Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-24
Losses at JOhnStoVn.
Estimates on the Houses and
Furniture Destroyed.
THE FIGURES PUT AT s5,5oo,ooo.

They Do Not Include the Destruction of
Store Stocks, Nor the Losses of the
MiIis-Pians of the Pittsburg Commit
tee for Rebuilding the Town-GhastIy
and Awful Exposures Made by the
Dynamite-The Physicians Declare That
the Dead Number 10000.
JoHNsTowN, Pa, June 24-The Pittsburg
members of the relief commission took a look
over the grounds yesterday. They have
been not a little amused at the exaggerated
reports of losses caused to real and personal
property by the flood. A Pittsburg paper
yesterday published a statement that the
losses would run from $50, OO0, 900 to SAG, OOO-
work figuring on the matter, and the result
is summarized as follows:
Half Million for Furniture.
According to the estimate of james Nc
MILAN, Cyrus Elder, and other leading bust
ness men of Johnstown the aggregate loss of
houses was about 800. This includes the
losses in the Conemaugh valley. In figuring
up what it requires to furnish house in
oluding all necessary articles, but of course
"hthcuo III any iI1ls IL lihcS
about $50, exclusive of carpets But for the
sake of argument and computation, let us
say that these 800 houses would require
$500 each to furnish them, or $3.50, 900, but
to give all the margin necessary let us call it
$500, 900. So much for the furniture.
$1,000 900 Figured for Houses.
"Now the average cost of replacing these
1 800 houses would not be over 81, 900 each.
s., 600,0 900. and again to give a margin to
these figures let us put this at s.. 600 900,
plus the S500,0O0 for loss of furniture and
you have nearly what the aggregate cost of
the flood is. OF course these figures do not
include the losses of the Pennsylvania rail-
road or the Cambria Iron company but
we have nothing to do with them
The Facts Are Bad Enough
From this it will be seen that the real es-
innate will not reach 25 per cent of the
amount published this morning We very
much doubt if the assessed valuation of all
the property in Cambria county is $40 OOO,-
600; we will go further, we very much doubt
II Cambria county is worth $50, 900, 600 How
ever, it is bad enough, and the necessities of
the people must be looked to and alleviated
at the earliest possible moment How is this
to be done? Let us figure.
The Wherewithal in Sight.
when Governor Beaver pays back to
Pittsburgh the s120,00 advanced from the
relief fund to pay off the laborers under the
volunteer system, Pittsburg will have about
$500, 900 with which to go to work to relieve
the wants of the people By relief now we
mean giving them houses and fitting them
up for them. This is what we propose to do.
In addition to this $500, 900 there is probably
$500, 900 in Philadelphia Governor Beaver
has in his hands a like sum, Mayor Grant,
of New York has over $500, 600. The peo
pie of Johnstown themselves have $780, 900,
and there are other large sums IN the hands
of the heads of municipalities throughout the
country which are available at any moment
a requisition is made for them
Plans for Rebuilding.
snow, as to rebuilding and furnishing
houses for the people. Pittsburg has ordered
100 houses at 800 each with furnishments at
$50 each. Governor Beaver has ordered 100
houses at $500 each, 100 others at SIPS each,
and there will be 100 stores put up on the
public square at cost of $3.50 each. The
cost of the erection and furnishing of these
houses will of course come out of the funds
already named. Now what will these build
ings aggregate? One hundred houses at 500
each will cost $4,000: their furnishments
will cost s., 900 additional One hundred
luouscs dI S-uu tdcH VIII
with s., 600 more for their furniture; and 100
houses at S,25 each, with same furnishments,
SIT, 500.
Cost of the Proposed scheme.
"This will make $50 900 for the erection
and furnishing of 300 houses There yet re-
mains 500 houses to be supplied To do this
will cost s225 900, with SO, 900 for furniture
These figures show that it will cost about
$500, 900 in round numbers to do this build
ing; but it will be found that great many of
the citizens will want TO put up their own
buildings, and this of course will tighten up
the expenses of the general relief committee
materially. But to be liberal let us
say that the cost of completing this scheme
of rebuilding and furnishing houses will be
$500, 600 We intend to carry it out on this
basis OF course some people will not be
satisfied, but they must remember the cir
cumstances under which tine work is being
done, and that we are trying to do the great
est good for the greatest number, and in the
end all will feel that we have been honest
and sincere in our efforts in their behalf.
Cleaning the Streets of Debris.
ave don't believe it will cost over $780,
600 to clean up the streets of the city. With
force of 1000 men at work it will require
not more than from ten to twelve weeks TO
finish up the work. 1t will be seen by these
figures that the work of clearing up the
streets will fall far below $500, 600, not for
getting to include in this the $500, 900 put up
by the Pittsburg relief committee to pay off
the volunteer force"