Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-01
ONE LITTLE GIRL HEROINE
Twelve Rescues Sisters
and Fellow Pupils From
Ruined Convent.

MONTELEONE, via Rome. January l.
At Franzoni girl twelve years old, who
was educated in the Institute of the Sis
tiers of St. Vincent de Paul. performed
deeds Of heroisn. The institute was sit
uated In a large building in the upper
part of the town and contained fifty
pupils, twenty-one sisters and twenty
servants This girl was sleeping with the
other girls on the fourth floor while Sis
ter Marie was sleeping on the third and
Sister Amalie on the second floor.
Suddenly I was awakened says the
girl, by shock and hurled out of my
bed on to that Of the girl next to me. who.
screaming with terror, struggled to get
up but the heavy weight resisted all her
efforts. Then 1 noticed that beam
was lying across my chest and held me
fast down on the bed. 1t was only then
that I began to understand what had
happened. ! did all could to encourage
the other girl and said 1 would go fetch
a light and bring help. / made my way
to the end Of the corridor to see what had
pushed open the door I fell a distance OF
sixteen meters and remained lying amid
the ruins, covered with bruises. until
morning when my companions found me-
When I recovered my senses and
my energy I embraced the sisters.
who had by this time found me, though
they were almost naked.
"Shoeless / started out to keep my
promise to my conrade. With the great
est difficulty I climbed shaking staircases
and traverSed ruined corridors, but found
her lying dead.
My return, however. was not alto
gether in vain. for l found four wounded
girls in need Of help. One after the other
I transported them by the same way as
1 had come. 1 cut my bare feet in walk
ing among the debris
Then 1 returned to a house Inhabited
by two sisters. from which / heard groans.
Here, also l succeeded in saving two sis
ters, one of whom was sixty years old.
During all this time the girls who re-
ma!ned prisoners in the other floors
screamed at the top of their voices, but
l couldn't help them. for everything was
in ruins and the walls so insecure that
no one dared to place a ladder against
them. Finally. about 10 O'Clock, with the
aid of some soldiers and some workmen.
| managed to rescue them. When this
had been accomplished l found that nine
of my comrades. seven sisters and nine
servants had persisted in the ruins
The people saved We're nearly all
wounded and it was necessary to bind
up their wounds. / went to the nearest
hospital and brought back as large a
quantity of lint and bandages as my arms
could hold. In the evening a large tent
was erected on the Piazzo Castello and
I passed the night there i'll a pouring
rain.
I'VE passed the night in the arms Of
Sister Philomene, and during the whole
day we starved. though I was among
the more happy. and ! managed to find
an orange the following day.
Tuesday Father Francisco came and
found us starving and with naked feet.
He conducted us through the ruins to
homes where we procured boots and
some clothes. After that we got a train,
but We had only single engine driver,
who was short of fuel and had to stop
at several stations to get wood to keep
the fires going. AS a result 1t took
thirty hours to accomplish a journey to
Monteleone which generally is made in
six