The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-04-16
nHEnAHE 0r CH1o.
An Appeal for Aid Wade ny
American women.

WASHINGTON, April l1.-Mrs. Sher-
man, Mrs. Blaine, and number OF
other ladies, prominent in Washing
ton society and well known through
out the country, make the following
appeal to the United States inibehalf
Of the sufferers from the disastrous
earthquake in Chic:
To the People Of the United States:
/ The calamityof Chic touches the
whole world. "A disaster which no
human foresight could perceive Or
prevent, has laid waste beautiful
island, whose songs have been among
the worlds most treasured posses
sionsifor five and twenty centuries.
IA single Sunday afternoon destroyed
the fruit of sixty years industry, and
turned aIpeacefnl and pleasant coun-
try into a scene of desolation and
horror.
Without one moments warning,
by unheralded and irresistible forces
of nature, seven Thousand human
lives were crushed and buried be
meath the ruins of their own happy
homes. Ten thousand more have
been extricated, wounded and dying,
and four thousand are left wander
ing without roof or food, or plan for
the future. Stricken by an unseen
hand, furnished, appalled,, sdespairing
the situation admits of no delay. SUI
fering is present and pressing.
No community could recover from
so mysterious and terrible blow,
except through the slow lapse of
time. The neighboring powers have
rushed to Chic with instant aid, but
the shocked and sorrowful people
must be nurtured through many long
days back to comfort and confidence,
to hope and home joy, to strength
and seli-dependence.
In this sudden and overwhelming
anguish accredited representatives
of the desolated province have APP
pealed to us to implore the generous
assistance of the American people.
We doinot appeal TO the American
people. They need no appeals in this
sweet charity. The new world insists
upon it's right to stand and share
with the old. But gathered in the
national capital from all sections of
this great la1d, feeling profoundly
that the kings business requircth
haste, and confident that in thus com
plying with the requestof our friends
and neighbors from over the sea, we
rightly interpret the eagerness of
every American to minister not only
sympathy, but prompt and definite
snccOr, We venture earnestly to beg
pastors of all churches, Catholic,
Protestant aud Hebrew, to take up
collection in their several congrega-
tons at the earliest practicable mo-
ment, and wepray that,the presidents
of boards of trade, and managers of
all moneyed institutions, circulate
subscription papers, that the rich
insiy have immediate opportunity to
give Of their wealth, and the poor
of their poverty, through channels
that sinai so0ncstreach famting suf-
'ferers whum nature could not spare,
and whem humanity must restore.
The well-known banking house of
Riggs az Co, of Washington, has
kindly consented to receive all mon
eys collected for this purpose, and
for convenience and dispatch the
several sums received viii he acknnw-
lodged in the daily papers of Wash
ington. We ask from editors of
newspapers fav0ring this letter a
prominent place ia their columns.
tSigDed) Harriet S. Blaine, Maine;
Ellen Ewing Sherman, Ohio; Alice
Key Pcadletol, Ohio; MaryG. Miller,
California; Anna T.. Martin, New
York; Mary Montgomery Gibson,
Louisiana; Linda McLane Johnston,
Virginia; Mary S. Logan, Illinois;
Aialvina +. Harlan, Kentucky.