Sheffield Flood
SHEFFIELD INUNDATION RELIEF FUND
«ReturnTO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES
Sir, - Many persons at a distance, who are anxious to relieve the distress occasioned by the late flood, write to inquire what is the total amount of loss occasioned by it, how much of the damage has been suffered by the poor and destitute, and how much by those who are better able to bear it. If it had been possible now to answer these inquiries, the committee would at once have done so, but they must frankly say that they are not yet able to give exact replies to such inquiries, and they venture to think a little consideration will lead the public to conclude that the committee have since their appointment been so occupied in other more pressing duties as to make it impossible for them by this time to have ascertained such facts. The first business of the General Committee was to create and put in regular movement an organisation for the safe and due receipt and distribution of the funds subscribed for the relief of distress, consisting of a General Executive Committee, with secretaries and treasurer, Finance and Audit Committees, and 14 district or other committees and then immediately to give relief to those who were in want of food, clothing, or shelter, which was done by personal visitations throughout the inundated districts; and to this work and the next mentioned the time and attention of the committee have hitherto been mainly devoted. They had, at the same time, to take instant steps for the prevention of fever and disease, which would soon have ensued if the carcases of drowned animals had not been at once buried, the water pumped out of the cellars, the fetid mass of mud and refuse bailed out and carted away from the dwellings and buildings where it lay many inches thick, and lime and other means of cleanliness and purification applied in large quantities. This has now been so far effected that the sanitary committee have reported that no serious results have yet ensued to the health of the town, nor are any such at present apprehended. In the work relief so far, the district committees have not been authorised to compensate for loss of property, except where such relief was immediately necessary for the preservation of life or health. The committee next proceeded to consider the question of relief to those who, owing to the loss of property from the flood, were in a state of destitution and disabled from maintaining themselves. The class of cases which first pressed for attention was that of workmen, chiefly grinders, who had lost their tools, but who, if these were replaced, could at once resume work. T he Committee decided immediately to supply the means of replacing these tools belonging to workmen, and this has partly been done, and is still in progress, under the superintendence of a committee specially appointed for the purpose; and in this single head of payments to grinders for loss of tools about 1,000 sterling has already been disbursed by the Committee. The Committee felt it to be their next duty to decide upon some principle as to the distribution of relief to those poor persons who have lose necessary articles of household furniture which they are unable to replace, or other property which formed the small means by which they earned their livelihood. To enable the Committee to decide on the proper mode of dealing with these cases, they have requested the district committee to report to them the particulars of all such losses in their respective districts; and both this detailed information and a knowledge of the amount of subscriptions placed at their disposal will be requisite before the committee can finally decide how far they may prudently go in the relief of distress occasioned by the destruction of the property. This, however, they can undertake to say, that they will relieve only in cases of actual distress and destitution. Time it is that such sufferers may have a legal claim to compensation against those who caused the damage, but in the class of cases to which the committee now refer delay would be utter ruin. A legal remedy means a remedy to be attained some months, or possibly a year hence, and the Committee feel that they will be fulfilling the wishes of the subscribers if they at once so far relieve those poor persons who have suffered the loss of property as to restore to them necessary articles of furniture and those things by means of which they have earned their livelihood; and trust that the amount of subscriptions may be such as to enable them to do so. The Committee are utterly unable to say what is the total amount of damage. That, indeed, they have not considered it their business to inquire, since much of it has been sustained by manufacturers who are in such circumstances as not to be objects for relief by public subscriptions. The Committee are not even at this moment able to say what amount will be required in order to extend immediate relief to all who cannot afford to wait for it; but as far as they can at present calculate they sincerely believe that the amount already subscribed will very far from suffice to enable them to give full relief to all who come fairly within that description.
THOMAS JESSOP, Mayor.
Council-hall, Sheffield, March 26. continued »
