked for pen and paper and wrote:

“Giovanni Vallone di Messina. Viva l’Inghilterra, venga la benedizione del cielo ai generosi della nava HMS Sutlej 1/1/09. Un bacio a tutti.“
“Giovanni Vallone from Messina. Long live England and may the blessing from heaven come down on the generous men of the HMS Sutlej 1/1/09. A kiss to all.”⁹⁵.

Soldiers gave up hope of finding any further survivors in the ruins. They kept sifting through the debris looking for Bank property and other important documents⁹⁶.

The Italian steamer, Duca di Genova, arrived in Messina. The Chronicle angrily reported that instead of taking 1,000 survivors on board, Italian civil servants took it over. They were not as comfortable on board the smaller steamer, the Stura⁹⁷.

The Chronicle also criticised the train service which was taking a day to travel 246 kilometres from Messina to Palermo because “both rolling stock and personnel are deficient“⁹⁸.

The Archbishop requested volunteers from the clergy to go and give spiritual aid to the sufferers. Almost the entire church community were ready to leave at once⁹⁹.

Italian papers repeated King Victor Emmanuele’s high praise and admiration of the British Navy. “First on the scene of disaster and promptly at work, defiant of danger, both officers and men were everywhere conspicuous.“

The army found 30 000 000 Italian lire in the ruins of the Banca d’Italia and took them to the Regina Elena for safekeeping¹⁰⁰. This is about EUR 121 million in today’s money.

King Emanuele visited the towns of Ganzirri and Faro. Queen Elena stayed in Messina visiting the injured and making dresses for survivors¹⁰¹.

Italian General Mazza consulted with the King about his worries of an epidemic breaking out in Messina¹⁰². They decided on extreme measures. After further searches for survivors, on January 3rd, a cordon would be stationed around the city to make sure it is clear. The authorities would then flood the city with petroleum and set it on fire. Anything left standing would be bombarded^{103 104}.

The Italian Foreign Minister replied to a telegram from his UK counterpart stating:

“If praise can be given at this supreme moment of grief and anguish, it should be awarded by the whole nation to the crews of the British warship Sutlej and the squadron of Russian cruisers which had been anchored at Augusta. Without the assistance of the British and the Russians, the damage and the victims would have been greater. […] What these sailors did is indescribable. […] Russians and English, in the midst of the ruins, defying unheard of dangers, were true consoling angels.” ¹⁰⁵.

St George’s Philarmonic postponed a performance in Cospicua, Malta, out of respect for the dead in Sicily¹⁰⁶.

Saturday, January 2, 1909

The Chronicle reported that out of a population of 120,000, in Messina “not more than 20,000 survive¹⁰⁷.”

Rumours surfaced that British and Russian sailors lost their lives while trying to rescue survivors. The Chronicle published a list of Maltese and British people in Sicily with information about their whereabouts¹⁰⁸. It is a shocking list containing the briefest of details, such as:

“Mrs Frew Sella is safe, baby dead; […] Mr Carter, no news; […] Mrs de Pasquale, reported dead¹⁰⁹”

Reverend Father O’Grady, Director of the Salesian Institute announced the death of Maltese Reverend Father A. M. Urso in Messina^{110 111}. The Institute announced eight days of mourning as a tribute of affection and gratitude¹¹².

Lloyds published the first warning to mariners navigating the straits of Messina¹¹³.

The St John Ambulance association announced it had to cancel a First Aid lecture because all medical staff were in Messina¹¹⁴.

At night, the Italian s.s. Carola left Malta having picked up 10 cases of assorted clothes. The shipment was coordinated by 1st Class Sergeant Baldacchino who accompanied the cargo¹¹⁵.

In the afternoon, HMS Philomel arrived back in Malta¹¹⁶.

King Emanuele telegraphed Rome for urgent shiploads of quicklime to help dispose of the bodies. The authorities decided to burn the ruins rather than attempt to rebuild anything¹¹⁷.

A severe aftershock hit the island again in the evening¹¹⁸.

The Reuters report stating the Italian coastline in Messina and Reggio was altered was rejected by a telegram from the Italian Admiralty to the Port Superintendent. It stated the coastline was not altered and the topography of the port was still the same¹¹⁹.

Sunday, January 3, 1909

The Garrison church at the Upper Barrakka, Valletta, collected money at all its services to aid the Italians¹²⁰.

