Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-14
WORKSHOP IN PALACE.
Italy's Queen Establishes One to Ben
efiit Earthquake Sufferers.

emit Earthquake sufferers.
1t Is impossible to enunerate the re-
lief committees of all kinds. each with
a practical object, which have been
formed in Rome for the benefit Of the
sufferers In southern Italy
and Sicily. Queen Helena, who is per-
haps the most useful of all the agen-
cies Of relief, has had the heavy furni-
ture removed from three big rooms Ct
the royal palace, putting In tables, sew
ing machines. forty or fifty work bas-
kets, chairs and nothing else. Here la
dies of the oldest aristocracy and work
girls are gathered together In friendly
intimacy, cutting out and sewing az
though their lives depended upon fin
ishing
The queen is as busy as the rest ad-
wishing and directing, even giving Leo
sons and taking hand herself, This
goes on practically all day until o
O'Clock, when tea is served for an hour.
At these advertisements the great lady
and the modest sewing girl associate
as equals. says special cable dispatch
from Rome to the New York Times.
Indeed, they almost change places in
giving instruction.
Other humble pupils are the royal
children, the Princesses Yolanda and
Mafalda, respectively seven and six
years old. who are permitted to be
present. They are established in cor
ner, delighted. busy and important.
cutting out and making dolls clothes
for the poor little Calabrian children.
They have been promised that if they
do these well they shall soon be pro-
NOTED to making baby clothes. Then
their cup Of pride will be full.
The way in which the queen came to
establish this hive Of industry. was
quaint She called a little dressmaker
that her maid patronizes to order some
children's clothes and saw her person
ally. In the midst of the conversation
the dressmaker remarked that it was
difficult to carry out so large an order.
as she had Joined a society of sewing
girls, established to devote certain
number of hours every day to making
clothes for the refugees. buying the
material out of their own pockets.
The queen was impressed and in
vited them to the -Quirinal promising
the material If they would give the
idea, which was enlarged into the
present organization. The queen is
right In her element and was heard
to observe, 'If the cause were not sc
awful these would be very happy days
| for me-"
No wonder she was at Messina "ouI
lady Of mercy"
During the sewing in the royal work.
room many stories are told about the
earthquake. The little princesses
were particularly interested in follow.
| ing that Of an old woman, appearing
about 100 years old, who refused te
leave the ruins without her little treas
ure and was SO obstinate that she
had to be left to her fate. Another
case was that Of some sailors who
| heard a queer noise under the ruins
| evidently coming from something hu
man. So they dug on and found 6
| woman and child in little shed
which had resisted the shock and tht
fall Of the debris, together with 8
COW, which yielded enough milk t.
keep them both alive At last all be
came SO weak that they could not lif
their heads. but they were all alive
when rescued. having given warmth
to one another.
Several children taken from the ruin
on the first day. when hunger wa
not SO pressing, cried and kicked unit
their favorite dolls or toys were found
One youngster was found still claspini
a Teddy bear In her arms.
Queen Helena in describing some o.
the pathetic incidents Of her visit Il
Reggie said:
"In one sunny street not q singl,
building remained intact, though tn,
facades Of the buildings remained
standing. In these houses the Twin,
and the dead were mingled. In then
were hundreds Of corpses, besides
many injured persons who were pen
ned in small spaces under the Gebri
or held down by timbers or stone
that rested upon legs or arms. Ye
upon the standing walls in man.
places were cages containing canarie
entirely uninjured, which sang an
!. warbled joyously. The contrast pre-
scented was terrible.
| 1.-THE very day that saw these ca
naries and heard the cries of impris
oncd persons under the ruins I visite,
MeSsina,. whore q young woman beref
Of her reason stood upon a heap o
: ruins singing and bowling to an AT
: dience composed OF corpses. The w