Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-07-29
PRESIDENT
AT CONEY.
Accompanied By Mrs. Roosevelt
He Visits Mission of
Charity There.
CRIPPLED CHILDREN.

C
President Roosevelt and Mrs. Roose-
Velt returned to Oyster Bay after a
visit to the Sea Breeze Home For Grip
pied Children at Coney Island. The
Journey to and from the home was
made in the yacht Sylph. They were
aot accompanied by any II officially.
Just before leaving Coney Island the
president announced that he would is
sue a statement giving his impress
sions of what he had seen at the home
lpon his return to Oyster Bay. 1t Is
understood that his personal inspec-
lion of the home aroused great interest
Oh his part and that he is thoroughly
n sympathy with the work of curing
surgical tuberculosis which Is being
carried on there.
On his return the president said:
81 went down to see the hospital
for children suffering from bone trou-
Dies. which is managed in conjunction
with the fresh aid fund of the New
York Association Fol the Improvement
of the Condition of the Poor. About
$50 children are taken each week to
the Sea Breeze under the fresh air fund
and over 5000 during the season.
1.-THE hospital has room for only
forty-five children, and there are more
than 1000 cases of bone tuberculosis
in the tenement house district of New
York. Now the trustees are trying to
raise n fund for a hospital which shal
hold 400 patients. The fresh air Il
people are obliged to refuse admission
to 1000 or 5000 applicants annually.
''The sea air treatment of bone tuber-
culosis has been found to be marvel
ously successful in France. Here also
they have not lost q single patient. All
were benefited, and most of them were
cured.
about three weeks ago Miss Laura
Wilmington, who had been private
secretary to DIR. Lyman Abbott and
had taken a great interest in the fresh
air fund, was dying of cancer in st.
Luke's hospital, New York. When she
learned Of the need for increased hos
pital facilities for the children at Sea
Breeze she wrote me a letter setting
forth the work and the needs for the
future, signing only her initials.
"A certain gentleman whom / know
to be a large giver in charities, but
who never allows his name to appear.
saw the letter and asked Jacob Riis to
go to Sea Breeze and to investigate and
report to him on the facts. Mr.. Riis
Investigated and reported so strongly
ON the good being done and that the
need for additional facilities were SO
great that the man in question sub
scribed $4,000 for enlarging the hos
pital and pledged himself to give 81 ,000
annually for ten years for maintaining
1t. Another man also subscribed $4,000.
"Mr. Riis at once sent word to Miss
Wilmington, telling her what her arti-
Gle had accomplished, and it cheered
her last three days. She died last
Wednesday.
meanwhile Nh. Riis had asked me to
be sure to come down to his home and
see for myself. l went down, and
was immensely impressed by the work
being done there and took Senator
Crane of Massachusetts with me.
'On me WHY uOIne tHt pylpn went UP
the Hudson, and when we passed the
battleshlps / ,signaled them not to sa-
lutte, but ! did want to see the formida-
BILE squadron, which | believe to be,
collectively and individually, as fine Il
fighting feet as the finest in the
world" s.,
The journey of President Roosevelt
and Mrs. Roosevelt through the wards
of the home presented Il scene seldom
witnessed. Held down by wooden
braces protecting diseased vertebrate,
the suffering children gazed with all
their might at the chief executive of
the nation, while others raised their
voices weakly with a faint cheer and
Il respondent ''Fhank you, Mr.. Presi-
dent when addressed by some com
forting words.
Jacob A. Riis, one of President
Roosevelt's nearest friends, was so
overcome by the sight that he nearly
collapsed and was assisted to a seat
by Inspector Cross, who was standing
up1r him