Almost all survivors had been taken to Palermo and Naples, leaving the soldiers alone in the devastated cities¹²¹. The soldiers worked half-suffocated by the stench of dead bodies.

In one miraculous case, Italian soldiers discovered a survivor in his home. The man had woken up early on Monday and had just sat down to breakfast as the earthquake hit. Pinned into his chair by falling debris, they found him in that position, unable to finish his breakfast¹²².

A French couple in Messina managed to survive the earthquake by hiding under a fallen rafter. They later told how they spent most of the day in hiding, drinking rainwater, until they managed to get onto a boat heading for Catania. They managed to make their way to Malta and continue their trip to Egypt¹²³.

Monday, January 4, 1909

An urgent appeal for clothes rushed through the island to ‘the ladies and gentlemen of Malta to help clothe the naked‘. A boat laden with donated clothes was due to leave for Sicily later in the day, with more boats leaving once they were full¹²⁴.

The Chronicle published another brief list of more British people who died, or survived, the tragedy¹²⁵.

At this point, a week after the earthquake, the Chronicle reported that some survivors may be brought to Malta¹²⁶. It is a sign of how bad the situation was when Sicily  – 200 times larger than San Francisco – was not large enough to take care of all the wounded.

The British Navy announced that HMS Glory  and HMS Canopus would relieve HMS Exmouth and HMS Duncan. HMS Sutlej arrived back in Malta berthing in the southern port of Marsaxlokk due to the bad weather which still raged in Malta¹²⁷.

The Chronicle reported on the cases of madness amongst survivors. Many people lost their senses and suffered from various delusions¹²⁸. It is possible this was post-traumatic stress disorder, which was unknown at the time.

Trains shuttling injured people between Catania and Messina were running at no cost to help the survivors. Taking advantage of this, a number of morbid sightseers travelled to Messina to see the destruction, to the frustration of those trying to clear things up¹²⁹.

King Emanuele asked HMS Exmouth to visit Cannitello and Lazzaro both of which were inaccessible from land. The Exmouth reported these towns as being completely destroyed¹³⁰.

The British Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet praised the Maltese doctors for their work and devotion in Sicily. The doctors went to Syracuse to help the overloaded hospitals there¹³¹.

The Commander-in-Chief also noted that the Italian authorities were assuming charge of the disaster^{132 133}. The Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs telegraphed the Acting-Consul in Malta to offer the warmest thanks for all those providing help in Italy¹³⁴.

Telegrams received in Malta spoke of survivors being decimated by ‘lung disease due to exposure‘¹³⁵.

A rumour spread that trains carrying survivors between Palermo and Catania crashed. This was immediately dismissed as false. The relief service had sufficient quantities of bread and water which the soldiers distributed¹³⁶.

The postal authorities have provided the soldiers with paper and envelopes so they can write to their families. They have also waived the need for stamps, allowing letters to go through for free¹³⁷.

Tuesday, January 5, 1909

The Chronicle repeated its urgent appeal for clothes from ‘the ladies and gentlemen of Malta to help clothe the naked‘¹³⁸.

HMS Canopus, laden with 200,000 lbs of flour left for Messina in the morning¹³⁹.

At 9:30 am, HMS Sutlej entered Valletta Harbour. It had been anchored off Malta all night long due to the bad weather¹⁴⁰. The survivors on board were all Sicilian except for one Maltese nun from the Good Shepherd convent. She had been in the Convento del Buon Pastore in Messina^{141 142}.

In the afternoon, HMS Minerva arrived for replenishments, bearing 13 survivors^{143 144 145} . Amongst them were the Bishop of Gibraltar and 12-year-old George Fox. Mr Fox was the son of the British consul at Reggio and had lost his entire family¹⁴⁶.

HMS Duncan arrived in the afternoon from Sicily for replenishments¹⁴⁷.

HMS Euryalus arrived at Syracuse with 170 wounded from Calabria. Weather permitting, it was due to travel back to Malta¹⁴⁸.

Wednesday, January 6, 1909

At 8:30 pm¹⁴⁹, the Royal Opera House held a Grand Gala performance of Puccini’s Boehme in aid of the survivors of the earthquake. This was under the patronage of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Connaught^{150 151}. The proceeds totalled GBP 51. 1. 6^{152 153}. This is approximately EUR 5 200 (USD 5 800) in today’s money.

