The Italian Government did all it could at the moment
to alleviate the horrors of the situation, sending
money to be expended in relief work and dispatching
high officials of the government to give aid and encouragement
by their presence. The King, Victor Emmanuel,
and Queen Helene reached the scene of destruction
as early as possible and lent their personal assistance
to the work of rescue.
Obliged to leave his automobile, which could not move
over the cinder-choked road, the King went forward
with difficulty on horseback, the animal floundering
through four feet of ashes, stumbling into holes,
and half blinded by the fall of dust and cinders.
“How did you escape?” he asked a priest
whom he met in his journey.
“I put myself in safety,” was the reply.
“What do you mean?” asked the King.
“Realizing the danger, I left Nola.”
“What!” cried the King, with a flush of
anger. “You, a minister of God, were not
here to share the danger of your people and administer
the last sacraments? You did very wrong and forgot
your duty.”
Reaching Ottejano, the King did what he could to expedite
the work of rescue at that central point of disaster,
more than a hundred dead bodies being taken from the
ruins in his presence. He stood with set pale
face watching the removal of the victims and directing
the movement of the workers. During his visit
at the front he inspected the temporary camp hospitals,
in which the soldiers were caring for the injured and
suffering, speaking to the poor victims, giving them
what comfort he could, and asking what he could do
to relieve their distress. Every request or desire
was received with sympathy and orders given to have
it fulfilled.
A pitiful scene took place when the King bent over
a poor man, whose right leg had been amputated, and
asked what he could do to comfort and aid him in his
affliction.
“Send me my son, who is serving as a soldier,”
said the maimed peasant.
The King, visibly affected, clasped the old man’s
hand and exclaimed:
“My poor fellow! I can do much, but to
grant your request would mean breaking the laws, which
I must be the first to respect. I would give
anything I have were it possible by so doing to send
your son to you, but I cannot do so.”
While the King was thus engaged at the scenes of desolation,
Queen Helene visited the charitable institutions at
Naples and inspected the places where the refugees
were housed, doing what she could to improve conditions
and add to the comfort of the sufferers. The Princess
of Schleswig-Holstein, who was in Naples, made an
automobile visit to the afflicted towns, but the motor
broke down, and she was forced to return on foot,
walking a distance of twelve miles through the ashes
and displaying a power of endurance that surprised
the natives.
