Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-13
Details of the Work of Relief
Accomplished for
JOHNSTOWN'S SUFFERERS
By the Supply Committee of the Local
Commission.
THE IMMEDIATE WANTS SUPPLIED

few days. The report of the subcommittee
on Supplies will not appear in that PAM
phlet, owing to the absence of Chairman S.
S. Marvin on the Pacific coast The other
members of the committee are John Ponte-
tract and George W. Dlworth. Before
leaving Mr.. Marvin gave the supply data
to Percy f. Smith of the Pennsylvania
Grocer. Mr.. Smith has prepared the re-
port, and it was approved without change
by Messrs. Dilworth and Pontefract.
Through the kindness of Mr.. Smith a
DISPATCH reporter was able to secure the
report, and it is here appended:
THE sUB-CoMMITTEE's REPORT.
To the Hon. William McCreerY, Chairman:
Your Committee on Supplies desire to report
that they organized Saturday, June l. 1889, at
about o'clock p NJ. and Immediately entered
upon their duties. The first task undertaken
was the loading and forwarding of the initial
train Of supplies and volunteers for the flooded
district. These supplies were donated by the
citizens of PIttsburg and AIlegheny-very
largely by the merchants Of Liberty street and
Penn avenue, and consisted Of everything that
3 thoughtful ard generous public deemed ne
cesSary for the relief and comfort of the peo-
pie of Johnstown.
Included in the supplies on this train were
two carloads of crackers and bread-One
bought and paid for by the proprietors Of the
newspapers of Pittsburg, and the other donated
by the bakers of Pittsburg and Allegheny City.
Your committee next proceeded to purchase
train load of supplies and soon had ready for
departure 20 well-hIled cars Elsewhere in
this report will be found in detail some of the
goods which these cars contained.
THE LABOR OF LOVE.
Merchants and their employees and the Sup
ply Committee and others worked nearly the
whole of Saturday night and at o'clock Sun
day morning the loading of the second train
was completed and over the Pennsylvania
Railroad, on its errand Of mercy, it sped for
Johnstown.
Almost before this train was out of the CITY.
Mr. James B. Scott sent word from Johnstown
that supplies should be sent by the Baltimore
and OhiD Railroad. as it was next to impossible
to reach Johnstown with bulk goods via the
Pennsylvania Railroad.
A call for third train load of supplies was
at once issued, to be sent by the b. & o. r. R.,
as directed by Mr.. Scott. Most of the mer-
chants, Wearied from the iabors of the night
had gone to their homes, but when found and
spprised of the situation, at once returned and
in q little while there was a small army of will
ing workers shaping the third supply train.
When the big bell tolled 8 O'Clock Sunday
afternoon, this tram, consisting of 25 cars,
loaded with bread and provisions of all kinds,
tools of every description, carts, horse feed,
etc., together with a lot of workmen, was for
warded by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The scene during the day was one long to be
remembered in staid old Pittsburg. Never did
Liberty street and Penn avenue, or the locality
ofthe Baltimore and Ohio depot echo similar
hum of business, and the workers We'd with
each other In their efforts to equip the train,
in vision picruring the journey of the train and
the joy it would bring TO the sufferers at Johns
town. 1t was not forgotten that il was the
Sabbath, but there was the more rejoicing that
before the close of this sacred rest day the sur
vivOrs at JohnstoEn would have reason indeed
to feel it the most precious day of their lives.
On Sunday afternoon your committee re-
ceIved reports of the immense quantities of
supplies that had been sent and were being
gathered together by the charitable in almost
every city n the country. These supplies
varied in bulk from the smallest express pack
age TO carload lots-the latter almost without
number-and we're promptly forwarded to Mr..
distributed.
By your instructions we were to fill the re-
auisitions of Mr.. Scott and also Mr.. Finn, who
were IN Johnstown. Some of their REQUIRE
mems were as follows: Hardware and tools of
all kinds, CARTS workmen, bread and provisions,
horse feed, etc.
HOSPITAL SUPPLIES NECESSARY.
We were called upon for large quantities of
hospital supplies to be sent to Johnstown and
frequently by friends and relatives of food
sufferers who died in our city hospitals, for
tation.
One OF Mr.. Fllnns requirements was for
stewards and cooks and cooking utensils for
his camp of workmen. His requirements were
met, the cooks and stewards secured and for
wsrded promptly and, as we understand, gave
entire satisfaction,
And Just here your committeeFdesire to refer
to the late Captain William r. Jones who went
to Johnstown and on his return made a most
intelligent report of the situation which en-
abled your committee TO arrange, more expedi-
tiously, for those supplies most urgently
needed They furnished Mr.. Jones with a full
outfit and on going back to the devastated dis
trict, very efficient service was rendered to Mr..
Finn and his co-workers.
The books Of the company show the move
ment Of marvellous amount of goods during
the nrst three or four days after the disaster,
and details upon this branch of the business
are given elsewhere.
Relative to the supplies forwarded your |
committee desire to say they included every
thing for the comfort of man and beast The |
sufferers were fed, housed and clothed, fires |
were lighted where needed, lights struck and |
medical aid supplied, while the dead were as |
humanely handled as was possible under the |
appalling circumstances.
These supplies were forwarded without stint. |
The whole valley was filed with the comforts |
of life
One Of the most valuable contributions re- |
ceived by your Committee on Supplies was L 500 |
barrels of hour-a train load-the gift of the |
millers of Minneapolis This munifcent offer |
ing challenged the admiration of the people of /
the country, as 1t sent up another echo to the |
grand swelling chorus of thousands that every |
mouth in the flooded district must be filled" |
and everyone clothed in warm raiment
The -four was rapidly converted into bread |
and forwarded to Johnstown. And Just here |
the committee desire to record the fact that |
nearly two carloads of this -four were baked |
into bread at the Riverside Penitentiary, under |
the direction of Warden Wright and that too, |
without a cent of cost to the committee. Still |
another carload was baked at the counrys |
bread factory at CIaremont by the Superin- |
tendent, MI. Henry Warner, without expense |
to the committee. The remainder of the -four |
was disposed Of to the best advantage and |
rapidly turned into bread that a continuous |
supply might be had at Johnstown.
GREAT NEED OF BBEAD.
That the work of the committee may be more /
fully comprehended, let us state here that the /
amount of bread alone which we had to supply
for nearly ten days was equal TO 1000 two
pound loaves per hour or 24,000 loaves each
day.
One Of the most acceptable donations made
to the committee was one of 10000 pounds of
cut and dry smoking tobacco and 1900 pipes
by the firm of Weyman & Bro. of Pittsbure
Credit is also due to the millers of the Monon-
gahela Valley, who purchased and forwarded
70 the sufferers carload of crackers.
The work Of g committee for the first ten
days was in the direction of preserving the lives
of the saved. and supplying their immediate
wants. At the end of that time came pressing
demands for bedding, furniture, etc, with
which families could resume home life.
In compliance with instructions received |
your committee purchased outfits for 100 fam
lilies, said outfits consisting Of the following
articles for each family of four persons: Five |
chairs. one small rocker, one pair red blankets, |
one pair white blankets, two towels eight |
sheets. one cooking stove. one skillet two bake
pans one iron pot, one tea kettle. five joints of |
pipe and elbows, six knives and forks, six tea
spoons, three tablespoons, six plates, one cream
pitcher. two-quart pitcher. two bowls, SIX cups. |