Thursday, January 7, 1909

King Edward of England VII sent the following message to the Mediterranean fleet:

“His Majesty the King wishes his high appreciation and approbation to be conveyed to the British Ships at Messina for the energy and gallantry displayed in dealing with the disaster in Sicily and Italy.”

Replying to the British Consul in Palermo, the Italian authorities called the plan to bombard Messina a rumour¹⁵⁴.

In the morning, the HMS Exmouth returned to Malta from Messina^{155 156}.

The Chronicle interviewed Giulia Adesso, one of the Messina survivors who was brought to Malta. She had been a maid in a household of 12 people who all died when the building collapsed. She lay in the ruins for three days before “English angels” found her and treated her on the HMS Minerva¹⁵⁷. Doctors amputated her hand on board and she was recuperating from her injuries in Malta.

Vice President of the Italian Senate, Professor Paterson, purchased large quantities of quicklime to help with the clean up in Messina¹⁵⁸. In his capacity as the Director of the Sanitary Department he confirmed that there never was any plan to bombard Messina. “Messina no longer exists, and can never arise again on the same spot, even if it should be desired. I insist on that. It must be reconstructed at another point, outside of the danger of fresh earthquakes. […] Messina will remain nothing but a large cemetery!“

Friday, January 8, 1909

The Manoel Theatre had announced a Grand Gala performance of Siberia¹⁵⁹ in aid of the survivors of the earthquake¹⁶⁰.

The Grand Studio, in Strada Reala, Valletta, exhibited a collection of 40 photographs taken in Messina after the earthquake¹⁶¹.

In the afternoon, the cruiser HMS Lancaster departed for Messina¹⁶².

Saturday, January 9, 1909

More aftershocks continued to hit Sicily, which were much weaker than previous ones. This was the first day with clear weather since the disaster, making the rescuers’ work easier. It gave way to torrential rain by the afternoon¹⁶³.

At 8:45 pm¹⁶⁴, a concert took place at the Military Gymnasium under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency the Governor and Lady Fane Grant, in aid of the survivors of the earthquake^{165 166}, despite vacancies caused to the programme by the departure of the HMS Lancaster¹⁶⁷.

The St John Ambulance association announced it had to cancel another First Aid lecture because all medical staff were still in Messina¹⁶⁸.

HMS Sutlej left Malta in the afternoon¹⁶⁹.

The Maltese doctors returned to Malta, bearing a letter of thanks from the Mayor of Syracuse who conveyed his “deep thanks” for their help, adding,

“The memory of all that you gentlemen have done with true devotion will remain forever imprinted upon the hearts of us all; and Syracuse will never forget that in its hour of sorrow, its brethren of Malta have stood by it, and have given their inestimable aid.”¹⁷⁰.

At night a terrible hurricane raged across Sicily accompanied by torrential rain and lightning¹⁷¹. A tidal wave rushed into the harbour, flooding some of the makeshift camps that survivors were huddling in¹⁷².

Sunday, January 10, 1909

In the evening, the Duke of Connaught left onboard the cruiser Aboukir for Reggio to visit the Royal Army Medical Corps there. His Lordship the Bishop of Gibraltar accompanied him en route to Messina¹⁷³.

Late at night, the ss Carola arrived back in Malta with a party of survivors from Syracuse and the Maltese doctors^{174 175}. Mr George Zammit, owner of the Long Bar lodging house offered to house the survivors for free ¹⁷⁶.

Monday, January 11, 1909

The Chronicle wrote a thoughtful article suggesting the establishment of an Emergency Benevolent Fund in Malta. In the event of an extreme cases such as this, it could be put to good use¹⁷⁷.

It was still raining in Messina, with no sign of change¹⁷⁸.

Tuesday, January 12, 1909

The Chronicle wrote an editorial criticising rumours sweeping through Malta. The rumours suggested the Maltese doctors who went to Sicily were mistreated and belittled. The opinion piece refers to the letter of praise by the Mayor of Syracuse to show how this was not true.

At 10:30 am, the doctors and the chemist were at the Palace and presented to the Governor. His Excellency spoke at length, praising their efforts, and welcoming them back to Malta¹⁷⁹. On behalf of them all, Dr Robert Samut thanked His Excellency and extended their appreciation for his kind words. Dr Samut also thanked the Commander-in-Chief and the crew and officers of the HMS Euryalus and HMS Philomel for their help.

