Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-07-12

Il large city or a county-sometimes several coun-
ties.
The chapter is governed, on Il smaller scale.
very much as the Red Cross as a whole Is gov
errel. 1t has It's chairman and other officers, its
board of directors and its executive committee, in
whose hands the active work Is carried on. In
large chapters an executive secretary usually does
most Of the active work Of the executive commit
tee.
Each chapter is divided into n section for MILL
tary relief and n section for civilian relief. much
as tn" national organization is divided. And each
section has It's committees TO carry out the various
activities.
The section for military relief has its commit
tees ON: Red Cross; instruction; hospital sup
plies, warelousing and shipping; supplies for
fighting men. and special committees for such
work rs organizing hospital companies, sanitary
detachmentS. surgical sections and supply depofs.
The section for civilian relief has its commit
tees on: Care of families of soldiers and sailors;
relief for noncombatants; care of discharged sol
diers and sailors: training in volunteer Civilian
relief, and special committees as needed on local
disaster, care of refugees and other kindred sub
jects.
How the Red Cross operates is perhaps best
told by citing some of the concrete examples OF Its
work. TO begin with, two of the most recent IN
stances of civilian disaster relief, take the lorna
does which devasted Newcastle and New Albany
Ind, at intervals Of about two weeks.
When Newcastle was laid in ruins with the loss
of n score of lives, and several hundred persons
made homeless and thrown out Of work, the pres
tnt writer, learning the situation through teie-
crapt and long distance telephone messages 10
the press. notified Division Director John J. oCon-
nor of Chicago. Within ten minutes Mr. oCohnof
WINS calling for Red Cross nurses, surgeons,
trained investigators. and arranging with Wash
ington for whatever funds might he needed 70
start the work of rescuing the survivors,, feeding
and housing them. getting them back to work, ana
collecting, identifying and burying the dead All
night long, from his room in Chicago, he was put
ting this, that and the other agency to work Mt the
end Of a wire, and the dawn of the next day saw
order coming out OF chaos.
Then. aud not before, MIR. OConnor took train
for the scene, and when he arrived, found his or
ders being carried out. He took personal charge,
aided by the chairman and committees OF the In
dihnapolis and other nearby chapters. ana the
work Of rehabilitation went swiftly forward.
While the director was sim Mt Newcastle he
received Il message that an even worse disaster
had hefallen New Albany. Again sending orders
by wire for surgeons, nurses. Investigators aho
supp,ies, he took train for the scene Of the latest
calamity. and again he arrived to find the systen
already at work. The living were cared for an'
work found for them, the dead buried. and al
with the least possible delay and INSTRUMENTATION
of the daily life Of the community.
The June number of the Red Cross Magazine
contains a succinct account OF the spIehd'a rene
work accomplished.
The work Of organizing base hospitals Illus
trotes the forehanded methods Of the Red Cross.
with n clarity Of vision for which the countr!
now blesses him, Colonel kean called LAST autum'
for the Red Cross to organize for the army ant
navy with the least possible delay 30 base hospitn
units. He did not want hospital huiId'ngs--wha
no wanted was 30 units of surgeons, dentists
opothccaries, orderlics. nurses and assistants, Wit
nj, the COTS. mattresses, bedding, laboratory apps
rn,us. bnndages. splints. surgical Shirts nc
gowns, md the thousands Of things TINT must 0
had before n single wounded mnn can he proper
cared for. Each Of these 30 base hospital unit
wos TO he enrolled md trained, MI their permit
nent equipment bought. and nil their c"nsoman'
sunplies bought or made. boxed. labeled mn
stored, 40 TINT the whole could he shipped ny tra'
ar steamer on notice Of a day or two.
Instantly, all over the country. the division q
rectors missed the word to their chapters. and Il
varIous committees took up the work Of forrn'r
: hnse hospital units. Under the supervision
|, washington itself the surgeons md nurses we
cbosen and enrolled. Purchasing agents Dougl
nj tho lowest possible price the equipment. y
, dor ,.,ch chapter engaged In the work II comml
, tee on hospital supplies got standard patterns ~
specifications from the war department, anu >
" hundreds md thousands Of women to sewing
9 Tho bnndares, wound dressings and hospital 81
?. ments. u.- CO..
:. All that was long before the United stat