Evening star., 1940-12-19
(Fourth of a Series on the London
Blitskrieg)
BY MILO M. THOMPSON,
Associated Press Stan Writer.

underground London wonderful?"
1t was my waiting taxicab driver
who spoke. He had strolled from
his cab to lean over a barrier and
peer down into the crater of the
bomb which hit the Associated
Press building
He saw workmen replacing a giant
water main valve which had been
wrecked. The part they were put
ting in was about as big as the $50
pound bomb which had done the
damage.
He saw crisscross of gas mains
undergoing repair and just freed OF
earth, debris and the mess made
by sandbags which, after effectively
protecting part of the side of the
building. had toppled in. And there
we're two separate families of null
tiple cable conduitS. Some Of their
castings were the worse for the beat
ing they had taken but none OF
the cables had been snapped.
His exclamation was pat but, to
my mind, it would be still more pat
applied to- the life that goes on in
the deep underground railway sta
tions of London once night has
driven the shelterers there.
Pageant Of Fortitude.
Newspaper people are often
caught off base by the night bonn
bardment and, therefore, we fire.
quently make an involuntary tour
of the deep shelters.
1t seldom fails to bring tears to
my wife's eyes when she sees nurs-
ing mothers with their babies, young
children, aged crones, bespectacled
old men, stretched out on all too
thin blankets on the cold concrete.
To me, however, 1t is an endless
pagent Of fortitude and determine
ton, and there Is something inspir-
ing in the way these people make a
smiling best Of bad situation.
AS the train stops first at one
station, then another, another and
another, you see successive tableaux
involving new types of people, new
postures of repose, new devices for
amusement.
Style Show with Living Models.
And sometimes see it as a fash
ion show with living models answer
ing the question: What are the best
dressed shelterers wearing this sea-
SOM"
So I'll tell you.
Quite obviously it is desirable to
choose something warm, something
loose, something in colors which do
not show the dirt too plainly and
yet with a touch of brightness to
liven the otherwise too drab scene
and lend courage.
Also, because one SquirmS and
twists on an unsprung concrete bed,
something not too easily disar-
ranged and revealing, is needed.
For warmth there is a predomin-
ance of sweaters and light overcoats
and often a glimpse of woolen
underwear. The fashioned |
shawl is quite good taste and the
blanket worn Indian fashion is not
frowned upon. Younger women |
prefer slacks to skirts which climb |
above the knees. Some simply wear
an old pair of husbands or BROTH
ers trousers. A scattered few have
ski suits; they are fortunate.
Looseness Desirable.
Looseness is desirable because, af-
ter all, shelter clothes are meant to |
be slept in. The blanket bathrobe
would seem to be a perfect gar
ment, but it is almost never seen
in the railroad shelters
Unshod stockinged feet are promi- |
nent. Since most of the shelterers
lie with heads to the wall presenting
their toes trainward, the passing !
spectator might say they are very
prominent. The shoes are beside
the sleepers. Only a small per-
centage brings carpet slippers to
take their place.
Few shelterers wear light-colored
clothes. Pastel shades are definite
ly out. Muddy browns, dusty dark
grays and oldish tweed mixtures are
commonest.
But there has to be some color re-
lief. That is supplied by the sweat
ers and scarfs and it is curious how !
many are wearing yellows and Or
anges as if they realized how these
vivid colors save a shelter scene
from having the aspect of a charnel
house. It is too bad most photo
graphs of people in shelters Amer
leans see here are in black and white
and fail to show the touches of |