East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-12-26
ASKING FOR RELIEF
FUNDS NEEDED FOR FANn-
LIES OF DEAD MINERS
Circular Letter Makes Plea for Mon
ey With Which TO Aid Widows and
Orphans of 500 Victims of Recent
Coal Mine Horror-Public Is In
yitcd 10 Contribute.

The East Oregonian has just re-
celved the following circular letter
from the Monongah Miners Relief
committee, asking the public for re-
lief funds for the families of the 500
miners who recently perished in the
mine horror of that place.
Fairmont, w. Va, Dec. IA, 1907.
Dear Sir:-At Monongah, West
Virginia, five miles from Fairmont,
at 1880 a. m, Friday, December 6,
1907, an explosion in Mine No. 6.
and Mine No. S of the Fairmont Coal
company occurred, resulting in the
death Of approximately $50 employees.
Monongah is a mining town Of
about 5000 inhabitants. This disas-
ter has destroyed almost one-half Of
its breadwinners. The other half is
composed of the employees of the two
other mines Of the same company,
and Of the usual stores, etc, which
go to make up a purely mining COM
munity.
Fully ESQ widows and 100 children
are left without means Of support
The most of these families live in the
company's houses at Monongah, the
remaining ones in various countries
of Europe. The company has gener-
ously declared that the families oc-
cupying their houses may remain un-
til other provision is made for them,
but operations cannot be resumed at
the damaged mines until these hous-
es are available for the new force.
Many of the resident families will
want to return to their relatives in
their native countries IN Europe. The
other resident families must seek a
community in which they can earn
livelihood.
Aid must be given these families to
them establish themselves; and the
families living abroad must be pro-
vIded for until they can adjust them
selves to their new conditions.
As near as can be determined at
this time almost $4,000 from all
sources has been subscribed. Upon
the basis of 5000 for each widow
and 500 for each child under 16
years of age, $4,000 will be re-
quired. At least $4,000 additional
will be needed to provide, on relative
ly the same basis, for the aged de-
pendants of the unmarried victims the
many now unborn children and the
undoubted accessions to the married
victims list when complete informa-
tion has been received.
The committee feels that a basis
lower than the above will not be ade-
quate to properly care for the needs
Of the bereaved ones, and total of
100000 will therefore be required
to carry out the relief work on this
basis.
The immediate needs of the resi-
dent families are being met by the
company and a committee of women
from Fairmont and Monongah.
The committee begs to express its
profound gratitude for the contribu-
hioilS eiAiSdug 81 maui, anu
to earnestly appeal for the further
assistance that 1t feels is so badly
needed.
The magnitude of this disaster is
too great for West Virginia to alone
render all the help required. It COM
mands national attention, and the
committee feels assured that its ap-
peal will be heard, and responded to.
by the nation.
All checks should be made payable
to the Monongah Mines Relief Com
mittee, ]. E. Sands, Treasurer, Fair
mont. w. Va, and they and all cash
contributions should be sent to him.
Yours very truly
Subscription committee
W. NJ. o. DAWSON, Governor of
West Virginia, Chairman.
A. HOWARD FLEMING, Postmaster
of Fairmont, Secretary.
P. j. DoNAHUE. Bishop of Wheeling.
JOHN w. MASON, Judge of Circuit
Court.
w. e. ARNETT. Mayor of Fairmont.
w. H. MOORE, Mayor of Monongah.