Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-03
MANAGUA RELIEF
PUSHED BY NAVY.
Planes and Ships Dispatched
to Stricken Zone With
Supplies.

The Navy Department has moved
swiftly to alleviate distress in the
Managua earthquake, and the record
of messages and orders shows prompt
response to the call for aid from the
stricken Central American capital.
The hour Of the earthquake Is placed
at 1910 am, Eastern standard time,
on Tuesday. About 1880 o'clock the
Navy Department received news from
President Hoover that the Associates
Press had reported a major disaster at
Managua. BY noon the department
asked Rear Admiral Arthur st. Clair
Smith, commander of the Special Serv-
ice Squadron, until recently on duty in
Washington with the General Board,
for information on the extent of the
disaster and about 1919 o'clock he had
notified the department that he was
unable to reach Managua by radio or
cable.
Get Report From Panama.
BY 1890 o'clock, little over an hour
after the earthquake had occurred, the
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Ernest
Lee Jahncke, had placed the facilities
of the service at the disposal of the
American Red Cross. BY l:12 pm. the
Navy Department had received an Off
cial message from Rear Admiral Noble
E. Irwin, commandant in the Canal
Zone. saying that in conjunction with
the reported destruction Of Managua
the U. S. S. Salinas was available TO
transport emergency supplies.
The customary means of communica-
ton between Managua and Washington
is by radio from the Nicaraguan capital
to San Juan del Sur and cable from
southern city Of the republic. There
is also another channel of conlmuni-
cation, from the Nays radio station at
Managua, which communicates with
that at Balboa in the Canal Zone,
which in turn communicates with
Washington.
Informed of Supplies.
Col. Frederic L. Bradman, command
ing the I'd Brigade of Marines at Ma
naEua, filed an official message about
ITO pm, Nicaraguan time, which was
IL the hands of naval officials here
ABOUT 5:39 pm, Eastern standard time,
being delayed in transit, informing the
Navy Department and Maj. Gen. Ben
H. Fuller. commandant of the United
states Marine Corps, that he had d.
1acted the issuance of medicines, pro-
visions, supplies and stores to aid the
stricken civilian population OF Ma
nagua. He estimated that there were
10 days provisions for all purposes on
hand and added that when the full
knowledge of needs was known he
would submit further requests.
Meanwhile as Col. Bradman and his
aides were surveying the stricken city
and lending speedy assistance, the 1ar-
flung naval organization was busy con-
vereing relief men and supplies on
uuake-Jorn Managua.
Medical Officers Arrive.
Two planes, dispatched with medical
officers of the Navy and Hospital corps
men. from the Canal Zone, arrived on
Anrii i with needed medical supplies at
ManaRua. The airplane carrier o. s. 5.
lexington. which had been in ma
nelvers in the Caribbean, was directed
to proceed to the Atlantic Coast port
NJ Bhlefields, and as she was nearing
that city five planes were shot on tnaI
vessel. The quintet OF aircraft con-
tanned four Navy medical ofncers ana
three Hospital Corpsmen, with meolcal
supplies, and they, too, arrived at Mana
qua on the afternoon OF April /. tn ne
two planes from Panama brought zOu
pounds of relief medical stores, while
The Ave planes from the Lexington
brought 400 pounds of medical equip
ment. Serums were carried for the IN
iured and for NEGOTIATIONS against the
Feasibility of a typhoid epidemic, be-
cause of the curtailed water supply.
The Lexington left Guantanamo bay,
Cuba, about O'Clock on March 81, ano
was on her way to Bluehelds In snort
order. Additional planes were TO be
catapulted of her decks for Managua
with supplies later.
The flagship of the Special Service
Squadron, the U. S. S. Rochester, by
April l had left Balboa. the PACING port
at the Canal Zone, for Corinto, the sea-
port of Manag1a, where she was due
this morning, with medical personnel
and operating equipment.
Hospital Ship on Way.
Uncle Sans hospital ship, the U. 6:
s. Relief. with full equipment OF relief
medicines and dressings aboard, Is
steaming toward Corinto, from near
Lower California, and she is expected
TO reach the Nicaraguan port late Sat-
urday night or early Sunday morning
She was dispatched at 4 o'clock on the
afternoon Of the earthquake, after she
had transferred the majority OF her
patients to the battleShips Of the Battle
Fleet
The naval transport U. S. S. Chau-
mont is due at Corinto this morning
and has received orders from Admiral
Smith TO be ready to evacuate all the
American women and children Of Ma
nagua, totaling about IT'S, TO the Canal
Zone, or If necessary, further.
The U. S. s. Salinas is at Balboa,
laden with SO tons of rations. ready TO
sail IS soon as the real needs of Ma
nagua are known. Also at Balboa are
the U. S. S. Sacramento, Asheville and
Fulton standing by" for orders to sail.
The Salinas, which is an oil tanker. was
loaded with stores and equipment the
day of the earthquake.
The hospital ship Relief has aboard
several hundred portable cots, complete
tentsge and other portable equipment
for setting up a field hospital, including
several tons Of medical and surgical
supplies Tetanus antitoMn and other
biological materials for preventing cpl
demic diseases that usually follow in
the wake Of disasters are likewise aboard
this vessel.