The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-26

Chicago. Jan. 25.-The people of Chi
cago were aroused TODAY to take
prompt and generous action for the
relief of the two score thousand desti-
tute inhabitants. whose suffering for
want Of fuel. food and clothing has
reached an extreme stage as a result
of the terribly cold wave which came
upon the city Saturday, increasing in
intensity until, today, it reached the
lowest point officially recorded in a
quarter of a century.
Between ; and o'clock this morn
ing, the weather bureau in the Audi
toriun tower where II is warmer than
on the street, recorded 20 degrees be-
low zero. Only once in the history of
the bureau. December "a, 1872, 2S below,
has the temperature fallen lower. From
8 a. m. TO , p. m. there was a gradual
rise. the range being Is to u degrees.
but the relief was hardly felt when ac-
companied with a cutting wind from
the northwest. The highest tempera-
ture of the day was 10 below zero, and
tonight the mercury is moving slowly
down again, with no hope of material
IGllcL uGiQ OuL 1OI lOIUOIIOW.
THE MAYORS APPEAL.
Mayor Swift issued a proclamation
this afternoon, according to his ex-
pressed intention yesterday, appealing
in urgent language to all citizens who
have the means to spare to contribute
at once money and supplies to prevent
the starvation and freezing of unfor-
tunate thousands. He urged the sub
scription of 100000 as being none too
much to afford the help needed. The
funds of the charity organizations have
become depleted owing to the extra
demands made upon them even during
the mild winter weather. which has
prevailed here until a few DAYS ago.
/ The Chicago Relief and Aid society
was compelled to make a special appeal
for money last week to carry on it's
work because of the unusually large
number OF heads and supporters of
families who are UNEMPLOYED while
willing 20 work
Before the mayors proclamation was
issued. contributions to the special
fund came pouring into his office in
fers of provisions. clothing. coal and
wood were re eived on 4 liberal scale.
The board OF trade and other organ
izations started to raise relief funds,
and the churches and Salvation armies
began making systematic and extern
sive arrangements to help in the chart
table work along their special lines.
Soup houses and shelters will be es-
tablished and maintained as long as
necessary. A plan which the mayor
and Chief of Police, Badenock agreed
upon at a conference today was i'm
mediately put into effect The city
will buy with the special fund food and
fuel and distribute them on demand
through the agency of the police de-
partment. This relief is to be afforded
without the usual investigation until
the regular charitable organizations
are able so take UP the work. All
police stations have been thrown open
to the freezing air. The mayors pro-
cIamation is the first of the kind to
be issued in % years.
WORST AND MOST NUMEROUS.
The worst and most numerous cases
of suffering were reported from South
Chicago and Kensington, where thou
sands of men have been laid off at the
steel mills and other establishments.
The savings of most of these victims
of the hard times have been used to
pay for their little homes. leaving
them practically penniless, although
not paupers.
Much damage was done in the sub
urbs to telegraph and telephone wires
by the cold. Traffic with Cicero was
suspended until late today by the col
lapse of the cable poles. The work of
affording instant temporary relief dur
ing the inclement weather was pushed
by the police agents. using patrol wag-
ons and ambulances in such a sys-
tematic manner that no case of desti-
tuition reported remained unattended
tonight.
At midnight the thermometer registered
II below, and it is believed the upward
tendency will continue. The police sta
lions throughout the city are filled with
lodeers. many of whom applied for
shelter. with frozen ears and fingers
swIFT's PROCLAMATION.
mayor SWlIC ISSucu- Inc AOiAO"AA-S
proclamation this afternoon:
ITO the Generous People of Chicago:
The present severe weather must
naturally excite the keen sympathy
of every kindly-disposed person for the
worthy and suffering poor. pro-
tracted period of business depression
has thrown thousands of men and
women out of employment and brought
want to families not previously Ia
miliar with it. No startling emergency
exists, but the need naturally prevail
ing in large city is now considerably