Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-30
Thunderstorm That Cost
Ten Thousand Dollars
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
LONDON, June 20. 1912.
TT seems that lively thunderstorm
that broke over London the other
Sunday morning was probably one of the
costliest on record-at least so far as
this metropolis is concerned All be-
cause of it the London hospitals which
are dependent on charity for their sup
port stand to lose a sum which. at
conservative estimate, may be put at
$4,000. so the writer was told today by
the secretary OF the hospital Sunday
fund. who stated that exact figures will
not be available for a week or two yet.
Last Sunday was hospital Sunday. on
which the collection at practically every
place of worship in the metropolis is
for the benefit of the London hospitals.
and it had been hoped to make it
record. eclipsinG the proceeds of hospital
Sunday in 1898 which amounted to the
soodiy sum of s2i6.1o, the biggest in the
funds history. Probably this object
would have been achieved. too. had 1t
not been for the thunderstorm which
started just before church time and last
ed for about an hour, thus making the
cost of it about Sl66 per minute. 1t
Kept the bulk of churchgoers-more par
ticulary the extensively clad citizens of
aristocratic West End, who are the most
liberal contributors to the hospital Sun
day fund-at home, and so far the re-
ports received from clergymen at the Of
fees of the fund. on Victoria street. in
dictate that, because of this !ll-timed rain
fall the amount collected will be short
of the hoped for total by the sum al
ready mentioned. and perhaps more.
This is bad business. for the proceeds
from hospital Sunday are depended upon
to bridge the big gap that yaWns be-
tween the annual expenditure and the
ordinary income of London's hospita s.
Last year the former was 6,449,210 as
against an assured income of $685.. 600
meaning a deficiency of 81 $685. Luck
lily the legacies received by the hospi-
tails in 1911 We're enough to cover the
difference and a bit more. but these
sums vary widely from year to year. and
the hospital sunday fund is the most
reliable standby of the metropolis medi-
cal charities.
The annual proceeds of the fund. which
was started in 1872. are distributed
among 80 hospitals dispensaries and
in HAST patients in the course of last
year. and granted advice and medicine
to e., 421 out-patients during the same
period. In the distribution Of the pro-
ceeds from hospital Sunday among all
these charities. principle Is followed
which makes il certain that the most
deserving and active institutions will get
| the most To decide which these are
| the regular income of each institution is
carefully ascertained. and the amount
| of money received in legacies in each
! particular year. This amount is com
pared with the annual expenditure and
careful consideration is given TO the out
| lay on expenses of management. The
| more money there is spent on patients
and the less on management the more
| favoraby is the claim of an institution
considered by the distribution committee
| Besides helping the regular medical
charities of London. the fund Is used to
furnish surgical appliances of different
| kinds for the needy victims of accidents
of lifelong Affections. Purchases of this
sort total some 5000 every year. and
vary from wigs and false teeth and eyes
| to surgical boots and steel jackets. In
| 1911 the amount apportioned to this
| branch of the work done was about
| $4,000.
| Churches to the number of over 2.OO(
| join hands In swelling the fund, and, as
| might be expected. St Paurs Cathedra
| each year furnishes the biggest colec,
| ton. Last year $2l.6l5 came from the