The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-29

1
named, for the first relief The distress
is equally divided all over the island
and only prompt work can save the
lives of many of our new wards who
are holding out appealing hands for
help from the beneficent government
under whose protection they have
come.
There has been no delay on the part
of American officials. Secretary of War
Root has been forced to appeal directly
to the public, as he says in his official
proclamation: This department has
directed the immediate distribution of
rations to the sufferers by the army in
Porto Rico, so far as it is within the
power of the executive, but in the abb
sence of any appropriation we must re-
ly largely upon private contributions
How urgent the need is that Secretary
Root calls upon Americans to help sup
ply is shown by the cablegram from
General Davis, who sends a requisition
from Porto Rico for 2,500,000 pounds of
rice and beans. But this will only last
for short time, and there are other
necessities of life besides rice and beans
which ought to be supplied. At least
half of the people in Porto Rico sub
sist entirely on fruit and vegetables,
and the storm has entirely destroyed
the source of supply. The transport
Mcpherson, formerly the OLDHAM of the
American line, gave heart to the weary
and starving survivors by her timely ar
rival from New ,ork with a generous
cargo of supplies some days after the
receipt of the news of the islands de-
vastation. In her mission of relief the
Mcpherson touched at San Juan, and
sent her welcome supplies to Ponce by
way of the military road across the
island, and the starving thousands in
the coast towns wrecked by the storm
49, al lie
patched from San Juan harbor, carry
ing in their holds as much of the Nc
Pherson's life-saving cargo as could be
spared for each town. Where the need
was greatest the cargo was more gen.
erous in quantity. Considering the est-
mate, according to the figures of Gov
ernor General Davis, that 100000 peo-
Pile are rendered homeless and desti-
tute, the supplies received by the Nc
Pherson, it may be imagined, were alto
gether inadequate. In addition, the
people need more substantial provi-
sions than those sent, besides clothing
for the thousands who rushed nude into
the streets when the storm struck their
dwellings at night; tents, needles and
threads, and tools to enable the home
less to set about getting roofs over
their heads are also urgently required
1t will be slow work and in all proba-
bility the supplies of provisions Will
have to be kept up for several months
to come. First of all, after the hunger
of the destitute ones has been ap-
peased, General Davis recommends that
bags for sugar and coffee, and all kinds
of rough lumber for buildings and fenc-
ing, hooks. slaves and hoops for sugar
packing and galvanized iron and nails
for roofing purposes be sent to the
islands Imagine a hundred thousand
people camped in the ruins of the most
important towns on the island of Porto
Rico, one-fifth of the entire dwellings
destroyed and their owners shelterless;
ruin all around; the coffee crop ruined
and the support of the islanders gone;
the fruit crop ruined, and this means
of subsistence of the people rotting on
the ground thousands of cattle
drowned; the wreckage of the dwellings
piled high up in all directions, ard
mothers with wailing children around
them seeking in the debris for any
chance remnant of food that may be
found there: the multitude of decaying
corpses of men, women and children
and cattle filling the air with the most
awIul odors and the living sleeping
over the wreckage that is the grave
yard of the dead, and you have some
slight idea of the colossal task that con-
fronts the American officials who must
grapple with this Porto Rican crisis.
The story has not been half told. The
general ruin included the telegraph
wires and poles and news comes in by
courier only. The reports grow more
awful with each arrival. 1t will be a
terrible undertaking to reach the in
terror with supplies for the bridges are
down, the fine military roads choked
and impossible, and the way must be
cleared before the supplies can reach
the interior sufferers. The coast towns
it will be comparatively easy to succor.
Over the road to Coamo, that is now
an obliterated highway, it will be re-
membered, the army under General
Miles made its way into the interior.
In places it had long stretches of ma
cadam; travellers in the picturesque
dress of the islanders passed here; the
road promised soon to become a para
disc for the wheelmen and the trotting
horse; the scenery was simply magnifi-
cent, the vegetation dashed with scar
let, crimson, vermillion, orange and
white from the myriads of flowers; rich
sugar plantations on either side; here
and there little matched cabins and &C.
casionally the handsome house OF the
sugar planter. Everything when last
rode through that country bespoke
prosperity. Now a barren wilderness
is land of promise by comparison. As
for Ponce, that city of the dead is such
contrast to the gay town that hoped