River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-12-19
II 1t Hadn't Been For
The Red Cross What?

fires OF October IL.
Mrs. A. T. Rock, vice-chairman
of the Superior chapter of the Red
Cross, says that while she cannot
say what would have happened If 1t
had not been for the Red Cross, she
can tell what did happen, because
of it. Mrs. Rock was in Milwaukee
Thursday for the meeting of the
state chapters, called to discuss the
plans for the Christmas Red Cross
Roll Call.
SO many people do not under
stand fully the work of the civilian
end of the Red Cross, but think that
now that the war is over we do not
need money, should know of
Superior's work in caring for 5000
families, left homeless by the forest
fires. They were Minnesota families
and that state did all it could, but
bridges were burned, and the people
who were on that side towards
Wisconsin, had to be taken care of
in Superior, for they couldn't get
into Duluth.
I'm Superior we had all our
electric lights on at 2 p. m. of
October IL, and the chickens went
to roost at 3. The air was like
blood, red hot cinders blowing
everywhere. The first train arrived
at midnight with the refugee S.
Superior had the flu ban on, which
gave an opportunity for the Red
Cross to use the churches, public
schools, and public places of amuse-
ment, Y. M. G.. A. rooms, K. of =.
rooms and the lodge rooms.
':The work was done under the
direction of 7. B. Mills, chairman
of the Superior chapter, assisted
by Philip Stratton. Harry Rogers,
Ray Nye, T. j. Roth and number
of others. By 2 a. m, we had filed
every available place, taking those
most badly injured, to the hospitals.
Every department of our organlza-
ton fell in line, and have continued
in it, ever since that day.
1--WE used the Commercial club
for the headquarters for the fire
refugees and from there tried to
send tracers for missing members
of families. For days, fathers and
mothers looked for their children.
Some Of them were gone entirely,
some so badly burned as to be blind
and others so badly injured that
they will never walk again. Mothers
with new babies had to be wheeled
to the box and fiat cars on which
they arrived, in Wheelbarrows, many
of the babies being only day or
two old. Some other mothers had
stood for hours in water to their
necks holding their children SO they
void not lose them. In many cases,
the people were not properly clothed
when they left their homes, and
with their fright and the exposure
combined, were easy victims of the
flu, of which about two-thirds died.
The Red Cross cared for everything
housed, fed and clothed these people
even to caring for seven little babies
who were born in the street. One
thousand of these people are still
in Superior where they have obtain
ed employment and where they will
stay for the winter
Il think you would find, if you
questioned theserefugees that every
one was made comfortable the first
night. That is, physical comfort,
the mental discomfort was harrow
ing. We were days and days locat-
ing and reuniting families, as far
as IL COulO NC OO1CJ OOL VIC Wei
sorely handicapped as to finding
out how many had been saved, for
our telegraph and telephone wires
and bridges were down, and we
could not get into Duluth.
"People volunteered for every
thing, more volunteered than we
could possible use, Superior S
streets, the day following the
arrival of the refugees were packed
all day. it was Sunday with autos,
and every sort of continuance to
take these people to homes where
they were 70 be cared for.
There was every nationality
represented, though most of them
were Finnish, and many of them
people who had criticized the work