The Washington herald., 1912-05-07

the United States Army has played q
large part in the attempts Of the dis
tressed people TO save their lives and
property.
oficers and men Of the ouartermaster' 8
Department Of the army have distributed
army rations to and provided shelter for
thousands. Ofiicers Of the Engineer Corps
have led in the work OF strengthening the
levees and repaiHing those burst open by
the floods Hundreds have been saved
from drowning and thousands have been
fed: countless head Of live stock have
been saved from destruction by the ef-
forts Of the army.
Up TO noon yesterday 1t was esti-
mated that more than $4,000 Of army
funds, or IN the form Of army supplies.
had been expended among the people Of
the affected regions. Maj. Normoyle, In
charge of the work, estimates that the
relief work must be continued at least
thirty days after May IL, and there is
reason to believe that It will be necessary
for an even longer period.
Only the eleventh-hour action OF the
Senate and House, Saturday and yes
terday, has made IT possible for this
work to be continued. Maj. Normoyie
had been notified that he must under
take no more obligations as the avail
able funds at the disposal Of the army
are exhausted. The Senate yesterday,
however. passed appropriations aggregat-
ing $,259. .179 TO be available at once for
the flood work. Part OF this money must
be used to reimburse the War Depart
ment for expenditures already made.
amounting to about $4,000. The ex-
penditures were made from the regular
army supply funds. as the army has no
appropriation for such work as has been
done along the Mississippi.
Mai James Z. Normoyle. OF the Quar-
termaster's Department. Is In change OF
the army operations. which extend from
Cairo TO New Orleans. Maj Normoyie
makes his headquarters at Vicksburg,
Miss. directing the work Of his assistants
from that point.
Altogether there are almost twenty
officers engaged in the relief work. and
ffty noncommissioned oficers. The food
regions have been divided into four dis
tricts. Headquarters Of these districts
are at Cairo. H.. Yicksburg. Miss, Mem
phis. Tenn, and New Orleans. La. About
half the officers are taken from the
Engineer Corps, expert IN such work as
Is required on the Mississippi these days,
They are equipped with all the tools
necessary IN the repair work on the
Ievees, and have bought many thous-
ands OF dollars worth OF materials for
this purpose
sixteen steamboats, are an important
factor in the operations Of the army.
Allotted to the several districts. each
one is used for carrying refugees from
places Of danger to the temporary
camps pitched in safe localities. Tons Of
rations are conveyed to those In iso-
lated regions by means Of these boats.
They carry forage for live stock as well.
besides men. tools, and material for use
In the repair operations.
The number fed daily by the quarter
masters from the army commissary has
steadily until last week. II was
that 1eo.0oo persons were lIv-
ing entirely on the army rations It Is
feared the total may mount higher soon.
Many Of these food supplies have been
rushed from the army supply depots,
others have been purchased close at
hand with army funds In addition TO
the food distributed. the ouartermaster'
Department has supplied thousands with
shelter. Il is not known at the War
Department exactly how much tenlags
has been sent TO the food regions from
the various army posts and supply de-
pots. but it Is estimated AZ very large
quantity.