August 19, 1953
ARGOSTOLI AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE: (From a dispatch by Eleni Vlachou) On arrival at Argostoli, it is as if there has been a landing of allied forces. The entire gulf is full of naval ships. Four from Israel, six British, five American, two Italian and the huge aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt, a metal giant that dwarfs all the others. Greek passenger ships and caiques.On the half-ruined wharf, mountains of supplies are piled high (…). The crews of the Israeli ships that had been in Patras and who rushed to the scene of the destruction, gave it their all, working with all their hearts and strength. Strong young men worked among the rubble, bringing out the dead, treating injuries, bringing water, setting up first aid centers (…). Amid the tragic scenes, there are also moments of beauty. A small, lively bundle smiles at any one who looks at her; a 40-day old girl, blonde, with huge eyes. The earthquake killed her mother, Sofia Evangelatou, aged just 20, and her father Dimitris, 25. Their baby was saved by a beam of wood, sending her to live an orphan in an evil world. ZAKYNTHOS: (From our correspondent on the island Lambros G. Koromilas): «Tears came to my eyes as I walked about the town of Zakynthos, which is now nothing but a giant tomb of rocks and blood, earth and ashes. There can be no scene more savage than that which lies all around me. The ruins of the Fiore di Levante (as the island is known) have been burning for 48 hours.
