Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-10
MEASURES OF RELIEF.
subscriptions Of Money By Citizens OF
Washington.

WASHINGTON, ID. c.: June "a meeting
OF citizens was held this afternoon to put
INTO operation measures tor the relief OF
tho victims of to-day's catastrophe. Ii
was called to order by Commissioner Ross,
and Commissioner Parker was chosen to
talk the purpose of the gather
ing was achieved in the appointment
of q committee of fve to canvass for
subscriptions. While this was being done
brief addresses were made by b. II. War;
ner. Rev. William A. Bartlett, Smith
Thompson. . clerk employed IN the COL
lapsed building. and Bishop j. +. Hurst.
DR.. Bartlett's ringing arraignment OF the
government for its moral responsibility for
the calamity met with the warm CON-
mendation of the gathering.
He said the chief officers ought IN some
way to get together and provide the means
which shall secure to the suffering, sor-
rowing ones that care and support which
q niggardly policy had made necessary and
mot saddle single dollar upon this long
suffering community"
ABUSE OF CHIEF AISswoRrH.
Mr.. Thompson's speech was largely de-
voted to abuse OF Colonel Ainsworth, CHIEF
of the record and pension division, whom
no charged with being the direct and
active cause of the causalty. He said
large, fine, airy, safe rooms in the War.
Department building were kept sacred
to the storing of Inanimate rolls
and records, while Fords Theatre. build
ing utterly unfit for clerical uses, was
crowded with clerks. many OF whose lives
had been sacrificed by this one mans die
tum. The Theatre had been perfect
hell on earth,n he said no military prison
or Jail was comparable to it in disagreea-
BILE features. while the insecurity 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 providentially
enabled TO make successful escape from
the second story of the building by means
OF q ladder.
WOODWARD LorHRoP LEAD.
The total amount of the subscriptions
obtained was announced as about $500.
the largest being $1,000 from the dry
goods firm of Woodward Il Lothrop.
President Cleveland. who had been asked
TO preside over the meeting. and who was
unable to do so because OF pressing oih-
cial business engagement, sent his check
for Sl00 and Secretary Thurber his tor
$25.
Several motions were made to continue
the work of the meeting by appointing a
canvassing committee, but 1t was the sense
of the meeting that the newspapers OF tho
city. which had already initiated relief
funds, would do the work more tho
roughly aud satisfactorily than any
committee, and it was lett with
them 10 do it. The committee
of five which canyassed the meeting, how
ever, was continued as disbursing or
ganization, with Mr.. :. w. Woodward as
treasurer. They will mako all allotments
OF money subscribed and report through
the papers when their work has been COM
pleted.
FAMILIES USpRovIDFD FOR.
It was stated ut the meeting that the
families of those who had been killed in
the wreck were all left practically unpro-
vided for in financial way.
A subscription was started in tho War
Department this afternoon for the relief
of the sufferers ana this will probably be
followed by like movements III the other
government departments.