In addition to requesting that the American Red Cross assume responsibility for the Relief Fund, the Mayor's Committee also suggests that John J. O'Connor be made director of the work.
Upon making an appeal to the citizens of Chicago to contribute $200,000 within the first forty-eight hours of the tragedy, contribtutions of nearly double that amount are received (over the course of the next few weeks). The contributions almost without exception are from Chicago firms and citizens. Contributions are received at the office of Julius Rosenwald, Chairman of the Finance Committee.
The responsibility for emergency relief work is split, with families being grouped as follows.
- All families in which the victims are employees of Western Electric are referred to the Western Electric Company for emergency assistance.
- All other families of victims are referred to the American Red Cross for emergency assistance.
- People who had been immersed in the Chicago River are referred to the City of Chicago Health Department for general health treatment.
The Western Electric Company immediately appropriates $100,000 for relief. The American Red Cross draws upon this money for relief until the public Relief Fund becomes available.
Source: Final Report, Eastland Disaster Relief Committee, Chicago Chapter, American Red Cross, 1918.
Contributions NAME AMOUNT NOTES American Car and Foundry Company108 $1,000 American Spiral Pipe Works108 $250 Blaine, Mrs. Emmons108 $1,000 Bradner, Smith and Company108 $200 John E. Burns Lumber Company108 $200 Cadillac Automobile Company of Illinois108 $100 Calumet Baking Powder Company108 $300 Carson, Pirie, Scott (wholesale employees)108 $638 Catholic Order of Foresters108 $500 Central Electric Company (employees)108 $106.95 Central Electric Company108 $100 Chicago Board of Underwriters108 $1,000 Chicago Journal Company108 $500 Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad108 $2,000 Comiskey, Charles A.108 $500 Consumers Company108 $1,000 Corn Products Company108 $500 Cowen and Brothers108 $250 Critchell, Miller, Whitney and Barbour108 $100 Cudaby, Mrs. Michael108 $200 Diamond Match Company108 $500 Dunne, Edward F.108 $200 Govenor of Illinois Durand, Kasper Company108 $250 Earling, A. J.108 $250 Edson, Keith and Company108 $250 The Express Companies108 $1,000 Fairbanks, Morse and Company108 $250 Field, III, Marshall108 $500 D. B. Fisk Company108 $250 Florsheim Shoe Company108 $150 Gage Brothers and Company108 $200 Gardner, W. A.108 $200 Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company108 $500 Griffin Wheel Company108 $250 Hallijan, H. A.108 $500 Hart, Schaffner and Marx108 $1,000 Hawaiian Pineapple Company108 $100 Edward Hines Company108 $500 Hirsh Wickwire Company108 $200 H. H. Hitchcock108 $100 Henry Horner Company108 $250 William Hoyt and Company108 $200 Illinois Steel Company (Social and Athletic Association, employees)108 $100 International Harvester Company108 $3,500 B. Kuppenheimer and Company108 $300 Frank C. Letts108 $100 Franklin MacVeagh and Company108 $250 McCormick, Sr., Mrs. Cyrus H.108 $1,000 W. F. McLaughlin and Company108 $500 McNeil and Higgins108 $350 T. B. Miller and Company108 $100 Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway Company108 $1,000 Molner, H.108 $250 Treasurer, Illinois Molding Company Monon Railroad108 $500 Morris, Nelson108 $250 National Coal Association108 $284 National Mailable Castings Company108 $250 Packard Motor Car Company of Chicago108 $100 Peabody Coal Company108 $1,000 Polish Roman Catholic Union of America108 $500 Puhl-Webb Company108 $100 Pullman Company108 $1,000 Quaker Oats Company108 $1,000 John A. Roebling's Sons and Company108 $1,000 Rosenfeld Brothers and Company108 $100 Ryerson, Martin A.108 $500 Peter Schoenhofen Brewing Company108 $500 Sefton Manufacturing Company108 $200 H. O. Shepard Company108 $250 Sheppard and Strassheim108 $200 Snyder Preserving Company108 $500 Snyder Preserving Company108 $100 Sons of St. George, Sharp and Smith108 $100 Spiegel House Furnishing Company (employees)108 $134 Spiegel House Furnishing Company108 $100 Spiegel, May, Stern and Company108 $250 Sprague, Warner and Company108 $1,000 Sprague, II, A. A.108 $200 Steele, Wedeles and Company108 $400 Stillson's Restaurant108 $233.27 Stromberg Motor Devices Company108 $100 Sullivan Machinery Company108 $200 Tobey Furniture Company108 $100 United Breweries Company108 $200 The White Company108 $100 J. C. Whitney Company108 $250 xxxxxx108 $yyyyyy
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