Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1881-05-03
Soliciting Aid for the Earthquake
Sufferers.
WASHINGTON, April II, 1881.


To THE people OF THE UNITED STATES.
The calamity of Chios touches the whole
world. A disaster which no human fore
sight could perceive or prevent has laid
waste the beautiful island whose songs
have been among the worlds most treas
ured possessions for five and twenty CEN
turies. A single Sunday afternoon destroy
ed the fruit OF sixty years of industry and
turned pleasant and peaceful country
into scene of desolation and horror
Without one moments warning, by the
unheralded and irresistible forces of ma
ture, seven thousand human beings were
crushed and buried beneath the ruins of
| their own happy homes, ten thousand
more have been extricated, wounded and
| dying, and forty thousand are left wan
dering without roof or food or plan for
the future, stricken by an unseen hand,
famished, appalled,, despairing
! The situation admits of no delay. The
suffering is present and pressing. No
community could recover from so myste-
rious and terrible blow except through
| the slow lapse of time. The neighboring
| Powers have rushed TO Chios with instant
aid, but the shocked and sorrowful people
must be nurtured through many long
day back to comfort and con- dence to
hope and homejoy, to moral strength and
| self-dependence.
| In his sudden and overwhelming an
| guish the accredited representatives of the
desolated province have appealed to Us to
/ implore the generous assistance of the
American people. We do not appeal to
the American people. They need no ap-
| peal. In this sweet charity the New World
insis,s upon its right to stand and share
with the Old. But gathered in the Ma
tional Capital from all sections of this
| great land. feeling profoundly that the
Nlng's business requileEh haste, and con-
tident that in thus complying with the re-
quest of our friends and neighbors from
over the sea, we rightly interpret the ca
gerness of every American to minister not
olly sympathy, but prompt and definite
succor, We venture earnestly to beg the
astors of all ChuTches-Cathoiic, Prot
eslant and Hebrew-,o take up a cOllec-
ton in their several congregations at the
earliest practicable moment. And we
pray the Presidents of Boards of Trade,
and the Managers of moneyed institutions
TO circulate subscription papers, that the
rich may have an immediate opportunity
10 give of their wealth and the poor of
their poverty through channels that shall
soonest reach the taintiug sufferers whom
udtuic Coutu uot Sl)dIc anu W NOM nutudn-
ity must restore.
The we'll known banking house OF Riggs
u Co. OF Washington, has kindly conssn-
ted to receive all moneys collected for this
purpose, and tor convenience and dispatch
the several sums received will be acknowl-
edged in the daily papers Of Washington.
We ask from the editors of newspapers
the favor of giving this letter prominent
place in their columns.
HARRIET 5. BLAINE, Maine.
ELLEN EWING SHERMAN.
ALICE KEY PENDLEToN, Quo.
MARY G. MILLER, Calf rnia.
ANNA L. MORTON, New York.
MARY MONTGOMERY GIBSON, Louisiana
LYDIA McCLANE JOHNSTON, Virginia.
Mary s. Logan, Illinois.
MAININA z Ii HAnIAN Kentucky