The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-05
President Harrison Presides at Meeting

| WASHINGTON, June I'm response to tn,
call issued by the commissioners of tn,
District of Columbia, public meeting t
devise means of aiding the sufferers by thu
| flood at JOhnStown and vicinity, was hel(
| here this afternoon. President Harrison
| presided and urged immediate action
| The meeting was called to order by Com
missioner Douglass, who introduced Presi
| dent Harrison, the presiding officer of the
meeting. Upon taking the chair the Presi
dent said:
Everyone here to-day is Interestingly
! conscious of the circumstances which have
convened this meeting. II would be i'm
! possible to state more impressively than
the newspapers have already done. the
distressing incidents attending the calamity
which has fallen upon the city of Johns
town and the neighboring hanlets,
and upon large section of Pennsyi-
MIA situated upon the Susquehauna river.
The grim pencil of Dore would be made
quate to portray the horrors of this vista
ton. In such meeting as we have here in
the national capital and other like gather
ings that are taking place in the cities of
this land, we have only the eyes of hope
and light in the general gloom. When such
calamities as visitation falls upon any
section of our country we can do no more
than to place about the dark picture the
golden border of charity (applause).
sit is in such affairs as these that the
brotherhood of men is welded, and where
is sympathy and help more appropriate
than in the nationG- capital? 1 am glad to
say that early this morning from that CITY
not long ago visited by pestileace: not
long ago itself appealing to the charitable
people of the whole land for relief, the city
of Jacksonville, there came the ebb of that
tide of charity which flowed toward it in its
time of need. have receiveda telegram from
the sanitary relief association authorizing
me to draw on them for 81 600 for the relief
of the Pennsylvania sufferers. (Applause).
But this is no time for a speech. While l
talk men and children are suffering for that
relief which we plan to give.
Zone word or two of practical suggestion
and | will placesthls meeting in your hands
to give effect to your impatient benevo-
lence. l have dispatch from Governor
Beaver, of Pennsylvania, advising me that
communication has just been opened with
Williamsport, on a branch of the Susque-
hanna river, and that the losses in that
section have been appalling so that
thousands of people there are homeless
and there Is an immediate call
for food to relieve their necessities He
advices me that any food that can be hastily
gathered here should be sent via Harris
burg to Williamsport, where it will be dis
tributed.
II suggest, therefore, that a committee
be constituted having in charge the speedy
collection of articles of food. The occasion
is such that bells well might be RING
through your streets to call the attention
of the thoughtless to this great ext
gency. In order that a train load
of provisions may be dispatched to-
night or in the early morning to those
suffering people, l suggest, secondly, that
as many of these people have had the en-
tire furnishings of their houses swept
away and now only have temporary
shelter, that committee be appointed to
select such articles of clothing, and es-
pecially bed clothing, that can be spared
hardly be that house in Wash
ington cannot spare blanket GOV
erlet; and third, suggest that from
the substantial business men and bankers |
there be appointed committee who shall |
collect money for and after the first ext |
yency is past, as there will be found in |
,hese communities very many who have |
ost their all, and who will need aid in the |
of their demolished homes |
Ind in furnishing them, so that they may
De again inhabited.
"Need 1 say in conclusion that as tenn
,orary citizen of Washington it would give
ne great satisfaction if the national capital
hould so generously respond to this call of
,ur distressed fellow-citizens as to be con-
picuous among the cities of our land feel
hat as l am now calling for contributions
should say that on Saturday. when
irst apprised of the disaster at Johnstown,
telegraphed a subscription to the mayor
# that city. 1 do not like to speak of any
hing so personal at this time, but feel
due to myself and to you that should
av so much as this"
The list of vice-presidents, including the
lembers of the cabinet, is, Chief Justice