The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18
Mayor Mitchell Points Out Lesson Of
Last Weeks Cold Wave ...Steps Al.
ready Taken to Turn a Recreation
Pier Into Refuge for the Homeless
...Needs of the Destitute Described
by Charitable Agencies

| OF Medicine Hat toward the island OF
Manhattan.
News paragraphs have told the story
day by day-of the Municipal Lodging
House jammed and o"erfowing. of a
thousand other homeless people sleeping
in rows close together on the Depart
ment Of Correction steamers. OF still
others desperately eager 10 have fcw
square feet of space in the Morgue itself
"a alternative 20 freezing to death In the
streets. And meanwhile small army
of vorkmen were being pushed their
utmost to gel ready for occupancy adj
ditional emergency quarters on a big
recreation pier
The pier is now practically in readiness
and when the next blizzard comes will
have sleeping accommodations for a full
| .0o0-not merely floor space where each
lodser may lie down on n newspaper
mattress and SILVER through the long
hopeless night while "a merciless gale
bowls down the black river close at hand
but floor space covered with long rows
Of cot beds provided with blankets; a
pier lighted by electricity. adequately
warmed. adequately policed. This is
what Commissioner Kingsbury has done
already. with advisory approval Of Mayor
Mitchell. And in doing it he has increased
4 by nearly 100 per cent. the refuge pro-
vided by New York city for those utterly
dependent on public aid in such time Of
need
Commissioner kingsbury just at present
! Is one Of the busiest men in town. but
he has taken time TO outline for readers
of The SUNDAY SIN some phases Of the
situation regarding the homeless thou
sands ir New York who in great emer-
gency face the choice Of asking public
relief or Of perishing The Commissioner
had been hard at work since reaching his
Office at 3 A. NJ II was now nearly PM
The first great problem l faced when
commencing work in the Charities Depart
ment.- he said. "was that of handling the
overflow from the Municipal Lodging
House. In the dead Of winter and with
many out Of work this was very serious
problem
"Since the first of January every night
has seen the Municipal Lodging House
crowded and an average of 900 men
sleeping on the floor OF waiting rooms on
the Charities pier. as well as in department
steamers tied up at the foot of Twenty
sixth street here"
This in itself was danger signal 20
man like kingsbury. whose wide expert
ence in relief work was largely gained
while he served as director of the Associa-
| ton for Improving the Condition of the
Poor. He saw the signal. recognized it
at a glance, and grappled with the prob
lem-hut in telling of the measures taken
SO promptly he spoke with modesty and
gave credit to others. especially to other
departments Of the city government upon
which he had called for aid
YES ne continued. Il saw that some
thing must he done at once 10 prepare for
possible trouble. whether il came in
| month or n year later. So we began to
, get the rccreatio pier ready for homeless
people. To secure proper lighting. police
regulation, beds. bedding, food supplies
and equipment for cooking and serving
food as we'll as means for he ling the pier
and so on number Of city departments
were called on And / wish especially TO
recognize publicly the immediate efficient
and generous responRe they made. They
/ left nothing undone: nothing seemed roo
| muth trouble. In sixteen days" Com
missioner Kingsbury added simply, "the
recreation pier was ready To handle and
house GOO who otherwise could not be
sheltered.
The point about all this prepa ratory
work is that it was commenced fortnight
before Washington flashed to New York
warnings of the coming cold wave. II
struck this vicinity Monday evening