Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-11-07
HALLOWELL.
DISTRICT CONVENTION.
Woman's Foreign Missionary Society
Meets in This City.

The district convention of the Wo-
mans Foreign Missionary Society was
held in this city at the Methodist
church, Wednesday afternoon and
evening.
Delegates We're present from Fair
field, Kents Hill, Monmouth, Madison,
Augusta, Gardiner Livermore Falls, in
addition to a large attendance of Hal
lowell people.
The program was as follows:
Report Of the years work on the
district, by the secretary. Mrs. NJ. s.
Canham; report of the 33d annual con-
vention of the New England Branch,
by the delegate; The Model Auxilia-
ry," Mrs. Louise Chase of Kents Hill;
Young Peoples Societies." Mrs. Cobb
of Gardiner; Little Light Bearers"
Miss Kelso. Hallowell; our New
Fields" by the president, Mrs. S. +.
Palmer, Fairfield; STANDARD Bearers
Movement" Mrs. Palmer: address
Miss Mary A. Danforth of Colebrook,
n. H., formerly of Japan.
Miss Danforth, who gave the princi-
pal address of the afternoon, spent five
years in Japan under the auspices OF
ciety of the Methodist Episcopal
church. She was in Japan when the
terrible earthquake occurred in 1881
one Of the greatest earthquakes in the
history of the world In that earth
quake 10000 people We're instantly
killed and about 100000 others We're
mangled, crippled, bruised and injured
IN various ways. About 10000 houses
we're destroyed and 10000 greatly dam
aged Nearly 100000 people were rem
dered homeless.
In relating her experience while in
the city of Nagoya she says:
"On Oct. 2S. 1871, came the terrible
earthquake, leveJing whole towns, wip-
ing a score of villages ont Of existence
and hurting ten thousand souls into
eternity. The horror of those days and
nights no ron e4u describe, no t"uItlt
,au tell. Not I-rtus tp enter -b.
rtrK"i and shal<ihr buildings V" i4f
under the open sky. while beneath US
the earth rocked and surged like the
waves of an angry sea. Fire bells
changed on every side, the air was foul
with the odors of burning flesh and re-
soundant with the rumble of incessant
shocks. Death seemed to hold US in
his very grasp, but God willed other
WISE 1t is absolutely impossible for
you to imagine the terrible desolation
caused in that one sad moment. l am
sick at heart when l look out over
what was once prosperous city. The
earthquakes continued for many weeks,
but we soon began work again, al
though a hard shock would send us
rushing out into the yards with more
haste than dignity"
Miss Danforths address was upon
her work as a missionary. She was lis
tened to with unwearied attention, as
eith mingled humor and pathos she re-
counted her STRUGGLES with The yus-
Toms manners ANA ..iirinu ul Japan
"td vel lbs 'Gf opposition and earth
uuakes. Her auditors spoke of it as f.
thrilling and most powerful missionary
address. Her words We're impressive
and eloquent.
The following officers We're elected
by the society: President, Mrs. G. r.
Palmer of Fairfield; vice president
Mrs w. +. Holmes of kents Hill; re-
cording secretary and treasurer Mrs
j. NJ. Rogers of Gardiner; district sec
retary. Mrs. NJ. s. Canham of this city
In addition TO her report on the dis
trict work. Mrs. Canham gave a very
interesting account of her visit to the
New England Branch meeting which
was held in Providence, r. l.. in Octo-
ber.
Resolutions We're adopted in favor OF
the press. the Maine Central Railroad
and the public generally who assisted
in making the convention the unquali-
fed success which it was.