Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-28
GOVERNMENT TO THE RESCUE
President Wilson Comes to Aid Of
Flood Sufferers,

President Wilson Comes to Aid of
Flood Sufferers.
| Washington, March 26.-The princi-
pal function Of the government of the
United States today was to extend re-
lief to the thousands Of homeless sur
vivors Of the Ohio and Indiana floods.
In quick succession every agency Of
the government-the president, the
secretary Of war, every bureau chief In
the department under whom relief ex-
petitions could be organized-moved
| swiftly to assist the state authorities
in providing food, shelter and medical
attention for the sufferers. All the
troops Of the department of the east
were ordered to hold themselves In
readiness for duty in the flood dis
tricts.
One million rations, suficient to feed
100000 people for five days at least,
are being purchased by the war de-
partment at the nearest supply depots
and hurried to the Ohio and Indiana
| towns.
| Tents and Blankets.
| Tents to shelter at least $4,000 peo-
pie, thousands Of blankets, cots, hospi-
tai and field supplies are being loaded
In trains at Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
and nearby army posts, and within
twenty-four hours should reach the
devastated sections. fia
| Messages of sympathy exchanged by
the president and the governors Of
Ohio and Indiana were followed quick
ly by a series Of requests for help
which were promptly answered by the
government departments. q
| The president was in his Offices all
day, In close touch with the situation.
He was In constant communication
with Secretary Garrison Of the war
department. ,Ge,
The president called uponst the people
Of the nation to contribute money lib
orally to the American Red Cross,
which In turn appealed to the govern
ors Of the states to help gather the re-
lief funds. ~ usff e,ss r
To Direct Relief. a4i, "a
Maj James Normoyle and James A.
Logan, Jr., experienced In lighting the
Mississippi valley floods, were ordered
by Quartermaster General Ayleshire
to Columbus, Ohio, to take charge Of
distributing food supplies for the Fed
eral government.
Maj. P. C. Fauntleroy was sent Inn
mediately to Columbus to handle the
medical supplies. Nine medical officers
the department Of the east, carrying
big supply Of surgical dressings, an
Iti-typhoid prophylactics and the COM
plete reserve medical supply" COM
prising drugs sufilcient to treat 10000
patients for one month. Precautions
against the spread Of disease are to
be handled by sanitation experts.
Miss Mabel Boardman Of the Amer
lean Red Cross was active at the head
quarters here, telegraphing orders to
nurses at Cleveland and Cincinnati
and calling up other nearby chapters
for physicians and nurses.
Life Savers Dispatched.
Life saving crews were ordered from
raine, Ohio, to Delaware, Ohio, and
the public health service distributed it's
agents In the affiicted district.
Postmaster General Burleson d.
rected the departments representa-
tives to make every possible effort to
install temporary mail service and re-
store the main routes between the
east and west as rapidly as possible.
Only the routes close to Lake Erie
have been getting their malls from,the
west All lines south Of the Ohio are
reported open.
=
ident Wilson:
1--WE have asked the secretary of
war this morning for tents, supplies
rations and provisions. In the name
Of humanity see that this Is granted at
the earliest possible moment The sit
uation In this state Is very critical. We
believe that 250,000 people were un-
sheltered last night and the indica-
tions are that before night the Musk.
ingum valley will suffer the fate Of
the Miami and Scioto valleys"
The president telegraphed to Gov.
Cox as follows:
Have directed the secretary of
war Immediately to comply with your
request and to use every agency OF
his department to meet the needs Of
the situation"
Gov. Cox's appeal for $4,000 tents
and 100000 rations brought prompt
response from the war department.
Preparations were at once begun for
moving rations from stocks at Phila-
delphia and st. Louis. No such num-
ber Of tents as the governor asks for,
however, is available and army oncers
are assuming he wants tents for 3d.
900 people and are proceeding on that
basis.
The Red Cross here is anxious for
Information regarding the where
abouts Of National Director Ernest p.
Bicknell, who started Monday from
washington for Omaha. He was last
heard from yesterday morning at Well
|lington, Ohio, and II he can be reached
probably may be diverted from his
original destination to the neighbor-
hood Of Dayton.
T. J. Edmonds, Red Cross agent, re-
porting from Dayton today the urgent
need Of food, clothing and blankets
from nearby cities for the relief of
flood sufferers, made no estimate OF
the loss Of life. The Red Cross has
large corps Of nurses at Dayton.
Omaha Stands Alone.
Mayor Dahlman Of Omaha notihed
the Red Cross today that outside aid
would probably be unnecessary. He
said the dead numbered 120
The Red Cross agent who investi-
gated the situation at Lower Peach
tree, Ala, today reported that sixty
eight were injured in the cyclone which
swept that section and that zoo were
destitute.
The war department and the public
health department awaited reports
from the flood district of Omaha and
Indiana.
All that the officials had in the way
Of information was conveyed to them
through the press dispatches, although
the Red Cross was in better position:
That organization had a number OF
kilograms from its agents, describing
the suffering and the heaviest loss OF
life.
Rupert Blue, surgeon general Of the
public health service, declared today
that every precaution would be taken
to prevent an epidemic following In
the wake of the floods. Physicians con-
nected with the service are stationed
at Cleveland, Detroit, Evansville, Ind,
and other points within and about the
district and messages were dispatched
to them asking for a report on the sit
uation.
Secretary McAdoo today ordered
Surgeon P. w. Willie of the United
States marine hospital at Cleveland
to proceed at once to Columbus to
cooperate with the state board, OF
health in preventing the spread Of dis
ease in the flooded district of the state.
Orders were also sent to DIR. ]. o. Cobb
at the marine hospital at Chicago, to
20 to INDIANAPOLIS to cooperate with