Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-10-09
Newark Y. W. G. A. Housed
Many; Interpreters Aided

NEWARK, Oct. 9:-It may not be
wise to cross bridges before you come
to them. but it is mighty convenient
to have plans and specifications ready.
This was exactly the position of the
Young Women's Christian Association
In the Gillespie explosion of Satur-
day. 1t was able to prove of the
greatest assistance from two angles.
First. owing to the situation brought
about by war the Y. w. G.. A. mas
been asked by the federal authorities
to take a q in finding adequate
quarters for its war workers. Through
the action taken along these ines II
was ready. especially in Newark. to
provide sleeping quarters. even tenn
porary homes for those who had lost
everything. The Y. w. c. A. building
at So Washington street was promptly
converted into an overnight lodging
house. Cots were secured with the
aid of the Red Cross. and the rest
rooms. gymnasium and classrooms
| were turned into emergency dormi=
tories. Nearly $50 refugees were
housed over night Saturday, and fed
Sunday. BY Monday word had come
that they could return and arrange
ments were made to transport them
home. BY Tuesday morning the
building was cleared of refugees who
left a houseful OF gratitude behind.
Owing to the International Insti-
tute maintained by the Y. w. c. A.,
| with interpreters OF the different Ian
guages always ~procurable at all
hours. many refugees who found their
way to the New Jersey Central station
out on the Jersey flats, and were I'M
able to get further because guards
and bystanders could not understand
them, were sent rejoicing on their
way, or housed for III night in places
-. A. III. npaaEOnnnN
war workers of the seven
tions in the United War Work Cam
paign, the Red Cross and Women's
Council of National Defense.
The way 1t happened was this. Miss
Margaret MacNaughton, of Jersey
City, a member of the Red Cross,
sent an s o 8 to the Y. M. G. A. In
Jersey City. saying there were a hun
dred or more refugees at the New
where they were going IL they knew
themselves as nobody could under
stand them. Miss Katherine s. Hast
.lngs. of the International Institute, IN
Jersey City, Immediately got busy. got
in touch with New York headquarters
and got Polar. Slavish and various
other interpreters over on the Jersey
side. A corps of from Jersey
CITY. New York, Brooklyn and Pas
sale was modified in an hours time,
and distributed at the Hudson TuDe
exits, the Fulton Street ferry, the
P~ennsylyania railroad station and the
New Jersey Central. A hundred or
more of the refugees were taken to
the Jersey City -Armory where Miss
Josa Koloski. a trained nurse, TOOK
precautions against the spread of In
iuenza by sending suspects to the
hospitals. At the Y. w. q. a.. IN
Newark, also. the services of a trained
nurse were secured for the same pur-
pose.
Miss Mabel E. G.. Boyd. executive
secretary of the Eastern Department.
and Miss Elizabeth w. Clark, general
secretary of Newark, and associate
director of the State of New Jersey,
remained at the Y. w. c. A. building
In Newark all night Saturday and h
greater part of Sunday. The greatest
precautions were taken that no one
should leave the building without O
pass. SO that a record was kept OF all
refugees housed there. TWO reiugee
were sent to the hospital. Both were
men.