Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-25
BISHOP THAMES NEBRASKA
Rev. John ", Hamilton Of San Francisco
Grateful for Help to Coast.
IN CHARGE or METHODIST RELIEF FUND
Visits Several Leading Cities on
This Mission-Iays Corner
stone OF New Hospital
in Omaha.

Bishop John w. Hamilton OF the Metho-
dist Episcopal church OF California came
to Omaha Thursday morning to lay the
cornerstone of the new Methodist hospital
at Thirty-sixth and Cunning streets. The
bishop was placed in charge of securing
funds. both for emergency work In San
Francisco and for fund for rebuilding
the churches. and other Methodist in
situations. the total loss on which was
over $4,000
II left san Francisco I'm March 70 at
tend eastern conferences In New York,
New Hamshlre and Vermont, but my
family was in San Francisco a. the time
of the earthquake" said Bishop Hamilton.
mo word could be had from my family
until Saturday. Our house was made
useless by the chimneys being shaken
down.. the dishes and water pipes broken
and otherwise destroyed. Although two
and half miles from where the fire started
the fire burned to within a block and
a half Of our house.
My wife and family had to line up with
others ana get bread and water and sue
eeeded In getting our furniture by paying
an enormous price to suburban church
Finally they got to Los Angeles. Before
] had heard from my family 1 started on
this relief work beginning first with
Boston, Next to the Roman Catholics the
NethOdists lost more, than any other
church, the loss to. buildings alone in San
Francisco, and vicinity being $4,000 This
Us in. addition to the loss of Chinese,
Japanese and Italian missions as well as
Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German
missions. We lost besides an orphanage
a rescue home and the University OF the
Pacific was damaged about $4,000
IT have visited Buston, New York,
Philadelphia. Chicago. Cincinnati, Dayton
and Pittsburg, organizing relief committees
in all these cities. l am also chairman
OF the relief work in San Francisco and
will go from here there. So far have
secured about $4,000 for the permanent
building fund, but the work is only begun
and extensive plans are being laid. No
mere plate collection will take care of
this emergency. Some of the most worthy
poor are accredited christians who have
lost ali.
my first work was to look after the
salaries of the preachers who had lost
their all, had no houses OF worship and
their congregs lions were dependent. These
men were needed to hunt up deserving
cases which demanded immediate atten-
ton, and to see that the money donated
in the east reached the right spot. So
the salaries of these men had to be paid
so they could have something to work
with and means to send their families
away until place could be provided for
them. All this has been done and 1 have
already sent considerable emergency money
which has been raised, besides the general
fund for the rebuilding of the churches.
VIII Meet Committee on Funds.
Il expect to be in San Francisco to meet
the committee Monday TO look after tht
distribution Of the funds. We will have
to determine which churches are to be re-
built and put on their feet. The center
of population may change from some OF
81 these ehuFollese tORe-nf the frsts things
need Is a large tent for a section of the
city not burnt out, but which had the
church destroyed by the earthquake. The
people In this section now have to worship
in the open air, so want a large ten
in which they may worship until the
church Is rebuilt.
If It were not for the loss OF life II
the San Francisco earthquake the catas
trophe might really have been worth thu
price, TO see such an exhibit Of philan
thropy all over the world. Never has 4
response for help been SO generous sn'
general.
i wish you would TOT me- IN oehdiI o
the people of San Francisco, whom l rep
resent thank the people of Nebraska 70
the prompt, generous and needful out
pouring of supplies which were hande'
over to the Union Pacific to hasten to tn
help of the needy"
The Methodist hospital was the seen
of notable gathering this afternoon. Tn
cornerstone was laid by Bishop Hamilto
who also made the principal address
Governor Mickey. accompanied by Mri
Mickey. came up from Lincoln during tn
day and attended the ceremonies. the gov
ernor making an address.