Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
SAILORS WERE HEROES
Saved Many Lives on First
Awful Night.
FACED DEATH FOR OTHERS
Entered Tottering Buildings by
Ropes to Rescue Women.
BRITISH SHIPS WERE FIRST
Arrived Early Tuesday Morning,
Two Days After the Quake, and
at Once Restored Order.
FACED DEATH FOR OTHERS
BRITISH SHIPS WERE FIRST
Special Cablegram 10 The Star.

Doresa. a London ship broker is he first
Englishman to reach London from Mes
sina. where he had wonderful escape
He is member of the firm of Mango &
Doresa of ST. Mary-Axc. lie went to
Messina three weeks ago to dry-dock a
Russian steamer. He was staying at
the Trinacria Hotel with English
friend named Craiger. His bedroom was
on the third floor facing the sea. In An
interview published by Lloyd's News he
says:
1T was a dark, still night. the coolest I
ever felt in Sicily. 1 went to bed late
after putting extra covering on the bed.
1 was awakened without warning at 5:25.
The bed first rose up, and then rocked
violently. I clutched the sides of the bed,
which seemed to be falling through space
for ages. Afterward 1 estimated the
time to be ten seconds Then came a
series of awful crashes. the roof falling
all round me. l was smothered in brick
and plaster. l knew it was an earth
quake. l had been in one before in
Athens. Then followed terrific crashes,
mingled with a continuous roar. 1 felt
for matches, struck light and was hor-
rified to find my bed on the side of ALI
abyss
Doresa discovered Craiger and from the
ruins rescued a sSwede and his wife. Amid
the appalling surroundings they succeeded
in reaching the quayside and getting
a board the Cardiff steamer Afonwen. Do
re Sa then organized rescue party COM
posed of the Afonwen'S master, Capt.
Owen, three of his sailors. and several
Russian sailors. With Doresa and Craiger
all ran to the Hotel Trinacria with lad
ders and ropes.
Sailors Gallant Deed.
En- route, on the balcony Of a ruined
building. two little children were crying
for help. The building seemed ready TO
collapse at any moment. Second Mate
Read of the Afonwen did not hesitate.
The children were directed to lower a
string with n stone tied to 1t. They I'M
derstood and presently a piece of stone
was seen coming down. Meantime Read
placed ladder against a lower balcony.
Then he turned to one Of his seamen who
was standing by and said: Now. then,
Smith, Doresa adds: Il shuddered It
seemed like certain DEATH Smith
turned his quid in his mouth and without
word went up the ladder to the first
balcony Then to the string which had
been let down by the children he attached
a light line which the children hauled
up and placed around one of the stand
ards at the top of the balcony. BY this
means Smith hauled up a half-inch
manila rope. He then took off his boots
and in trce was shining up the rope
beside the crazy ruin. l held my breath
/ have read of many brave deeds, but j
never heard of one Drawer than Smiths
When he reached the top of the balcony
he leaned over and shouted: why, there S
a ton or them up here. / can't manage
all of them myself
Capt. Owens turned to Read It was
enough. in second Read was shining
up the rope hand over hand. We watched
him with fear clutching our hearts. There
was sigh of relief when we saw him
standing beside Smith at the top of the
building. which seemed to be rocking to
it's fall every second. The men aloft soon
got to work. One of Capt. Owens ap-
prentices rendered great assistance
stood at the foot of the ladder to prevent
ITS slipping. The moments were flying
We did not know how soon the whole
thing would collapse. An Italian work
man stood staring at us. l begged him to
lend hand. but his face only assumed
a more vacuous expression. if that were
possible, and we were left to do the
work ourselves. Read and Smith made
their hawsers fast. Then one by one they
lowered the covering creatures who had
been awaiting death.
Cool in the Face of Death.
From that crazy height ten times
the rope was lowered, each time with
child resting in a slipped moose the
woman. who was very stout We had a
great deal of trouble to get her down.
but managed it at last. There was one
man among the crowd of survivors, Smith
threatened to throw him off the building
unless he helped to lower the old lady.
At last the brave rescuers came down on
the rope themselves. They had saved
twelve people from certain death. They
Ill
the ground. They had been in imminent
danger of their lives. yet when they came
down they quite resented our congratula-
uons.
There was other work for us near
by. We heard piercing cries from wom-
an buried to the waist in the ruins of
shop. The buildings round her were
blazing. Slowly but surely the flames
were creeping nearer to her. Capt Owens
gave sharp word of command and soon
Read was rushing to the Blake, a ship
moored at the quay. In a few minutes
he was back with saw. He dashed
through the raging flames and began with
frantic energy to saw through the plank
that held the woman fast. We waited
in terrible suspense. Then with relief
wo saw the end of the plan fall away
and Read came through the flames bear
Ing the rescued woman in his arms. Just
at this moment an Italian officer came
up. He witnessed this scene and asked
me the name of the ship the men be-
longed to, and said he would send an ac-
count of their splendid bravery to his
government and he hoped they would
recognize it. IN the meantime" he add
ed, Il can only thank them for their
heroic efforts"
Brought Food to Survivors.
at this moment We heard cries from
back OF the Hotel Trnacria, which had
been left standing. We saw Signor Cogi,
IL gentleman staying at the hotel, stand
ing on a narrow ledge. We mana gcd
to rescue him. After rescuing others the
party returned to the Afonwen loaded
a boat with food and returned to the
shore to distribute it. Capt. Owens left
out the distribution. While I was guard
out the distribution. While l. was guard
ing it five Italian soldiers came up and
tried 10 seize it in order to escape to the
mainland I knew it was our only hope
shoot the first man who touched it, They
made off.
Every moment was one Of terror
There were from twenty TO thirty shocks
during the day Providing among the
ruins were panic-stricken fugitiyes and
escaped prisoners. the latter footing. I
saw wretcheS hacking off the fingers of
the dead to get their rings. Nothing
came amiss for them. In one case they
raided a ladies' shoe shop and marched
out with all the latest Paris and Lon
don creations.
I'VE were cut off from the world All
the wires were down, and the cables
not see the lights of Reggie. which told
of destruction there. All things seemed
to be returning to savagery.
Fleet Rrou0ht 0rdar