New-York tribune., 1902-05-13
HELP IN PRACTICAL FORM
SUPPLIES TO REACH MARTINIQUE on
SUNDAY-PRESIDENT DIRECTING
THE WORK.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUxE.I

Washington, May 12.-Relief OF the most
practical sort will reach the sufferers OF Mar
Unique next Sunday through measures adopted
and energetically hurried on by the army and
navy to-day in anticipation of enabling leglsa-
tion. by Congress. A large military hospital.
fully equipped. VIII be landed from the Dixie
food viii be distributed. and the sick and desti
tue viii be clothed. The President himself
turned his attention TO the extension Of relief
and proceeded with the greatest energy, 70 pi,,a
shape 10 the measures. Secretary Hav was
called 10 the White House. He brought v,,tb
MIN the dispatch from United States Consul
Ayme. which served official confirmation Of
the worst reports Of the extent OF the disaster
and in the opinion Of the President fully tusti-
hed emergency measures. Secretary HAY was
requested TO acquaint Secretary Root and Sec
retary Moody with the Presidents message and
they were charged to carry out the details Of
the arrangements. The Treasury Department
was instructed to cooperate and il Is sun
posed that this VIII mean the employment of
the revenue cutters and the medical officers OF
the Marine Hospital service.
The character of the Presidents Instructions
to the departments concerned in the relief work
may be gathered from the text of the following
letter, which was delivered to Secretary Moody
to-day Immediately after the President had
seen Consul Ayme's message.
The President directs me to express To Won
his wish that your Department po ~ Tho
furthcst limits of executive discretion for the
rescue and relief of the afflicted inhabitants OF
the islands Of the Caribbean. JOHN HAY.
THE WAR DEPARTMENTS PLAN.
As soon as th- War Department opened This
morning Adjutant General Corbn handed to
Secretary Root complete plan for giving the
earliest aid for the most needy distributing the
Nlpo"n which IT was not doubted Congress
would approve, the Senate having voted that
sum on Saturday. In hour the necessary or
ders were issued and the proper officers of the
army and navy directed to cooperate to
assemble the medical outfit the stores of food
and the supplies Of clothing on board the
cruiser Dixie at New-York In order that she
might depart for St Pierre, Martinique with
the least possible delay. In charge of the hospi-
tai goes Captain j. b. Clayton, surgeon, from
Fort Myer First Lieutenants James r. Church
assistant surgeon. from Washington Barracks
and John }. Reilly. assistant surgeon from Fort
Slocum, New-York. with two commissioned
officers and four privates of the army hospital
corps, They viii have tents, instruments and
$1,000 worth of medicines bandages ointments
and medical supplies generally. Captain Hugh
G. Gallagher. subsistence department. the com
mssary officer OF Chanee's expedition to Pc
king will have charge Of the distribution OF
food. and Captain Robert Sewell, quartermaster
of the late Senator from New-Jersey is in
control of the S25O00 worth of clothing and
money disbursements.
The schedule of food to go was selected by
CCmmssary General Weston, and was practi-
cally identical in varieties with that requested
by Consul Ayme IN his dispatch. which came
later in the day. The bulk of the ration in this
case consists of Goldfish and rice. with tea cof-
fee and sugar, canned cream and soups espe-
cially for the women and children. All these sup
plies were purchased to-day except such as were
already hand, and they should be loaded on
the Dixie tomorrow in time for her to depart
early Wednesday morning Under no circum-
stances is she to be detained after that time for
il is already evident that the earliest relief is
mCst urgent, and that more relief can be afforded
a few days after the Dixie arrives Martinique
BY next week IL is thought that aid from the
surrounding islands and private relief will be
plentiful but the crisis of distress will occur
about next Sunday, which is the earliest the
Dixie can reach her destination. The Buffalo is
almost certain to follow the Dixie before the
end of the week with a similar equipment pur-
chaged by the additional 100000 proposed by
the House II Congress appropriates the full
half million recommended by the President it
is unlikely that any of the monUGE be wasted