Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-03-21
THE WORK or THE RED CROSS.
now THE sUFFEREBs BY THE GREAT FLOOD IN
THE ONO VALLEY WERE RELIEVED


has been 80 thoughtfully planned and so
wisely executed none has been so careful
and panstaking in It's details and 30 benef.
cent in its results as the relief expedition of
the Red Gross, which left Evansville, Satur-
day, March 8.
The plan was conceived by Miss Clara Bar
ton, president Of the national association, to
load boat with bedding and clothing for
distribution and to supply money to INDECENT
families who lacked the means TO place them
selve9 once more on a family footing. The
steamer Josh V. Throop was chartered. Box
%, bales, barrels and bundles of clothing
came in the name Of the Red Cross from all
over the country. Piles of blankets and
quilts, stacks of boots and shoes, coats, vests
and trousers without end, underwear and no.
siery, hats caps and bonnets and every arti.
Gle of wearing apparel which poverty could
suggest and generosity supply, could be found
in the TROOPS cargo. Nothing seemed to
be forgotten. Sheets, pillow cases and tow
els were there, and a thousand things which
would never have entered into tho mind of
any man to place in a stock of supplies for
food sufferers. A mans mind would have
stopped at blankets woman's runs on
through sheets, pillows cases and even pill
low-shams. Men might have thought of
shirts, but only women would have put in
the necessary complement of collars and
cuffs. Pins and needles, buttons and thread
were not forgotten, but for fear Of unfore-
seen emergencies, q well filed strong box
was taken along and almost unlimited cred
it left behind with orders to draw for any
sum required. Rumors of coal famine
along the river reached Evansville Just be-
fore the boat was ready to start, which was
sufficient warrant for the laying in Of sup
ply OF coal to meet the immediate wants of
the people. Thus thoroughly equipped, the
Throop started on her philanthropic mission.
The first important relief work was done
at Uniontown, where the condition of the
people was deplorable The place suffered
from the effects of destructive wind storm,
which struck the town with terrific forco
while the waters were at their highest point
Houses were demolished and the wrecks re-
NAMED scattered about and piled in confu-
sion all over the town, covering what we're
formerly vacant lots, and obstructng the
streets. Here the committee left an abund-
ant supply Of clothing and a generous con-
tribution of cash. Shawneetown, which suf-
fered 30 severely from the floods of 'S3 and
struggled so courageously to repair the dam
ages of last year, shared with Uniontown the
terrible cyclone which set ahoat near a hun
dred houses, leaving their wrecks strewn
about in every quarter of tho town. Here
cash donation was left to help in re-establish-
the boat pushed on to Rose Landing and
from there to Caseyville, Ky. Several small
villages, such as Weston, Ford's Ferry and
Cnve-in-Rock, whose wants though not large
were just as pressing as those of moro pre-
tenhous towns, were visited and furnished
with whatever their wants demanded. On
Wednesday morning the boat reached Smith
land KY, at the mouth OF the Cumberland.
For the first time since leaving Evansville a
NasVl,N IL ~ IA
expedition. cheerful day ought to be ap-
preciated at Smithand, for there is nothing
else Of CHEEKY nature to be seen about the
place. This town-one of the oldest on the
lower Ohio-has received staggering blow,
from which it would be difficult for a young
er and more vigorous town to recover. While
the water was at its highest stage a terrific
cyclone from the west struck the town full in
the face, driving the waves high up against
the second stories Of the buildings, crushing
the brick structures like so many egg. Shells
and setting the frame structures adrift across
the bottoms. Tho scene presented is one of
utter desolation, fragments Of wooden build
ings everywhore, some house roofs taken
from the very rivers front carried back near
ly a mile, or left high and dry halfway up
the hillside. Piles Of crumbling brick are
the only remaining yesiiges Of some substan-
tial houses. Great logs borne onward by the
resistless force of wind and waves proved
more powerful battering rams than we're ev-
or invented or welded by man, and the eff
feet Of their work is seen upon every brick
house in town; some with hole knocked
in one wall, others showing where the log
propelled with the speed of an arrow and
the force of a thunderbolt, passed in through
one wall of the house, through partitions,
out on the other side and as if by miracle
left the house still standing Other great
trees, hurled with less force or meeting with
greater resistance, penetrated the walls and
there remain like a barbed arrow lodged in
the body Of its victim. The Smiths have I'M
doubtedly made many mistakes since the fam
lily was first founded, but none of the Smith
race ever committed greater error than To-
eating this town, which bears the family
name, in place which the Lord evidently
designed for a cornfed Government ra-
tions and blankets had already been freely
issued here, and the Red Cross supplemented
the work with an abundant supply of coal,
clothing, bedding and cash, with carte blanche
to draw on headquarters for any further
needs. New Liberty, on the opposite shore,
and the next point visited, was a victim of
the same storm that visited Smithland. This
was little village of perhaps hundred
houses, built on bottom land and wholly uu-
protected by levees. or the hundred houses
scarce five remain on their foundations, all
torn to pieces by the united action Of the
wind and water and tloated from their toun-
dations and stranded on some lot TO which
| the owner of the house has no title. Here a
special committee was appointed TO inquire
| into the exact wants of the people, to make a
definite report to the agents, oil their wants
to be supplied on the return trip. Thursday
morning found our boat at Metropolis the
trimmest, neatest, mos, city-like river town
NH aln d.
pearance from the river front exists now on
| ly in memory aud in prophecy. The same
destructive cyclone whose pitiess work at
! Smthland and New Liberty has been detail
ed struck this place in all its strength and fu-
! ry. Mills, hotels, factories, dwellings of
brick and Of wood, all went down The diff
ference between this place and the other two
! just mentioned is, that this was merely stun
ned, those paralyzed; this staggered by the
blow which drowned her neighbors Every
whore the work Of reconstruction was going
on and the vigorous little city has the pluck
and ability within her own limits to speedily
repair the damage. A short run brought us
to Cairo, the city which abroad has the repu-
tation of having its life imperiled by every
spring freshet, but has suffered less than any
river town from the source of the Ohio to its
junction with the Mississippi. Here the par
ty was reinforced by recruits from st. Louis
| in the persons of Mrs. Il. ID. Coe Dr. Grin
don and Miss NJ. o. Dix, the last of whom is
a particularly enthusiastic and efficient work
or. To her efforts are due the fitting up by
the st. Louis branch society, of a hospital
car, thoroughly equipped in charge of an ex-
perienced surgeon, and ready to start from St.
Louis at a moments warning for the scene of
railroad accidents, mine explosions cyclones
or calamities of a kindred nature. This
morning, Saturday, the 10Th, the Throop
starts on her homeward journey, stopping at
various points to complete the work. which,
for want of definite information, could not
be done on the way down.
The society of the Red Cross was formed
for the purpose of relieving suffering by war,
pestilence famine, flood and other calamities
of sufficient magnitude to be considered ma
tional in extent. It operates under the pro-
visions of the Geneva treaty, promulgated at
Geneva, Switzerland, in 1864, and signed
since then by all civilized nations of the
earth, the United States giving its adhesion
through President Arthur in March, 1882
OF the American association President Arthur
is the chairman of the board of consultation,
the executive officers consisting of Miss Glare
Barton, presidents Walter b. Phillips, secre