Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-01-20
HOUSES FOR QUAKE VICTIMS
NAVY PREPARES TO SEND GREAT
QUANTITY OF MATERIAL.
First Cargo Ready to Leave New York
Quick Work by Presidents
Direction.

Washington Jan. 1S.-SecretaTy OF
the Navy Newberry was at, his desk
yesterday completing, as fast as pos
sible, the general administration pro-
gram for sending to Italy building ma
terial for the construction of a large
number of small houses to shelter
earthquake sufferers. All red tape
has been waived so that vessels may
be sent off at the earliest possible mo-
ment with their loads of material
Having approved the general out
line, Secretary Newberry has turned
over to Paymaster John A. Mudd, in
charge of the New York navy pay of
fee, all the details of the work
The first vessel to be loaded will be
the Eva. It is estimated that she will
hold enough material for about 500
houses. She will be ready to sail, it is
expected, before night to-day In addi-
ton to building material, the Eva will
carry four or five boss carpenters and
an Italian carpenter interpreter, who
will have charge of construction gangs.
Each of the subsequent vessels sent
will take carpenters.
Competition will not be done away
with in the Buying, although bids are
being secured over the telephone
rather than in the slower method OF
writer correspondence. The material
will be at the lowest figure possible.
Within three weeks It is expected to
have all the vessels loaded and on
their way to Italy.
In addition to the Eva, four or five
other vessels will be chartered, as the
government intends to send enough
material for from $500 to 5000 homes.
New York, Jan. 18.-Loaded with
lumber and materials sufficient to con-
struct 500 houses to shelter the home
less in stricken Messina, the steamer
Eva will sail from the Brooklyn navy
yard dock this afternoon for Italy
Within two hours of the receipt on
Saturday of the orders from Washing
ton, given at President Roosevelt's in
stance, to purchase, load and ship
building supplies to the devastated dis
tricts, Pay Inspector ]. A. Mudd, the
navy purchasing and disbursing officer
here, had chartered the Eva and be-
gun loading. Joists, beams, beveled
pine siding, roofing tar paper, locks,
bolts, window glass, sashes and nails,
were assembled ana rapidly loaded
The houses to be constructed will be
15x20 feet, and every second house
will be divided by partition into two
rooms.
Washington, Jan. 18.-The bodies of
the American consul, Arthur S.
Cheney, and Mrs Cheney were found
in the ruins of the American consulate
at Messina by the sailors of the Amer
lean battleship Illinois, which arrived
at Messina from Suez. Capt. Bowyer
of the Illinois had been instructed by
Admiral Sperry, while en- route from
Suez to Malta, to proceed to Messina
and endeavor to recover the bodies of
the American consul and his wife, who
persisted when the earthquake devas-
tated Messina, destroying the build
ing of the American consulate.
When Capt. Bowyer reached Mes
sina he sent number of sailors ashore
for the purpose of excavating the ruins
in search of the bodies. They were
successful in finding them during the
afternoon The bodies were prepared
for shipment and taken aboard the
American supply ship Culgoa, which
will carry them to Naples. Admiral
Sperry, to whom Capt. Bowyer tele-
graphed the news, informed the navy
department by cable.