The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30 00:00:00

THE SUNDERLAND DISASTER

At a meeting of the relief sub committee it has been
decided to pay in all cases the funeral expenses in con-
nexion with the burial of the chiidren who lost their
lives through the terrible disaster in the Victoria-ball,
this relief to comprise the payment of the burial fees,
the cost of the coffins, and a hearse or coach, where
such were used, and in special cases of. distress assist-
ance will be provided.
The Primitive , Methodist Conference at South
Shields has forwarded, through the President, to the
Mayor of Sunderland £143 is. 6d. for the relief fund,
"as an expression of its practical sympathy with the
bereaved parents and guardians."
The total amount received by Mr. F. M. Bowey,
the Town Clerk and hon. treasurer of the fund, up to
Saturday evening was £1,665 no. 641, which Included
the £5O donation sent by Her Majesty the Queen.

On Saturday the Mayor of Sunderland received the
following letter from the Queen :

"Balmoral, June 21.
"Sir,—l have to thank you for your letter and for the
telegrams, all of which I have laid before the Queen,
Her Majesty expressed a wish to contribute to any
fund that might be raised to believe the distress caused
by this calamity, but I imagine that the nature of the
accident was such as does not call for the exercise of
charity, I should add that Her Majesty is not able
to contribute to a memorial of the event, as by a long
established rule the Queen never takes part in any
memorial, But as I perceive in the papers that as-
sistance is being granted to some of the necessitous in
cash, I have mentioned this to the Queen, who has
commanded me to send you £5O for that purpose,

"I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient ser-
vant, "H. F. PONSONBY.
"The Mayor of Sunderland."

The following letter was received from the Bishop of
Newcastle :

"Beverill Tower, Newcastle, June 22.

"My dear Sir,—l would like to be allowed to add a
contribution, though I fear it must be a small one, to
the fund that is being raised at Sunderland, and to ex•
press my most deep and warm sympathy with those
who have suffered such terrible anguish under this
sudden and awful bereavement.—l am, Sir, yours very
faithfully, "E. R. NEWCASTLE."
The Bishop ot Newcastle encloses with this letter a
cheque for £5.

The Mayor of Sunderland has forwarded the follow-
ing letter in reply to the communications from her
Majesty the Queen :
"Mayor's Chamber, Sunderland, June 23, 1343.

" you please convey to the Queen my
deep sense of obligation for her donatiOn of £5O towards
the fund for the relief of the distress occasioned by the
lamentable catastrophe of Saturday last at the Vic-
toria-hall, and my assurance on the part of my native
town of our appreciation of Her Majesty's affectionate
and timely sympathy? It was no small satisfaction
to the Mayoress and myself on Saturday last to be
able to impart, to many of the sotrow-stricken parents
upon whom we were able to call, the tidings that in
their hour of grief they had the heartfelt sympathy
of the Queen of England. Many a mother has had
her load of sorrow lightened from the knowledge that
she was not forgotten by one who herself has had
to endure the anguish of bereavement. I am glad
to be in a position to assure Her Majesty that the
immediate wants of those parents who have lost their
loved ones have been specially inquired into, and
suitable relief afforded. Each case has been considered
upon its individual merits, and while every effort has
been made to afford ample relief, due care has been
taken to avoid extravagance. I am still unable to
speak positively as to the number of children who
have sustained injuries, but I am led to believe that
the majority of these cases are progressing satisfae-
torily. I shall be at all times happy to communicate
to Her Majesty any additional information.—l have
the honour to remain your obedient servant,
"J. W. WAYMAN, Mayor.
"Sir H. F. Ponsonby, Windsor."

On Sunday Canon Fleming, preaching at St.
Michael's, Chester-square, London, said: "Our good
Queen has furnished many pulpits with a text this
morning, for, with her charactenstic motherly feeling
for her people, she sent a wreath to Sunderland,
bearing this text with it, 'Suffer little children to
come unto Me, for of such is the kingdom of God.'
We seem to feel as if in that wreath and its Divine
message, more exquisite than any human words she
ceuld have chosen, she has included all her subjects;
for all England stretches out the hand of sym-
pathy to Sunderland. This inscrutable calamity
teaches us our common brotherhood; when one suffers
we must all suffer. All bereavement is terrible,
whether Queen Victoria mourns her Prince Cocsort in
the Mausoleum at Windsor, or Eug6nie her only son
in the gardens of Chislehurst, or the poorest mother
in Sunderland weeps herself blind over the new-made
grave of her child. For, truly, hearts in that far-off
town to-day must be, like the scroll of the prophet,
'written within and without in lamentation, mourn-
ing, and woe.'"

The Earl of Durham has also written as under :
"Lambton Castle, Fencehousea, June 25, 18113.—
Sir,—l beg to enclose a cheque for £lOO towards the
fund for the relief of the sufferers by the calamity in
the Victoria Hall, and at the same time beg to express
my deep sympathy at the loss which has fallen on es
many families in Sunderland.— Yours faithfully,
DURHAM."