The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1906-04-28
WASHINGTON LETTER

at san Francisco became apparent.
1t is satisfaction to be able To re-
cord that the bill appropriating ST.
900 900 for the relief of the fire and
earthquake sufferers was passed in
record time without a word of de-
bate. In less than six hours from
the moment 1t was introduced in the
House it went through the House
and Seuate and had been signed by
the President. The only addition to
it was made the following day when
a joint resolution was passed MAX
ing it clear that the funds we're avail
able TO buy medicine as well as food.
This was wise proviso, but it APP
pears from the news the government
has received that the officers ON the
spot from Gen. Funston down are
not likely to let the letter of the law
stand in the way of relief work.
They have been in the habit ofnoti-
flying the department. that they had
taken certain measures and asking il
there was anything else to he sug-
gested,
Since the first news of the disaster,
the lights have not gone out in the
great State, War and Navy Building.
1t has been like war times. Relays
of telegraph operators have been on
duty day and night. Secretary Taft
and Bonaparte have cancelled all
engagements outside Washington
to give their undivided attention to
the reliefwork and Secretary Metealf
of the Department of Commerce and
Labor has been hurried to the Pacific
coast as the representative of the
administration on the spot, This
detail has been particularly grateful
to him as the Secretary has son
and a sister in the doomed city and
has not heard anything from them
since the beginning of the trouble.
The War Department has ordered
practically all the tents in the army
to San Francesca and morenecessary
than tents has ordered the commits
saries of all points within reach of
San Francisco to buy food supplies
in the open market and rush them
forward. 1t was thought that the
first train of government supplies
would reach the city on Thursday
night. The War Department is send
ing supplies from as lar as the Sehuyl-
kill Arsenal and early on Friday
morning two specials OF the Depart.
ment loaded with bedding aud tents
paused for a moment in Wa ihington
on its fight to the coast. The run
of this special is likely to be record
breaker, for the War Dcsart& cent has
arranged to give it cleaf track
from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast
and ii is believed that once out of
Chicago the train will make the run
in three days.
1t has been a great test for the re-
constructed army. Such All emer-
gency has not arisen since theG Mango
in formation was made in 1902.
But the army is standing up we'll to
the test and the relief going forward
promises to be effective and above
all things quick.
The Navy Department has ordered
all available vessels on the Pacific
coast to the scene of the disaster to
aid in the work of rescue. The
Pacific Squadron which had sailed
from San Diego for target practice
was caught by wireless and hurried
north, two torpedo boats leading the
way. The old Albatross, the big
Fish Commission steamer was press
ed into service on Tuesday and all
the tenders of the light house service
available around that part of the
coast have been ordered to San
as fast as steam can take
them
The Secretary of the Treasury has
done his best to meet the emergency
from a financial viewpoint He gave
orders for the transfer of$10,00 900
from New York to Oakland to meet
pressing needs. There is 100000
900 buried in the vaults for the sub
Treasury at San Francisco but there
is no telling how much of it has been
destroyed or how long before it will
be available. However, according
to a dispatch to the Director of the
Mint, the Mint in San Francisco
was saved and is almost the only
building standing in the down town
district In this there are many mil
lions in coin and bullion that have
been saved by the plucky fight that
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