The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-04-04
Refugees Must Work
For What They Get

American organized charity meth
DDS trausplanted to the earthquake
district of Italy: That is what hal
peEed down in Syracuse, Sicily,
where an American woman h 9s
thought out and perfected practical
scheme for making refugees work for
what they get. 1t was a new idea of
the municipal authorities of Syracuse
bUL their cooperation was secured and
as Il result occupations were found 20.
/ hundreds of destitute sufferers. DR..
Katharine b. Davis, superintendent Of
the state refOTmatory for Women a.
Bedford. y. Y, was the only Ameri-
can woman near Syracuse at the time
OF the disaster. and to her is the cred
/ Gue for the unique WORK establish
ed This story of what happened in
S. iacUse after the earthquake is t1k-
ell from letters written by DR.. Davis
TO friends in this country.
4 few days after the disaster w1eu
the Russian and English warshi ps
commenced TO unload their hundreds
of wounded in Sicily, Dr. Davis r.
TUNED from Girgenti TO Syracuse
W1ere many Of the victims were Ian l.
ed. There were no adequate hospital
accommodations, one trained nurse
tam EnglishwOman who had escaped
y
clothing for the sufferers who wera
ba::acked at Syracuse. Coupled vita
these handicaps were the Sicilian -
ntSaEce, inefficienCy. incapacity FIR
concerted action and dirt"
DIR. Davis writes that thousand
mangled people at a time is quite
epOUSh.' For two days she assisted
in the hospital. and then the German
and Italian Ecd Cross ply sicians
came, leaving the local doctors op-
pO, tuRity 10 concentrate their efforts
outside the hospitals. Enough can
not be said of the way the Germans
toCk hold Dr.. Davis writes. They
brought several carloads of materials
The chief of the expedition told M
inst two hours from the time he re-
cCiNed his orders, he had his list CT
necessities completed. In LWenty-fou.'
| RCVTS everything had heen bough..
packed and loaded in tle train a-J
the expedition had started. II rooN
/ them five days 10 get here. they
brought folding iron co.'s. mattress
covers. baleJ excelsior TO stun them.
bedding, food, all surgical supplies.
eight trained urSeS-eVerythiqE.
( They came with the same military
discipline they used when they Went
- the Russian-Japanese war. for this
! IS the same man. or one of them. wn1
went there They built brick ovens
| TO- cooking and hot water, and i'm less
! than two days everything was run
Ming smoothly: but il was two weeks
ai5tr the first wounded got here am
much unnecessary suffering and loss
| of life had resulted"
With the coming of the Red Gross.
( Dr. Davis left the hospital and organ
( izHG wOTkrOOms for women whsg1
simple cIOJling could be made and a;
\ least few of the refugees could D
! given work a. nominal wage. Tia
| municipal authorities were trying -
muer the problem Of necessary cIo- n
/ ipg with one sewing machine in the
! NWicipiO and a few Iady's maids talk
/ ing work home. The ladies theta
( CIVeS don't know how.
/ In a short time DR.. Davis had rhrr5
differ euI sewing rooms opened and
| sixty women refugees at work max
/ ing sheets, pillow cases. pillows ana
| mattresses for thirty cents a day. Size
! WAS appointed American Red Cross
/ T representative. was given an Office IT
! the NunicipiO AMI finally persuaded
/ the mayor 10 start relief work To-
/ m0--TOad building and shoe making