The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-10
AID FOR THE SUFFERERS.
Great Indignation Expressed at a
Relief Meeting.

ReAAsI MeeVlnBs
Washington, June9-A meeting of citi-
zens was held this afternoon to put into
operation measures for the relief Of the
victims of to-day's catastrophe II was
called to order by Commissioner Ross and
Commissioner Parker was chosen to pre-
side. With but little preliminary the
purpose Of the gathering was achieved In
the appointment of a committee OF five TO
canvass the meeting for subscription.
While this was being done, brief
addresses were made by B. II. Warner,
Rev, William A. Bartlett, A. Smith
Thompson, a clerk employedln the col
lapsed, building, and Bishop j. F. Hurst.
DR. Bartletts ringing arraignment Of the
government for its moral responsibility
for the calamity met with the warm COM
mendatiOn Of the gathering. He said the
chief officers ought in some way get to-
gether and provide means which shall
secure to the suffering sorrowing ones
that care and support which a niggardly
policy had made necessary and mot sad
die single dollar upon this long-suffering
community"
THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU BLAMED.
Mr.. ThOmpsOn's speech was largely de-
voted to abuse of Col Ainsworth, chief
of the record and pension divisions, whom
he charged with being the direct active
cause of the casualty. He said the large,
fine airy safe rooms in the war depart
ment building were kept sacred for storing
the inanimate rolls and records, while
Ford's theater, a building utterly unfit
for clerical uses, was crowded with
clerks, many of whose lives
had been sacrificed by this one
mans dictum. The theater had been a
''perfect he'll on earth," he said; no mill
tary prison or Jail is comparable to 1t In
disagreeable features, while the security
of the structure was notorious, 1t having
been condemned no less than three times
Mr., Thompson stated that although ~
years of age, he had been proYidentially
able to make q successful escape from the
second story of the building by means Of
ladder.
LARGE SUBSCRIPTIONS.
The total amount Of subscriptions OBJ
tanned was announced as about s. 800, the
largest being 81 900 from the dry goods
firm of Woodward q Lothrop.
President Cleveland who had been
asked to preside over the meeting but
was unable to do so because of pressing
official business engagement, sent his
check for 500, and Secretary Thurber his
for $25
Several motions were made to continue
the work of the meeting by the appoint
ment of canvassing committee, but IL
was the sense of the meeting that the
newspapers of the city, which had al
ready initiated relief funds, could do the
work more thoroughly and satisfactorily
than any committee and it
was left with them TO do The
committee of five which canvassed the
meeting, however, was continued as q
disbursing organization with S. w Wood
ward as treasurer. They will make all
the allOtmeuts of money subscribed and
report through the papers when their
work has been completed. 1t was stated
at the meeting that the families of those
who had been killed In the wreck were all
left practically unprovided for in fnan-
cial way. A subscription was started in
the war department this afternoon for
the relief of the sufferers, and this will
probably be followed by like movements
in the other government departments.