Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-27
SHIELD HOMELESS
THOUSANDS FROM
DISEASE IN SALEM
Militia and State Officials
Active-Loss Now Esti-
mated at $4,000, 900.

SALEM. Mass. June 2I.-To insure san
itary conditions in the camps established
for the homeless the most imme-
diatly pressing problem which confront
ed those in charge of the relief work in
the fire-stricken city today. officials OF
the state militia and of the state board OF
health co-operated in this work. Two
official camps were in operation, and
preparations were made for the estab-
lishment of third into which could be
brought many persons at present scat
tered in various open places in the city.
In each of the tents provided for shell
ter there were four cots. In some cases
nine or ten persons occupied a single
tent. The militia found no difficulty in
maintaining order throughout the night.
There were no attempts at looting. Nors
than 300 were directly dependent upon
the relief committee for shelter last night.
while 4.:00 waited patiently in the
rious bread lines for the food which
streamed into the city in abundance.
Those cared for In the tented camps
were of the poorer class, mostly foreign
ers. Nearly all the well l-to-do had found
refuge with friends and relatives else
where.
Estimated Loss, $4,000, 600.
An insurance adiuster who went care
fully over the devastated district last
night estimated the loss at Slo,o00.Ooo. of
which S10.O00.0O0 was covered by insur-
ance. This insurance it was stated was
well distributed, the heaviest amount fall
ing upon any one company being S40o.0Ga.
The Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company
was the heaviest individual loser. The
Dlaced
500, 600 Fifteen hundred employees were
thrown out of work by the destruction Of
these mills. The total number added by
fire to the ranks of the unemployed was
estimated at 5000.
Hand in hand with measures for relief
went preparations for rebuilding the city.
The Naumkeag company and some of the
other larger firms burned out announced
that they would begin the work of recon-
struction of new and better plants as
quickly as possible. In the meantime the
unemployed will be given work in the re-
habilitation of the city or will be provided
with jobs in nearby places.
Militia in Charge of Relief.
The active work of relief was tenn
porarily in the hands of the state mil
itia. directed by Adjt. Gen. Cole. who
commanded $50 men from the sth and
sth Regiments. These established two
camps one at the base ball grounds.
near the high school. and the other at
Forest River Park. on the water front.
A Few cases of measles and two of
scarlet fever were reported and were
imm ediately isolated.
Property holders, answering INQUIRIES
of friends. announced their losses in
most instances with a smile and a
shrug and began to talk of rebuilding.
One of the saddest places in the city
was about the quarters of the domestic
affairs department of the relief COM
mittee. Early in the day the commit
tee had the names of 200 men, women
and children who had become separated
from their families. Last night this
number had been reduced to 100.
A relief committee of seven, appointed
by Gov. Walsh, had a long conference
with Mayor Hurley and the local relief
committee.
After a survey of the situation the
committee announced The principal
need is money. not clothing nor food.
The people who were burned out man
aged to save all the necessary clothing,
and there is on hand sufficient supply
of food to last week or possibly longer"
Miss Boardman Arrives.
Miss Mabel T. Boardman, national re-
lief secretary of the American Red Cross
Society. arrived yesterday and offered
the services of the organization she rep
resents.
So many maternity cases were report
ed that a number of women prominent
in the wealthy north shore summer coi-
ony organized a hospital for them in
the North Church.
The list of dead a direct result OF
the fire was placed last night at four.
The identified dead were Mrs. Jennie
Cunningham and Samuel P. Whitney. a
Grand Army veteran. Another body was
so badly burned that its sex could not
be determined. The fourth body was
that of a child.