Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-18
To Be Built for Quake
Victims by Uncle SAM
Splendid Way Of Spending the
Halt-mi||ion Dollar Fund.
Decision Made After Investigation
o. Most Pressing Needs.


| in international relief measures, 50 far
as Europe is concerned, is to be under
taken by the American government in
expanding the 100000 in money appro-
pr:ated by Congress for the Italian
earthquake sufferers. Realizing that a
great need among the sufferers VIII be
shelter from the elements, President
Roosevelt has decided TO send to Italy
material for the construction OF 25oo
or 300 substantial, but necessarily very
modest, frame houses, supplementlng
| this by supplying civilian carpenters
to supervise construction If this can pc
arranged.
Ever since the appropriation was
| made by Congress serious considera-
| ton has been given by the President
| and the State Department as to the
rest uses that could be made of it in
the way of relief. Correspondence has
been going on almost daily with Am
bassador Griscom at Rome; with a
view to asccrtaining the views of him
| self, those Of his felloW-memberS on
| the American relief committee and
| those of the Italian government as to
| the most sensible course to adopt With
d view to the best results.
A final decision was reached Fri
| day Verbal instructions We're given
| by President Roosevelt to Secretary
| Newberry, whereby the machinery of
| the navy department was enlisted in
the prosecution of the plan. Mr.. New
| berry at once began telephonic COM
munication with the naval officials at
New York, and by quiet work has
Ok %o or
ments for carrying out the Presidents
orders.
| The following statement was. made
public at the secretarys office Satur-
| day afternoon:
The navy department has arranged
| for the expenditure of approximately
100000 in the purchase of building ma
| terials, including all articles necessary
| for the construction of substantial frame
| houses for the Italian sufferers, and the
| shipments will begin by the sailing of two
steamers, probably on Monday. This
| lumber is being delivered today in New
York. and the sailing of the vessels will
proceed as fast as they can be loaded.
Each ship will carry all the materials
| for the construction of about 800 houses,
and it will require not less tnan six
steamers for the entire amount purchas-
| ed. If possible, the department intends
to send with each vessel several civilian
house carpenters with plans to assist in
| the erection of these houses.
| The civilian carpenters will be secured
from the navy yard eligible list. Pay In
spector John a. Mudd in charge of the
navy pay office in New York, who has
| been assisting in the work. came to
Washington last night to talk over the
situation with Mr.. Newberry.
Queen Helena of Italy will manage the
distribution o. the Christian Herald fund
for the widows and orphans of the earth
| quake district. Dr.. Louis klopsch of the
Christian Herald has promised to start
| this fund with gifts of $4,000 and will send
| that much each week to Italy and as
much more as is necessary. The accept
ance of the offer was announced in a
dispatch sent Saturday to DR.. Klopsch
by the Italian ambassador.
Total contributions received by the
American Red Cross for the Italian VIC
tins up to last night amount to sSO7441
| American religious interests along the
| Calabrian coast and in Sicily will be as
| sisted as far as possible from the fund
| of $4,000 which Vice Consul Cutting of
Milan, now in the earthquake district do
ing relief work, has at his disposal. This
money was sent especially for assisting
stranded Americans.
| Washington, Jan 17.-Secretary of the
! Navy Newberry was at his desk the
larger part of today completing as fast
as possible the general administration
program of sending to italy building ma
| terial for the construction of q large
number of small houses to shelter earth
quake sufferers All red tape has been
waived so that vessels may be sent off at
the earliest possible moment with their
loads of material.
| Having approved the general outline to
be followed Secretary Newberry has
turned over to Paymaster John A. Mudd.
in charge of New York navy pay office,
all the details of the work.
| The first vessel to be loaded will be the
Eva. which has been chartered for the
trip and which probably will be at the
dock in New York tomorrow morning. 1t
| is estimated that she will hold enough
material for about 800 houses. Each of
the vessels sent will contain material,
including proper sizes of lumber. nails,
| and glass. for the complete construction
| of a certain number of houses She will
| be ready to sail, it is expected, by Thurs
day or Friday. Besides building mate
rial the Eva will have on board four or
five boss carpenters and an Italian in
terpreter who will have charge of con-
lstruction gangs Each of the subsequent
| vessels sent will take carpenters with
them.
Competition will not be done away with
in the buying, although bids are being
obtained by telephone rather than by the
slower method of correspondence. The
material will be bought. it was said to-
day wherever it can be got quickly and
at the lowest figure. Within three weeks
it is expected to have all the vessels
loaded an. on their way 10 Italy. Be
sides the Eva four or five other vessels
will be chartered for ,ne government
intends to send forth building material
for from $500 to 5000 houses.
New York, Jan. T.-Loaded with lum
Der and materials sufficient to construc
800 houses to shelter the homeless ir
stricken Messina, the steamer Eva will
sail from the Brooklyn navy yard dock
: tomorrow afternoon for Italy.