Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-08-08
4 GIFT OF 100000.
The Worlds Contribution to
the JOhnstOWn Sufferers.
How the Greatest Charity Ever
Known Has Been Distributed.

The most magnificent charity fund ever
contributed in the worlds history was the
Johnstown PENN relief fund OF over
"a, 0OO, 900, an account of the distribution OF
which is now published for the first time in
full
The report OF Secretary Kramer, of the
Flood Relief Commission, appointed to dis
tribute the funds, Is very Interesting. MT
Kramer gives brief sketch of the destruc-
ticn wrought by the food and the incidents
leading up to the organization Of the COM
mission He states that there was distributed
by the commission in the eastern part OF
Pennsylvania, outside of Cambria county,
$241, 40S 50 in cash and $5OG6. IS in supplies.
In these eastern districts seventy-eight per
sons were drowned, a correct list or them
being furnished by the commission.
The total cash contributions to the SUI
ferers so far as the commission has been
able to obtain information, amounts to
S41f6. sol. As. Mention is made Of the work
at Johnstown under General Hastings, OF
the conmissary and clothing departments,
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 care
full investigation continued to the present
time shows the number to have been 2l42.
Ninety-nine families, numbering from two
to ten members each, were entirely washed
away. OF flood widows there are Ia, and
1913 widowers The orphans and haif-orphans
reach the number of 565. There were found
and identified Ills, found and not identified
636 missing 391.
Various plans were proposed to the com
mission regarding the distribution of the
fund all based on information more or less
accurate. and all providing for giving
specific sum to each of certain persons, by
classes regardless of loss and based only on
their necessities and percentage on tho
property loss of others, arranged also by
classes.
This general system of classification was
adopted and kept in view all through the
work but it was found that there were
many cases in each class that required ex
ceptional consideration that it finally became
to a large extent an adjustment in each
case based upon many and important con-
siderations. The opinions of the members
of the commission, and of those active in the
work, were modified by experience, and
while the general principles were maintained
the details were changed several times, but
as each change was to the advantage of the
more helpless part of the community, criti-
csm of delay ocCasioned was disarmed on
the Sth of July.
The sum of $40 per capita was paid each
person who had suffered loss by the flood.
A board of inquiry. consisting OF Youngstown
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 Sale, 472
were paid out. AS in the distribution of
the $40 per capita, so it was found that
many persons by the payment made under
the first distribution had received as large
proportion of the fund was required by
their circumstances, and to such no further
payment was made. At a meeting of the
commission held on September - an apprO-
priation of s., 600, 900 was made for distribu-
ton in the COnemaugh Valley, a fixed proper
ton being designated for the several classes.
This is known as the final distribution. The
number OF statements on file amounted to
6229 Glass l received $1,000 each; class 2, $500
each; class 3, $500 each; class 4, an average
of 30 per cent, and class 5, about ten per
cent of their respective losses. To class no
payment was made, because it was not
necessary. The JohnstoWn board of inquiry
subsequently revised this work. reducing the
amounts to some extent but not materially.
The amount received by the widows was
1888, 2S1 and the sum of sos, 500 has been set
aside Tor their children. For the care of
children made orphans by the flood S119,.
6l6.SS has been set aside
The amount of loss in the Conemaugh
Valley, as sworn to by claimants, reached
the sum of 50 GA, los, added to this the loss
on corporate church and borough property
OF 81 lO7, 500 runs the total up to 81, 81 sos,
A lengthy statement is then made of the
amount received by each Individual, making
total of 81, 31S, 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 a number of cases were
found to be utterly unreliable because of the
exaggerated values given in them, and with
all the care taken mistakes have doubtless
been made because of an improper presenta-
ton of circumstances.
The receipts of the committee were as
follows: From Governor Beaver, 81 1885,
146.45; from the Philadelphia Relief Com
mittee, 100000; from the Pittsburg
Relief Committee, $500, 600; from the New
York Relief Committee, S516, 1919. S5-a total of
$,912 BAG. 30. The expenditures in the
Conemaugh Valley were 81, 592 936. 6S; in the
State outside of the Conemaugh Valley,
sat, 20; general and office expenses,
IS, so, or a total of g, S45 14O.S3. The
commission has SCI, 205.47 cash in its hands,
Attached to the reports ali appendix show
ing that contributions came from forty.six
countries.