The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-08-07

II ow the Greatest Charity Ever Shown Was
Dlstributed-RepOrt af the Secretary of
the Relief COMMUNICATIONS Million
Dollars Contrlbuted-Two Thousand One
Hundred and Forty-two Lives Were
| Sacrificed.
The most magnificent charity fund
ever contributed in the worlds history
was Johnstown relief fund of over
8, : 600, 900, an account of the distribution
of which is published for the first time in
full.
The report of Secretary Kramer of the
relief commission appointed to dis
tribute the funds is very interesting.
Mr.. Kramer gives brief sketch of the
destruction wrought by the flood, and
the incidents leading up to the Organiza-
ton of the commission. He states that
there was distributed by the commission
in the Eastern part of the State outside
of Cambria county, S24l, ,40S.5S in cash
and S5,066.6S in supplies. In these
Eastern districts seventy-eight persons
were drowned, correct list OF them
being furnished by the commission.
The total cash contributions to the
sufferers so far as the commission has
to 81. 4.I16,SO1.4S. Mention is made of the
work at Johnstown under Gen. Hastings
of the commissary and clothing depart
ments, shelter, aid societies, the care
of the sick and injured, burial of the
dead, general relief and the drowned.
| Regarding the drowned, Mr.. Kramer
says the most careful investigation, con-
tinued to the present time, shows the
number to have been 2, l42. Ninety-nine
families, Numbering from from two to
ten members each, were entirely washed
away. OF flood widows there are l24,
and 19S widowers. The orphans and
half orphans reach the number of 565
There were found and identified l,1l5,
found and not identified 636, missing
301.
The sum of $40 per capita was paid
each pcrsen who had suffered loss by the
food. A board of inquiry, consisting of
JohnstOwn citizens. classified the
sufferers into six classes, the first three
being based on their necessities only and
the last three on their losses. On the
first distribution S416,472 were paid out.
As in the distribution of the $40 per
capita, so it was found that many per-
sons by the payment made under the
first distribution of the fund as was re-
quired by their circumstances, and to
such no further payment was made. AT
a meeting of the commission held on
September 13, an appropriation of
81 600, 600 was made for distribution IN
the Conemargh Valley, a fixed proper
ton being designated for the several
classes. This is known as the final dis
tribution. The number of statements
on file amounted to 6,229. Glass l re-
ceived S2,200 each; class 2, 5000 each
class 3, $500 each; class 4, an average OF
10 per cent. of their respective losses.
To class 6 no payment was made, be-
cause it was not necessary. The Johns
town board of inquiry subsequently re-
vised this work, reducing the amounts
to some extent, but not materially. The
amount received by the widows was
SlS3, ,2Sl, and the sum of sos, 800 has
been set aside for their children. Fol
the care of children made orphans by
the flood Sll0,6l6.SS has been sci
aside.
The amount of loss in the Conemargl
Valley, as sworn to by claimnats, reached
the sum of 1864, ,105, added to this the
loss on corporate, church and borough
to S11 ,S7l ,005. A lengthy statement il
each individual, making total Of
s., ,37S, ,2S5. Mr.. Kramer says that the
labor involved in deciding the claims
and awarding amounts was very great
and was attended with many difficulties
The sworn statements of number o
cases were found to be utterly unrcliabl,
: because of the exaggerated values giveI
in them, and with all the care taken mis-
takes have doubtless been made because
. of an improper presentation of circum
, stances.
. The receipts of the commission wer
as follows: From Gov, Beaver
( 81, ,236, 1865; from the Philadelphia
f relief committee, 100000; from tn
a Pittsburgh relief committee, $3.50, 900
e from the New York Relief committee
, S516, 109.S S5-a total of S2,9l2, ,346.30. TIL
S expenditures in the Conemargh Vale
= were 80, ,592, ,03G,6S; in the State outsid
0 of the Conemargh Valley, $246, .26
d general and office expenses, S.. 72S.S9, O
G a total of S2,945, 140.S3. The commissio
: has S67,2O5.47 cash in its hand;
d Attached to the report is an appendi
Q showing that contributions came froI
l lforty-six States and territories and foul
e teen foreign countries.