Wednesday, January 13, 1909

At 7:00 am His Royal Highness The Duke of Connaught returned from Sicily aboard his cruiser HMS Aboukir. He expressed his wish to meet the Maltese doctors personally¹⁸⁰.

Thursday, January 14, 1909

The doctors and the chemist were at the Palace and presented to His Royal Highness The Duke of Connaught¹⁸¹.

Saturday, January 16, 1909

At 9:30 am a solemn Requiem service was heard at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta for the victims¹⁸². All establishments showed signs of mourning by flying flags at half-mast¹⁸³.

The Field Ambulance of the Royal Army Medical Corps returned to Malta onboard the cruiser HMS Lancaster. The Ambulance spent a fortnight in Sicily¹⁸⁴.

Nothing else was reported in the newspapers in the week after January 16. The Italians had taken back control of the ports and continued handling things themselves which let the news cycle slowly turn to other matters.

Aftermath

A hundred years after this catastrophe, the scientific community is still studying it to understand what happened¹⁸⁵. Better understanding of tectonic forces and the sea bed in the Mediterranean will allow for better planning.

Share this with someone who lives in a coastal town.

References

1. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
2. Il disastro in Sicilia; Malta e sue dipendenze; 2018-12-30[↩]
3. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
4. Eyewitnesses’ account of the catastrophe; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
5. Return of licensed public schools and newspapers 1908-1909; National Statistics Office; (Retrieved 2018-08-13) [↩]
6. Return of licensed public schools and newspapers 1908-1909; National Statistics Office; (Retrieved 2018-08-13) [↩]
7. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
8. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
9. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
10. Staff reporter (1908) Il Disastro in Sicilia. Malta e Sue Dipendenze. 30 December., p.1[↩]
11. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
12. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
13. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
14. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
15. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
16. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
17. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
18. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
19. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
20. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
21. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
22. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
23. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
24. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
25. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
26. Malta benevolent fund; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-11[↩]
27. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
28. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
29. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
30. L’opera della Marina Britannica; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
31. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle; 1909-01-09[↩]
32. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
33. Earthquake and Tidal Wave. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
34. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
35. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
36. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
37. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
38. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
39. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
40. L’opera della Marina Britannica; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
41. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
42. Miscellaneous notes; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
43. Miscellaneous notes; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
44. Reuters; Daily Malta Chronicle; 1908-12-29[↩]
45. Official telegrams from Messina; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1908-01-02[↩]
46. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
47. Appeal to the Italian Colony. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
48. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
49. Appeal to the Italian Colony. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
50. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
51. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
52. Reuters; 1908-12-29[↩]
53. Il Terremoto di Jeri – il disastro in Sicilia. (1908). Malta e sue Dipendenze, 29 Dec., p.2[↩]
54. Staff reporter (1908) Il Disastro in Sicilia. Malta e Sue Dipendenze. 30 December., p.1[↩]
55. A Great Calamity. (1908). Daily Malta Chronicle, The, 30 Dec., p.2[↩]
56. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
57. La corazzata ‘Suttley’ sbarca 109 feriti a Siracusa. (1909). Malta e sue dipendenze, 2 Jan., p.2[↩]
58. Anon (1908) Il Nuovo Anno. Malta E Sue Dipendenze Page 2[↩]
59. Anon (1908) Untitled. Malta E Sue Dipendenze, 30 Dec., Page 2.[↩]
60. Il disastro Siculo-Calabrese. (1909). Malta e le sue Dipendenze, 8 Jan., p.2[↩]
61. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
62. L’opera della Marina Britannica; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
63. Reuters; 1908-12-30[↩]
64. Reggio; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
65. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
66. The British ships in Italian waters; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-11[↩]
67. Special telegram from Messina; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
68. Miscellaneous notes; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
69. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
70. Buon nuovo anno; Malta e sue dipendenze; 1908-12-31[↩]
71. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
72. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
73. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle; 1909-01-09[↩]
74. The awful Catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria. (1908). The Daily Malta Chronicle, 31 Dec., p.2[↩]
75. L’opera della Marina Britannica; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
76. Buon nuovo anno; Malta e sue dipendenze; 1908-12-31[↩]
77. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
78. Help without stint; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
79. L’opera della Marina Britannica; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
80. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
81. Tidings from Maltese Doctors; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
82. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
83. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
84. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
85. L’opera della Marina Britannica; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
86. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
87. Our Telegrams; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
88. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
89. The Hospital at Catona; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
90. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
91. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
92. The evil of false rumours; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
93. Untitled news item; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-02[↩]
94. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
95. ‘Viva L’Inghilterra’; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-09[↩]
96. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
97. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
98. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
99. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
100. The awful disaster in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
101. The awful disaster in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
102. The awful disaster in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
103. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
104. The awful disaster in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
105. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
106. Untitled news item; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-02[↩]
107. Special telegram from Messina; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
108. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
109. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
110. Anon (1908) Il Nuovo Anno. Malta E Sue Dipendenze Page 2[↩]
111. Juventutis Domus; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1908-01-02[↩]
112. Juventutis Domus; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1908-01-02[↩]
113. Lloyds message; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
114. St John Ambulance Association; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1908-01-02[↩]
115. To the Rescue!; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
116. Miscellaneous; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
117. Reuter’s telegrams; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
118. The British ships in Italian waters; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-11[↩]
119. Untitled news item; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-02[↩]
120. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-02[↩]
121. The latest from Sicily and Calabria; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
122. The Hospital at Catona; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
123. Two survivors; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
124. Appeal to the charitable; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
125. Fate of British subjects; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
126. Miscellaneous; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
127. Miscellaneous; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
128. Miscellaneous notes; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
129. Miscellaneous notes; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
130. Miscellaneous notes; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-04[↩]
131. Praise for the Maltese doctors; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
132. Miscellaneous; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
133. Untitled article; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
134. Local news Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
135. Latest telegram; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
136. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-08[↩]
137. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-08[↩]
138. Appeal to the charitable; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
139. Miscellaneous; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
140. Arrival of survivors; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
141. Untitled article; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
142. Arrival of survivors; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
143. Miscellaneous; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
144. Arrival of survivors; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
145. San Antonio Palace; Daily Chronicle, The, 1909-01-07[↩]
146. Arrival of survivors; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
147. Miscellaneous; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
148. Miscellaneous; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
149. Teatro Reale. (1909). Malta e le sue dipendenze, 10 Jan., p.2[↩]
150. Local news; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
151. Untitled article; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
152. Performance in the Theatre Royal; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-13[↩]
153. Teatro Reale. (1909). Malta e le sue dipendenze, 10 Jan., p.2[↩]
154. The latest from Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle; 1909-01-07[↩]
155. Local news; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-08[↩]
156. L’opera della Marina brittanica. (1909). Malta e e sue dipendenze, 8 Jan., p.01[↩]
157. Rescued after three days; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-08[↩]
158. The fate of Messina; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-08[↩]
159. Untitled article; Malta e sue Dipendenze; 1909-01-05[↩]
160. Theatre Manoel; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
161. Local news; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-08[↩]
162. Naval intelligence; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-09[↩]
163. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle; 1909-01-09[↩]
164. Local news; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-09[↩]
165. Local news; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
166. A Concert; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-07[↩]
167. Local news; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-09[↩]
168. St John Ambulance Association; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1908-01-08[↩]
169. Naval intelligence; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-05[↩]
170. The Malt8se doctors; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-11[↩]
171. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle; 1909-01-13[↩]
172. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle; 1909-01-09[↩]
173. The Duke of Connaught; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-11[↩]
174. Local news; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-09[↩]
175. L’Opera dei Medici Maltesi in Sicilia e Nelle Calabrie. (1909). Malta e le sue dipendenze, 10 Jan., p.2[↩]
176. Local news; Daily Chronicle,The; 1909-01-12[↩]
177. Malta benevolent fund; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1909-01-11[↩]
178. The awful catastrophe in Sicily and Calabria; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-14[↩]
179. Honour to Merit; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-13[↩]
180. The Palace; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-14[↩]
181. The Palace; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-14[↩]
182. Calendar of the week for Roman Catholics; Daily Malta Chronicle, The; 1908-01-09[↩]
183. The disaster in Sicily; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-14[↩]
184. The Field Ambulance; Daily Chronicle, The; 1909-01-15[↩]
185. Probing the 1908 tsunami; The Times of Malta; 2012-01-15[↩]

Remember: links were correct at time of publication.