A meeting of representative citizens, called in Washing ton by President Harrison, was typical of the clearness with which the need of relief was everywhere recognized, and the spirit of " impatient benevolence " with which the people acted. " In such meetings as we have here," said the President, "and other like gatherings that are taking place in all cities of this land, we have the only rays of hope and light in the general gloom. When such a calam itous visitation falls upon any section of our country, we can do no more than put about the dark picture the golden border of love and charity. It is in such fires as these that the brotherhood of man is welded.
"And where is sympathy and help more appropriate than here in the national capital ? I am glad to say that early this morning, from a city not long ago visited with pestilence, not long ago itself appealing to the charitable people of the whole land for relief,— the city of Jackson ville, Florida — there came the ebb of that tide of charity which flowed toward it in the time of its need, in a tele gram from the Sanitary Relief Association, authorizing me to draw upon them for $2000 for the relief of the Pennsylvania sufferers." Such contributions, remnants of some earlier relief fund, are a not uncommon incident of new relief funds. One of the first contributions made to the Martinique relief of 1902 was from a fund formed to aid the sufferers from a fire in Jacksonville, Florida, the same city from which the subscription to Johnstown had come thirteen years before.
The Pennsylvania Railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the Western Union Telegraph Company, although themselves severe sufferers, placed their entire service at the disposal of the Pittsburg committee, and later at the disposal of those who were responsible for the administration of relief from other sources. One million of dollars, in money, clothing, provisions, and other neces saries, was received and disbursed for the direct aid of Johnstown by the Pittsburg committee.
On June 3 a proclamation was issued by James A. Beaver, governor of Pennsylvania, to the people of the United States, in which he gave official assurance that newspaper reports as to the loss of life and property had not been exaggerated, although, as it afterwards appeared, the estimate which Governor Beaver incorporated into his proclamation proved, both as to the loss of life and as to the loss of property, to be about twice as great as had actually occurred. This is not surprising, in view of the difficulty,
not only of establishing communication, but of estimating the extent of the loss, even on the ground. The procla mation, after acknowledging hearty and generous offers of help from the President, governors of states, mayors of cities, individuals, committees, and private and munici pal corporations, ended with the assurance that contribu tions would be used carefully and judiciously and in such a manner as to bring them to the immediate and direct relief of those families for whose benefit they were intended.
Subscription lists were opened everywhere and in a great variety of ways. Material contributions from indi viduals and local committees were soon concentrated at four different points : at Harrisburg, under the personal control of the governor ; at Philadelphia, under the Per manent Relief Committee of that city ; at Pittsburg, under the Citizens' Relief Committee ; and at New York, under a relief committee. There were, however, other commit tees at other points acting independently of one another, and there was no common knowledge of disbursements and appropriations. To avoid the confusion certain to ensue from this situation, there was appointed, on the eleventh day of June, the so-called Flood Relief Commis sion, consisting of ten gentlemen, representing the various principal committees previously formed, and, as far as possible, the direction and control of all relief work throughout the entire flooded district was concentrated in the state commission.
2c The Flood Commission consisted of the following : Edwin H. Fitler, Thomas Dolan, John Y. Huber, Robert C. Ogden, and Francis B. Reeves, from the Philadelphia Relief Committee ; James B. Scott, Reuben Miller, and S. S. Marvin, from the Pittsburg Relief Committee ; H. H. Cummin, of Williamsport, as a representative of the flooded districts in the eastern part of the state, and John Fulton, of Johnstown, as representing the Cone maugh Valley. The last named, however, was unable to serve, and although attempts were made to supply a sub stitute from Johnstown, they were unsuccessful. J. B. Kremer, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was made secretary of the commission.