The common people of Italy are accustomed to living in stone houses with stone or earth floors and have no idea of the importance of care in handling fire. The houses they have always known have been fireproof and it has not been uncommon for them to build fires on the floor of their living rooms. It is hoped that the provision of these small semi-fireproof kitchens will prove a sufficient safeguard against fire, but there is considerable apprehension that the inhabitants of the wooden houses may ignorantly or carelessly build fires in such a way as to destroy some of the buildings. As these stand close together, it is conceivable that a fire might start on a windy day and destroy a large number of the houses before it could be checked. The houses are built in blocks of twelve, each block fronting in all directions upon streets thirty feet wide, but within the block the houses are only about six feet apart. In the open quadrangle in the center of each block are the sanitary arrangements and the water supply for the twelve houses composing the block. On a beautiful plateau, sloping gradually toward the Strait and commanding a magnificent view of the water and mountains of Calabria beyond, one thousand of the American houses have been built in the outskirts of Messina. This great group of houses is commonly referred to as the American Village or, as it is officially known to the Italian authorities, the _Zona Case Americana_. The Italian government issued a special order making this tract of land, for the time being, American soil and authorizing the Americans in charge of the work to float the United States flag over their headquarters. A pole was set up and with considerable ceremony the flag was hoisted while all the workmen, both American and Italian, and many Italian spectators from Messina listened to several short addresses and cheered lustily. [Illustration: AMERICAN VILLAGE, REGGIO.] In the outskirts of Reggio, ten miles away across the Strait, upon another beautiful plateau, at the same time, was rising another American village of one thousand cottages. On the Northern boundary of Messina, sheltered by a towering hill, and commanding a lovely view of sea and mountain, is a pretty village of small wooden houses named after the Queen of Italy, _Villagio Regina Elena_. In this village the Americans have erected about one hundred houses. At the expressed wish of the Queen they have also built a small but model hospital of six pavilions. To this institution the Queen has given the name of “Elizabeth Griscom Hospital,” in honor of the wife of the American Ambassador to Italy.