Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-25
THE MINNESOTA CALAMITY.
Full and Reliable Particulars-Gov.
Hubbard at Rochester.
A Circular Issued Appealing for
Help.
Former Reports Not Exaggerated In the
Least.

| ~AADuhO opcClal lEOm pOcneBLer,
MINI says: Governor Hubbard ar
rived in this city this morning, and,
accompanied by members of the re
lief committee, made excursions
about town and fully satisfied himself
that reports of the destruction were
not exaggerated. On returning he
attended meeting Of the relief com>
mittee and commended the work done.
Plans were taken for further opera
tions by the committee. He suggested
that the committee prepare 5000 cir
culafs, Of which he wanted 1000.
Agreeably to his recommendation, the
following circular has been written
and will be sent out to all parts Of the
State to morrow:
"On the evening of August q a
terrific cyclone struck our city, com.
pletely demOlishing 1876 dwellings and
destroying the contents. A number
OF others we're unroofed and other
wise badly damaged. Thirty. one PER-
sons were killed and about one hundred
wounded several fatally. The ruined
houses were all owned and occupied
by mechanics and laborers, who have
lost everything they had in the world
except the clothing they had on their
persons. Inmany cases the heads of
families were injured. The cyclone
entered the county at its western
border, and in its course destroyed the
crops and buildings on about forty
farms, and Others lying contiguous
were damaged. The Relif Committee
has a detailed list of nineteen families
that are entirely destitute. We appeal
to the public for aid. The leading
business men Of the city are all heavy
losers and cannot, therefore, do as much
as they would for the sufferers.
They have, however, contributed iib-
orally. None Of the public school
buildings have escaped damage-one
building is destroyed. The court
house was uuroofed and churches Sc
riously impaired, one of them-Meth-
odist--being demolished. The eleva~
tors and warehouses are in ruins.
Provisions are plentiful. More
clothing and carpenters are needed.
One hundred thousand dollars ex.
pended in lumber, etc for the penni-
less would scarcely set them on their
feet sufficiently to enable them to re-.
build houses for themselves. All the
contributions are placed in the hands
of thoroughly organized committee
Of citizens, and the work of the relief
committee is now systemstized and
being operated on the most thorough
scale. Its rooms are crowded with ap-
plicants for provisions and shelter all
day. A generous table was provided
and cook stove set up in the commit.
tee rooms, and the hungry are being
fed on the spot.
Provisions are sent to families who
are cared for in otherN places The
genenG plan of the committee as
outlined in this mornings session is
to give each family orders on stores
for cash amounting to not more than
$25, with which to supply themselves
with the necessities Of life. Each ap.
plicant is catalogued, and his peculiar
necessities and the amount given him
charged against it, for which purpose
the committee has hired bookkeeper.
1t is now estimated that $50 fami.
lies in this city, and so in the country
are destitute. There are 500 people
who require to be almost supported by
charity for some days or perhaps
weeks. About 200 were fed to day at
the committees lodges, besides meals
sent out. The committee has deter
mined to replace the houses
inhabited by their owners,
who are now destitute, which were
demolished by the storm. j. l.. Car
penter, OF Carpenter & Fults, archi-
tects, came to Rochester and gener
ously offered their professional services
to the committee, the offer being
thankfully accepted. The only plan
which meets the unanimous approval
of the committee, and which it will
probably receive, is to rebuild the
rough houses owned and occupied by
the sufferers, and which were demOl-
ished by the storm. They will nuns
Der at least eighty, and will cost from
$3.50 to $1,000 each, making in the ag.
gregate about $15O,OOO. They will be
l6 by 20 feet and 10 feet high, making
a story aad three.fourths. They
will have two floors and be rooted
with shingles or prepared paper. The
joists will be sheeted inside and COW
cred with flooring outside, other fin
ishing and furnishing, except a par
tition on each floor, is to be
done by the occupant, SO that each
man can have a roof over his head
free, and can make what improve
manta he oan afford Mr. Carnenter