Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-22

IContinued from First Page.1
quarters for q shipping room. and
is prepared to receive any contribu-
tions for the stricken town, and rush
them as soon as received.
Mayor Keister got in touch with
the State Health Department and re-
ceived the information that there
is no fund that allows them to eX-
tend help to the stricken city. There
is no fund in the city that can be
devoted for procuring provisions. for
the fiood-ravaged town, and the
Mayor calls upon patriotic citizens to
come forward with contributions,
which the Red Cross will dispatch
at once.
Frantic Appeals
Board of Trade, Postmaster and
Businessmen's Association of Lock
Haven, united this morning in a
frantic appeal to all cities of Central
Pennsylvania to rush supplies and
provisions to the stricken up-river
town, which sustained a staggering
suspension of all industrial activities
and connection with the OUTSIDE
world during the high water that in
undated the streets to a depth of
four feet for two days and later
froze the surface over the entire
town.
In the First ward, where most of
the poorer people of the town are
collected, suffering is so intense that
only immediate relief will save
profusion of deaths from cold. ex-
posure and starvation. Special trains
are rushing provisions and necessi-
ties to the stricken town from a ra-
dius of a hundred miles this after
noon. BellefoDte, Tyrone, Remove,
Altoona, Williamsport and Harris
burg have all received urgent appeals
from the Lock Haven mayor and
citizens to rush aid to the stricken
town. Conditions in the flooded areas
are worse than have ever been wit
messed by the oldest residents OF the
town.
Cry Is For Heat
For two days and nights the citi-
zens of the town have been confined
to the second floors of their homes,
without light or heat. In the early
stage of the food, the light and
power plant was put out of commits
ing the gas company was put out of
commission by the rising waters.
"Send as heat, send us heat!" was
the plea that came. from the suffer-
ing inhabitants this morning. Goal
oil stoves and coal oil. Pumps to get
the water from our cellars so we can
use our furnaces and the small
amount of coal we have"
Town Is Helpless
The plea that reached Harrisburg
late this morning vase for stoves,
and yet more stoves. with coal oil
to furnish heat to the victims of
the water, ice and cold.
A cold SnowStorm raging to-day
driven by cutting winds, and tenn
perature during the night of five
degrees, was the final blow that
made the helpless town inert before
the ravages of the severe weather
and flood conditions.
In the First ward, where suffering
is most intense, the ice is piled four
feet deep in the streets, and ice is
frozen in the houses. There is cry
ing need for an army of laborers to
dig this part of the town out of the
ice, which prohibits the carrying
of any relief to the suffering citi-
zens. Arrangements are complete
to carry relief to these people as
soon as automobiles can get to them.
Open Public Places
Mayor Cupper and a citizens COM
mittee have opened the churches,
schools and hospital for the care of
the stricken families. The hospital
is filled with the children that have
been rushed there to save them
from the gruelling cold of their
homes, and the State Normal School
is filled with the older sufferers
The remainder of the schools have
been opened up for the benefit of
the sufferers.
The railroad station is in the
midst of a great ice pile which was
left after the water receded, and
cannot be reached. Workmen are
TRYING to open up the railroad
tracks, in order to let the specials
bearing relief approach the city this
| afternoon.
Fear Pneumonia
The extent of the suffering in the
worst stricken parts of the city
could not be estimated to-day,
Mayor Cupper said, because it was
| impossible to reach the lower part
of the town, where conditions are
worst. Telephone and telegraph
communication were out of order.
| Physicians have taken teps to COM
| bat an epidemic of pneumonia, and
! the hospitals are filled to overflow
| ing.
The downtown streets are filled
| with ice and no stores are open
All the cellars are filled with water,
and even with the recedingN of the
water the houses and buildings are
still without any heat except where
oil and gasoline heaters have been
rushed to their assistance.
Property Loss High
Estimates as high as 100000 are
| placed as caused by the flood, but
! it is impossible to estimate the total
extent of the damage caused by the
flood and water.
Provisions and medical assistance
will arrive in abundance. from near
by towns this afternoon, Mayor Cup
per said, but blankets, stoves, oil
and wraps will be in greatest de-
mand. 1t is impossible to estimate
when the gas plant and light and
power plants can be run again.
Careful tabulation of all articles
sent will be kept, Mr.. Cupper said,
and they will be returned to the
donors.