The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-04-16
RED Cross SERVICE
IN RECENT DISASTERS.
Storing Bring About Severe
Test Of Recently Form
ed Organization

WASHINGTON, April 16.-Disaster
preparedness, q vital part Of the peace.
Time program Of the American Red
Cross, put to test In the series OF
tornadpes which recently swept the
Central and Southern states taking
great toll In life and property, amply
proved its effectiveness. In three divi-
sions. the Central, Lake and Southern,
Vtile the storm still ragged, Red Cross
WorkefB fastened to the relief Of hun
dredB Of Injured and homeless and the
despatch and efficacy with which
feiief was administered by Red Cross
chapters was such that assistance
from National headquarters was not
needed In one OF two localities the
Communities themselves grappled with
The relief problem SO successfully that
outside help was not required but
Lratned relief units Of tho Red Cross
we're ON harE waersvsr the storm hit
ready or whatever service they could
render.
Aninety-mile ride through the night,
over roads hidden by water, fording
almost impossible streams, was the
Experience Of members of the Red
Cross relief expedition in the South
srn Division. Sweeping out OF the
northwest, the hurricine did Its great.
est damage at LAGRANGE and West
Point, Ga, two OF the most prosperous
towns in Middle Georgia.
Destruction Of Communication be-
tween these towns and Atlanta delay.
ID news OF the fury with which the
Wind struck the towns. Late Sunday
evening, news OF the disaster reached
Red Cross headquarters in Atlanta and
1 relief expedition was organized at
r Dnce. With telegraph wires down
trains were not running. Five auto
mobiles were obtained and five doc
Tors and four Red Cross nurses, Red
Cross Division executives and newspa-
pef men began the long trip across the
tate.
The expedition was fully equipped
With sbandages, splints, medicines and
other emergency supplies as 1t was
.iirst reported that more than seventy
persons were killed and hundreds in
hired. For forty miles mud was the
61fiy obstacle encountered. Then tho
Derfis Of; the trip became pronounced.
First the car In which the nurses were
ridtng was thrown into ditch. All
escaped, niraculously unhurt. The
tar was hauled out Of the ditch and
The journey resumed. Next, a creek
that had widened into a river of sew
sral hundred feet was crossed. One
81 the men waded ahead of the cars,
bounding the depths with pole and
iii crossed safely. This experience
ms repeated several times, always
s b pitch blackness, no one knowing
he depth Of the rapid waters below.
Three miles from the nearest OF the
stricken towns, three of the cars ran
nut Of gasoline. Several members of
the expedition completed the trip on
loot Others pressed wagon from
q farmhouse into service.
Tired, hungry, sleepy and wet, the
party finally reached LeGrange. AL
ready the citizens Of the tornado
sWa3t town were organized and adj
niinisterfng relief. Part of the relief
Expedition went on to West Point
where q similar condition was found.
Hard hit. though they were, the peo-
plef OF the two towns shouldered their
relief tasks themselves.
From the Central Division, comes
lreport Of work we'll and quickly done.
n the devastated path Of tho tornado