Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-25
Next in Order in the
!. Brockton Disaster.
Work of,Rslief Continues and
Fund Increases.
Committee OF 80 Have Charge Of Work
of Relief.

-
r. E. Grover Shoe Co. on Monday, in
which IS persons are supposed to have
persisted, 81 wives were made widows,
4s children were left fatherless, while
six children became orphans. For the
purpose of caring for those families
from which the bread-winners have
been removed, the first organized
movement for relief Was begun, to-
night.
The work of relief is now in the
hands of a committee of 80 composed
as follows: Eight chosen by a mass
meeting of citizens in Canton hall, to-
night: eight chosen at a meeting OF
shoe manufacturers and merchants;
eight chosen from the city government
and eight chosen by the Joint shoe
Council.
The meeting in Canton hall. en-
dorsed unanimously the suggestion OF
Henry 7. Anglin that every wage earn
eri n the city be requested to donate
one days pay to the relief fund.
Governor VIM. l.. Douglas was I'M
able to attend the meeting. but Mayor
Keith read the following letter which
he received from the Governor:
i IIu lIfdl IL VIII pS 49,
me to be present at the mass meeting,
tonight. 1 wish to assure the citizens
OF Erockton. through you. that the
great calamity which has befallen our
city has aroused my deepest sorrow 1t
was indeed a catastrophe calculated 10
sadden the hearts of the community
for long time to come. and think 1t
is entirely fitting that public sub
scription should have been opened,
and / am much pleased at the manner
in which all our people are contribute
ing to the fund. l have no doubt that
your meeting, tonight, will devise ways
and means for the proper care of the
fatherless children and other depend
ents of those brave ones who lost their
lives in that horrible holocaust. Mon
day If can be of assistance in any
way in promoting the comfort of those
dependents, please command me.
"Yours very truly.
(Signed) civilian l.. DOUGLAS"
At the conclusion of the meeting in
Canton hall, Mayor Keith hurried to
City hail, where he presided over
meeting of the merchants and shoe
manufacturers. At the conclusion of
in the council chamber of the City hall
and organized the committee of 81.
Mayor Keith was chosen chairman of
the comittee, with George w. Alden,
secretary. and City Treasurer VIM. E.
Emerson, treasurer.
Four trustees to have charge of the
distribution of the relief fund were
chosen as follows:
Col John ]. Whipple. Harvey Dun
ham. MyrOn L. Keith, and John p.
Meade.
The question of soliciting relief out
side the city was debated at great
length and it was finally decided that
outside assistance would have to be
invoked. The following appeal was
drawn up:
ITO the General Public:
"The board of directors appointed to
receive and distribute contributions for
the sufferers of the Brockton horror,
who are in need of financial assistance,
respectfully request that donations of
any amount Immediately be forward
ed to City Treasurer w. H. Emerson.
and they will be acknowledged in the
press.
words are Inadequate to portray
the real situation to those who have
not witnessed the chaos and suffering
left in the wake of the explosion. Chill
dren have been made orphans. wives
made widows and large families have
been made destitute.
while the trustees realize that this
is local affair the magnitude is so
overwhelming that we feel compelled
to appeal to friends to assist US in this
our time of need
The relief fund. tonight, amounted
to s29,S07.
Now that the victims of the acct
dent have been paid public honor. the
attention of the community is being
more definitely fixed towards the ques-
ton of the cause of the explosion and
il any is to be found, for the blowing
up of the boiler at the Grover factory.
1t is generally accepted that the re-
port received by the experts on the
cause of the disaster is in the posses
sion of District Attorney French and
the nature of this report is awaited
with great amount of interest. The
question of the recovery OF damages
IS also receiving considerable attention
and while none of the afflicted families
have taken steps toward instituting
civil suits it is thought some pressure
Of this kind will inevitably follow.
The relatives of the dead will re-
ceive considerable financial assistance
from the various lodges and unions of
which the deceased were members. The
death clai:as will be paid at an early
date. Aside from this was the help
which has come from the popular relief
movement, the fund in which had
Thursday night, reached the sum Of
$17. sos.
BY $50 o'clock, Friday, the relief
fund had reached $21,552. A contribu-
ton of $1,000 was received during the
morning from D. w. Field Of the D. w.
Field Shoe Co. and another of $4S3
from the workers of the shoe shop of
the E. E. Taylor Co.
The secretary of the Brockton Cut
ters' Union, Friday, forwarded to
Chief Shaw of the district police a copy