Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-10-18
THE JoHNsTowN HosPITAL-RRsIDENTs OBJ
JRCT TO RELIEF MoNKY BRING DIVERTED
FOR THAT INSTITUTION.
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Special Telegram to the Times.
JoHNsTowN, October 5.
Among the many pieces of bad man
agement in connection with the distribu-
tion of the peoples money given for the
relief nf the sufferers by the flood in this
and other parts of the State, nothing is so
displeasing to the people of Johnstown as
the inclination shown to divert portions
| of the money to purposes for which it was
| not intended.
If the report that reaches here is true
| that the sum of $40, 900 has been given by
| the Philadelphia committee for the pur'
pose of continuing hospital in charge of
members of the Philadelphia auxiliary of
| the Red Cross Society at Johnstown, it
| will be met with storm of disapproval
and arouse discussion if not a serious
| scandal that will be one Of the most dis
agreeable Of the unpleasant chapter of
| blunders that have followed in the wake
of the great calamity.
AT least four of the members of the
| Philadelphia Committee are also members
| of the Flood Commission, and although
| they are busy men and have not all had
| the time to attend the meetings or make
| themselves familiar with the situation,
| some of them know just how unpopular
this hospital project is with the people Of
| JohnstoWn, and are familiar with the op-
position that exists to it not only ON the
part of the local physicians and the resi-
dents generally but by the charitable
agencies represented here, including the
Red Cross Society itself.
Miss Clara Barton, the President of the
National Red Cross Society, the woman
who has done more than any other indi-
| vidual for Johnstown and its suffering
people, is opposed to the hospital, has had
| nothing to with it and will not have, and
| is heartily in accord with the people of
| Johnstown in their opposition toit. More
| than this, Miss Barton looks upon the
| scheme to establish hospital under the
name of the Red Cross as something be-
yond and outside the purpose Of the or
ganization which she established and of
| which she is the responsible head.
without going into particulars it is
| sufficient to say that Miss Barton and all
| the other officers OF the National Red
| Cross Society at Johnstown did not ap-
prove of the part taken by members of the
Philadelphia auxiliary in the work of
relief. Officers of the Red Gross say that
the only drawback they had, the only
thing they had to contend with, were the
Misunderstanding and misconceptions of
the Society on the part of the people
growing out of the conduct Of the young
doctors and their friends from Philadel.
phia who claimed to represent the Red
Cross.
Shortly after these young doctors estab-
lished a hospital in tents in distant
secluded place to which women and girls
were taken free of charge and kept,
although the resident physicians and
officers of the Red Cross on the ground
said there was no necessity for it, a COM
mittee of citizens made certain statements
to General Hastings who Immediately
telegraphed for DR.. Pancoast, the presi-
dent of the Philadelphia auxiliary. Dr.
Pancoast. it is asserted, promised Gen
elal Hastings and the committee and Miss
Barton that it would be discontinued or
at least turned over to the physicians of
Johnstown, but on one pretext or another
this has been deferred until now 1t APP
pears an APPROPRIATION has been procured
for 1t that to the people here seems pre-
posterous. DIR. Pancoast proposed to
Miss Barton making it the nucleus of
memorial hospital to have her name. She
would not listen to it and said it would
be wrong to put any portion of the relief
fund to such purpose.
PHILADELPHIA RED oRoss-AN INTERESTING
STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT WILLIAM II.
PANooAsT.
Tuesday, October 8, 1889.
To the Editor or the Times:
AS l feel assured that you cannot de-
sire to do injustice to one of Phladel-
phia's active and noble charities, would
ask you to publish the following, as an
answer to an anonymous, untrue and,
fear, malicious statement which appeared
in your Sunday edition yesterday as an
unsigned communication from Johns
town,
AS President of the Philadelphia Branch
of the International Red Gross Society,
would beg TO state that its members have
worked most diligently and unselfshiy
for the benefit of the suffering at Johns
town. We have worked harmoniously
with Miss Barton, the President of our
National Organization, with the Presi-
dent and members of the County Medical
Society and have received the enco-
miums and other evidences of satisfac-
tion and gratitude from the citizens OF
the valley. When we proposed closing
our field camp on the 1st of August pc
tition was sent to me, signed numer.
ously by citizens of Johnstown, begging
me to keep the camp open and in opera
tion, as it was so necessary to them and
doing such good, useful work. Our So
ciety has spent in the valley over $40, 900
in contributions, and of our own money.
have made repeated visits to super
wise our operations and almost dally re-
ports have hecn presented TO the officers
Of ours0cioty and he executive committee
commanders OF ON field camp, first DR..
Wilkes ONeil who went up 10 represent
us and at great Inconvenience TO himself,
organized the camp and stayed with it
for two weeks as commander; DR.. X. S.
Wharton, my assistant, who succeeded
him and has been in command since,
with the exception Of u week, when DR..
A. w. Biddle, Of Chestnut EIill was in
charge, have all worked harmoniously
and courteously with Miss Barton and
the local physicians of the county society.
The camp has been managed admirably