Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-18
RELIEF FOR KINGSTON
Temporary Measures to Be in
Charge of Navy Department.
RESULT OF A CONFERENCE
Consultation of the President and Sec
retaries Taft and Metcalf.
PROMPT ACTION TO BE TAKEN
Passage of an Emergency Bill by the
House Yesterday and the -
Senate Today.
PROMPT ACTION TO BE TAKEN

AS a result of conferences between the
President and Secretaries Taft and Metcalf
1t has been decided to have the Navy De-
partment take charge of temporary meas
ures for the relief of the stricken people
of Kingston. That department is particu-
larly well prepared at this time to render
prompt and effective relief because of the
large number of warships in West Indian
waters.
In anticipation of legislative authorize
ton, Secretary Metcalf has already given
orders for the rendition of immediate naval
aid. AS a consequence the battleships
Missouri and Indiana, the cruiser Yankton
and the torpedo boat Whipple are already
anchored near the harbor of Kingston
ready to give any assistance in their power,
and the big supply ship Celtic is expected
to arrive at the same port in a short time.
The Celtic is expected to reach Guantanamo
in few hours and will be sent at once to
Kingston.
The Celtic has on board more than 1JO 600
pounds of flour, 10000 pounds of sailed beef
loco pounds of sailed pork, 25,OOO pounds
OF tlnned vegetables, between 10000 and
5000 pounds of coffee. 10000 pounds of
sugar. 10000 pounds of butter 800 pounds
or macaroni and other supplies
The naval vessels at Kingston are in
command of Rear Admiral Davis of the
Atlantic fleet, and his orders authorize him
10 employ all the resources of the ships for
the relief of persons in distress The
Nmpple, which was the first ship on the
scene, carried a supply of medicines and
Dandages. and the Yankton, which left
Guantanamo Yesterday. carried additional
medical supplies and several newsnaner
men. The Navy Department was informed
OF the departure of the Yankton at mid
night for Kingston by wireless message
received at the Washington navy yard
Late Advices From Kingston.
Inc cruiser Des Moines at Santiago YES
terday intercepted the following wireless
message from the steamship Colon, which
left Kingston yesterday:
All houses within radius of ten miles
damaged Fire broke out after the earth
quake and completed the destruction For
ty-five invalid soldiers were burned u death
in the hospital
The Secretary of the Navy early this
morning received the following telegram
from Capt Beehler. commandant of the
naval station, dated at Key West Fla.
January II, 1907:
FOLLOWING wireless from Guantanamo
signed Evans: Rear Admiral Davis reports
py wireless, relayed through steamship
Colon, that Missouri and Indiana anchored
Kingston this Thursday morning King
ston almost totally destroyed; 400 killed
and about so in hospital. There are plenty
OF doctors, but are short dressings AID
bandages. City now quiet
"A wireless message from Rear Admiral
Evans received at the Washington navy
yard early today states that the United
states ship Yankton arrived at Kingston at
midnight last night with further medical
supplies and two Associated Press reporters
on board.
Advices to the Navy Department are that
q prft fch nrrtfc hoe, g..
from Bermuda with subsistence stores, sur
geons and medical supplies and it is be-
lieved that this additional relief will greatly
help the situation.
The following telegram was received by
the Navy Department this afternoon from
the naval station at Key West Fla:
Wireless from Guantanamo. .Pendleton
reports at go am, from Kingston, Indi-
ana. Missouri and Whipple only men-of-
war, there. Food and tents needed. Ad-
miral Davis ashore comforting with gov
ernor. Situation quiet. Cuban consul killed
wife slightly injured. No other officials
known to be killed.
(signed) EVANS
Action by the House.
An emergency bill for the relief of the
sufferers on the island of Jamaica was
passed by the House yesterday afternoon
The bill is follows:
THAT the President of the United States
is authorized to use and distribute among
the sufferers and destitute people of the
island of Jamaica such provision clothing
medicines and other necessary articles be-
longing to the subsistence and other stores
of the naval establishment as may be nee
essary for the purpose of succoring the peo-
pie who are in peril and threatened with
starvation on the said island in consequence
of the recent earthquake and attending con-
fiagration.
Chairman Tawney of the appropri tons
committee in explaining the need for this
emergency measure said that the Secretary
of the Navy had received d wireless mes
sage from one of the battleships which had
touched at Kingston that the devastation
was even greater than reported, and that
the British government did not know of the
extent of the disaster
Representative Fitzgerald Of New York,
after the bill had been reported, asked
whether any limitation was placed upon
the power of the President to utilize COM
missary supplies for this purpose. His
recollection was that I'm previous IS there
had been limitation. He cited the bill
for the relief of the sufferers of the Mar
Unique disaster, wherein 5000 was made
available.
Mr.. Tawney replied that the object of the
bill was to permit the use of the supplies
on the Celtic. That was all the depart
ment asked.
Mr. Fitzgerald said with that statement
he was satisfied 10 have the bill passed in
its present form and without division the
bill was sent to the Senate.
Without waiting for the authority of Con-
gress, however, Secretary Motca!f had tee-
graphed Admiral Evans to send the supply
ship Celtic, which Is now on her way to
guantanamo. to Kingston. and turn over
her full cargo of supplies to the sufferers
of the stricken city.
Agreement by the Senate.
The Senate passed the Jamaica relief bill
Immediately on its receipt from the House