Evening star., 1943-09-02

lisHeu oToeT. AS Jne people be-
came conditioned to the cave they
seemed to forget the world they
had left behind When DR.. Pine
ordered the place evacuated and
closed the inhabitants seemed to
regard the order as an atrocity. They
thought he was ordering them out
to be massacred with bombs.
The Germans had told them this
would happen if the savage Ameri-
cans ever got into the city In fact
Capt. Pine delayed the execution of
his order for one day until he was
sure that places outside could be
found for the tottering skeletons.
They would have been infinitely
better off under the open sky but
he feared that if bomber should
come over and anybody be injured
great propaganda use would be made
of the fact.
Sickness Was Slight.
Sickness and death within the
shelter, 1t seems, were remarkably
low. considering conditions. Forum
ately no epidemic got a start. It
would have been an ideal spot for
typhus. The birthrate was high. Ap-
proxlmately 100 babies were born in
the inferno. These births took place
in the medical dressing stations and.
at least until few days ago, there
usually was doctor or nurse in at
tendance. Two childbirth cases were
IN progress while the captain was
making his inspection. He was high
in his praise of few Italian doctors
and nurses who stuck it out there.
They realized fully the danger. but
there was nothing they could do
about 1t. They couldn't break the
bars OF fear which sealed hell.
The distinguished American sur
geon is himself native of Messina.
The city is full of Pinos, perhaps
distant cousins. At least 10 persons
day approach him and claim close
relationship. Probably some of the
lost souls in the mountain depths
were relatives. He was born while
his father and mother, both lAmeri-
can citizens, were on visit to their
native Italy, but was brought back
to the United States almost imme-
d1ately afterward and has had little
contact with Italian kinfolk.
He contemplates as curious twist
of fate the chance that has brought
him back to his native town as a
practical dictator of the lives and
fortunes of its people. The chief
problems are medical, and on these
his voice is law. But because of his
knowledge of Italian he has taken
leadinApart in all sorts of dealings
with the inhabitants. This has been
true especially in matters pertaining
to the very limited food supply.
Already the rumor is going around
that the doctor is one of the sleeping
folk heroes. common in the legends
OF every European country, who has
come back in accordance with
phophecy to aid his people in their
hour of direst need.
Other Shelters Were Clean.
There was really little excuse for
hell he says. He has inspected all
the air-raid shelters in the city and
was impressed with what can be
accomplished by intelligent, indus
trious people with a sense of per-
sonal responsibility. He found, for
example, one comfortable three
room. three-hallway home with
electric lights and water hewn out
of solid rock in the mountainside by
five men in three months. They
have taken in neighbors until now
Is persons are living there. The
place is immaculate AS luck would
have it, bomb bounced into the
entrance the other night, but it
proved to be a dud.
The cleansing of hell" has be~n
only side job for DR.. Pine. His
biggest activity has been in the
finding of food, drugs and dressings
for the sick~and trying to persuade