Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-21
King Victor of Italy Endowed
With Great Endurance.
QUEEN HEROIC ASSISTANT
London Appeal for Italian Earth
quake Sufferers.
COMPLIMENT FOR UNCLE SAM
Heavy Snowstorm Disorganized
Street Trafic-Benefits of Rhodes
Scholarships Are Exploited.


Special Correspondence Of The Star
LONDON, January O. 1909
king Victor seemed to be endowed WITH
the endurance of half dozen men, i:
a line in one of the kilograms from Sicily
1T recalls that the King of Italy has won
success as a ruler chiefly by reason of his
capacity for work. Every morning sum-
mer or winter. he rises at $50, and after
bath and breakfast plunges Immediately
INTO affairs of state and does not leave
OFF work until late afternoon This rem
ders him rather d bore to the social but
terfies, but endears him extraordinarily
TO the nation at large, which is very DEM
ocratic and believes in d man working
for his living. be he king or peasant
Not to be in bed by half-past 10 he re-
CARDS almost as dissipation In spite of
his diminutive physique-he is only five
feet three inches i'll height-king Victor
is thorough and enthusiastic soldier
with passion for efficiency and the repu-
tation of being something of d martinez.
He Is always the last to retire after
march or in maneuver. Early hours
don't then count.
Todays heroine is that gracious and
Charming woman Queen Elena of Italy,
Who 1t is reported. has behaved heroic
saved the life of baby amid the earth
quake ruins. Nothing could be more in
keeping with Queen Elena's character
tnan tins act, for she is pass onately fond
OF children, and innumerable stories are
told of her great kindness toward them
Queen Elena's Charities.
Recently she stopped her carriage in
the street to inquire about an emaciated
papy III the arms ola working woman.
In answer to her maiestys question as to
why the child was so weakly and thin,
the poor woman replied that her husband
could not get food for it. The queen
thereupon sent her doctor to prescribe for
the infant, and gave instructions that it
should be completely restored to health
at her expense.
On another occasion baby girl present
ed her at public function with bunch
or mowers. Look up, my dear that /
may Kiss you said the queen. and as the
child turned her eyes upward her ma jesty
saw that she was blind Greatly affected,
Queen Elena handed the little girl over to
distinguished oculist. who performed an
operation which completely restored her
sight
1et another act of kindness to a child
had an amusing sequel. \ few days after
the incident the small recipient of her
bounty wrote to her majesty: "Sgnora,
my father stole the money YOU gave me,
my brother ate the sweets, and as for the
stockings, my mother put them on her
self"
| have stayed a the Hotel Trinacria at
Messina. which has been destroyed by the
earthquake. 1t was particularly mas
sive stone building. and formed part of
long line of equally solid buildings front
ing the beautiful small harbor which looks
toward the toe of Italy l am in hopes,
however. that the estimate of ninety Wis
itors killed III the hotel is an eXaggera-
ton. as from impressions formed staying
in the hotel on a recent visit / do not
think the hotel at its fullest could ac-
commodate more than half the number.
Earthquakes No Menace.
1t is somewhat strange that in neighbor-
hoods liable to earthquake architecture
of the above nature is not avoided. Naples,
for instance, where nature has from time
TO time shown her teeth, contains numer-
Gus massive structures, and Palermo has
given a hostage in fortune in the shape
of the cathedral at Monreale, one of the
most beautiful buildings in the world.
Probably this. the second recent eXpe-
rience of earthquake suffered by southern
Italy will modify architectural ideas. and
1t may be that Japanese ideas of construc-
ton will to certain extent be introduced.
Except in consequence of the loss OF
life and property, the destruction of Reg
gio is not particularly resrettable as it
was struggling town of mean streets
extending along the narrow sea front,
confronting MesSina. Reggie has, of
course, an extremely interesting neigh
Dor in the town of Scilla. which CORE
spends to the ancient Scylla, whose name
was coupled in antiquity with that of
Chary bdis. BY way of antiquarian rem
iniscence, the two steam ferry boats which
ply across the Straits of Messina to con-
vey the train-de-luxe which runs be-
tween Calais and Palermo are called
Scilla and Charddi, the modern Italian
equivalent of the classical Scyla and
Chary bdis.
The stream of American and English
visitors to Sicily does not, as rule, de-
post many soiOurners at Messina land
none ut Reggie Catania. The chief
English resorts are Palermo and Taor-
nina, the latter, perched up on the
heights of a spur of Mount Etna, being
tile favorite wintering place of visitors.
just the Island of Capri. which is prac-
ticauy spur of Vesuvius, affords an