Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-24
Former MarShalltown Man Wis
its Stricken East St. Louis,
Kansas City-Heppner
INVESTIGATES RELIEF WORK
To Secure Data for Work on "Prin'
cipaIs of Relief" Which He is Pre-
pairing He Witnesses the Horrifyns
Scenes in the Flood Stricken Cities
Paints Dismal Picture of Heppner


this city and at one time, during the
years 1SS1-S, principal of the MARSHALL
town high school, arrived in the city
Tuesday evening from Heppner, Ore,
and will remain for a few days with
his brother, DIR. w. s. Devne. He will
also visit his sister, Mrs. John Grouse,
at Albion, and possibly at Waterloo
with his sister. Mrs. a. +. Boggs. be-
fore leaving for New York. DR.. De-
vine has just completed trip of in
vestigation into emergency relief work
at East St. Louis, Kansas City and
Heppner, three cities that have re-
Gently undergone much suffering on ac-
count of floods. DR.. Devine paints a
dismal picture of the food-stricken
cities. especially Heppner, where the
scenes are almost understandable.
While the trip has been, in a way
in the interests of the famous New
York charity society, of which DR.. De-
vine is secretary, the principal object
was to gather data for a book that he
is writing on Principals of Relief
The work is to contain as one of its
features, emergency relief, and it was
that line that he wished to investigate
more particularly. AT the same time
he reported to the New York society
on the conditions, and as TO the need
of outside relief, such is as demanded
at Armourdale.
DR.. Devines trip began couple of
weeks ago. when he went from New
York to ST. Louis to view the flood con-
ditions at East ST. Louis. Ill. He has
been making a careful study of relief
work. especially as il deals with emer-
gency cases. and SAW in the flood dis
as.er a wide field for his observations
In company with the chief of police
he visited all of the flooded district. as
far as the waters would permit him to
make a close observation. He says the
relief work is handled we'll by the peo-
pie of St. Louis and they are not going
to call for outside assistance at all.
AT Kansas City" said DR.. Devne.
"the situation is different Especially
is this true of Kansas City. Kas., which
was the real sufferer. The relief prob
lem there is indeed hard one to solve.
Twenty thousand people of Armour
dale We're driven homeless, and there
are at present 5000 sheltered in the
camps, Of which there are
two, one for the whites and one for
the blacks. The tents are received from
FIT IIeavenworth. There isn't frame
house left in Armourdale, and the peo-
pie are so busy caring for the uniortu-
nate ones. sheltering and feeding them.
that nothing has been done as yet In
the way of rebuilding
DR.. Devine says that while more peo-
pie are in want in the southern cities
the conditions at Heppner, the little
Oregon town that was literally washed
off the face of the earth by the immense
wall of water that swept down the two
at the foot of which the town
lies are much worse. The reports in
the newspapers" DR.. Devine says,
have not been exaggerated one bit. In
fact, 1 can hardly realize how they
would admit of exaggeration. When
left, It's bodies had been recovered, and
the people know of fifty more who are
Every day some new one is
thought of, who, in the work to find
the bodies, have slipped from the minds
Of friends. There are others, transients
and people not very we'll known, who
will probably never be found, or if they
are will not be identified The situa
ton is something awful. Everything
in the best residence portion, which is |
On the bank of a small creek, was swept |
away. Some bodies were found fifteen
and twenty miles down stream. and
others are thought to have been carried
TO the Columbia river, forty-tive miles /
away
Some pitiful tales are told by the
people. One that impressed me most
vas that of mother. who, when the
waters came down and took her home.
srasped her child in one arm, and her
leighbol little girl in the other. AS
he water was bearing her down stream
she became exhausted and, realizing
hat she could not handle both the
decided to sacrifice the little
,ne of her neighbor. rather than her
)wn. She let one child go, and when
'escued was found to have the neigh
oor's baby. and not her own. A man
whom | heard spoken of carried his
babe in arms as the waters bore him
downward. He could not retain his
grasp, and as he was passing the depot
hrew the baby on the platform. 1t
Vas found, alive and we'll, lying on top
IF some wool bales, but the father was
drowned. Instance after instance of
his nature are told.
THE Heppner people are doing very
systematic work in searching the drift
wood and mud deposits for bodies,
some are found under four or five feet
VI silt. They realize the necessity OF
hiding the bodies, in order TO prevent
he prevalence of unSanitary conditions.
The people of oregon have already
'aised $4,000 for relief work. all the
owns having given up the Fourth OF
July celebrations and turned the money
nto the general relief fund. Two hum
lred men are already at work on wages.
uniting for bodies and burning up the
lead bodies of livestock and fowls and
ubbsh that has accumulated. There
hould be 500 more on the ground. en-
,loyed in the same way
Mr. Devine's description of the dis
ster is a graphic one, and he con-
iders ii one of the appalling calami-
les of the country in recent years, even
no it was not so great In loss of life,
nd property, as either the Johnstown
I Galveston disasters. u