Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-06-10
A GIGANTIC TASK.

The LaboriOus Prospect Confronting the
Unfortunate Citizens Of Johnstown.
JoHNsTowN, Pa, June 10.--As each
day passes the citizens of Johnstown see
new vistas of duties opening before them
until they are frightened by the prospect.
The work yet to be done is ten times
more extensive than what has been ac-
complished. The new problem now is,
shall the town be cleared temporarily or
permanently, and can the people here
depend upon individual aid for the
money to do it with? To merely scrape
the surface, leaving all the cellars filled
with dead bodies, will take a million
dollars and two weeks work, while to.
put il into condition for the residents to
rebuild their houses and take up their
old course of life means the spending of
Sd 900, 600 and the keeping of an army at
work until Nov. 1. No one will take
heart again until sure that the dead are
all out of town. They will not believe
that they have all been taken away until
every cellar has been dug out.
The Work Too Vast for Charity.
This vast work cannot be done by any
committee. no matter how charitable
they may be. There is no intention to
belittle the work they have done. On
the contrary, the able and wealthy men
OF Pittsburg sent here by the chamber of
commerce have worked like day labor
ers. One cannot appreciate all the sac
rilices they are making until he sees the
magnitude of the work they have al
ready accomplished. The town now is
fast beginning TO look like one vast sand
plain, and the fires are seen every day
further and further away from the
rivers edge, as they chase up the ruins
of homes, churches and warehouses
A Permanent Force Needed.
But still this is all surface work
These gentlemen now here cannot work
all summer. Many of them have al
ready gone home and more must soon
go; in fact they are leaving every day.
Many Of the 1000 men at work are vol
unteers who came only to give temper
airy relief. Most of them will be gone
by the end of next week. Who is to
take their places. Not more volunteers;
the supply of them is fast running out.
Who is to take permanent charge of the
work for the rest of the summer?
should the state Step me
Should Governor Beaver step in, or
should aspeciaf session Of the legislature
be calleds Authority should be given 70
some one to see that the necessary money
is raised and that the contracts are given
out and enforced. The work must be
done in business like way, as a railroad
il built or canal is dug. The railroad
companies and the owners Of he big
iron works are going about theirI labor
systematically with an eye to the future,
but no one looks further than tomorrow
in the town ITSELF The committee is
finding the problem too intricate and
must give way to some higher authority
and greater power.
Volunteers Want to Go Home.
Mr.. William Flynn, Of the firm Of
Booth a Flynn, who have 5000 men &C
work. SAYS he can keep them together
for another week. but probably not be-
yond that. as hale of them are volunteers
and viii soon desert while he cannot
afford to keep ON working here, but
must look after his own business, which
has been sadly neglected. Dir. j. ".
Patton. superintendent of the Baltimore
and Ohio r;silroad. has kept 500 men at
work On the ruins to the neglect Of his
Of his own road, and he must soon
withdraw this force. The committee
have not yet formally considered this
| subject. but that It gives them 3 great
deal Of anxiety there can be no doubt.
/ They feel that the question must soon be
/ finally answered. and they are even
/ now. as individuals. thinking Of the best
/ way Of making known to the people Of
the whole country the real state Of nk-
fairs in the valley.
| Eew Eunernls.
/ Cut Of ali the nearly 900 dead who
have been buried It IS probable that there
have ltae4l NOT over s dozen funerals